Choosing an Optometry School

[Rpeardon94]

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We had an admissions recruiter come speak on behalf of an optometry program for one of our pre-optometry club meetings. I do not remember which school he was from. During his presentation however, I remember him saying something along the lines of, "any school can train you to be a good OD, but the important part is making sure you can thrive in the environment of the school and its surroundings." He then went on to give some examples one of which being, if you've never lived/driven in the snow then attending a program where they receive a lot of snow might cause some issues for you. Another one was if you have always lived in a small town, then attending a program in a large city like New York, New York may offer more distractions than opportunities.

I am curious and I would like to hear from current or former students who have endured drastic changes similar to the ones above. If you could describe the situation, whether or not these obstacles had an impact on your school work, how you navigated it, and would you make the same choice in programs again had you known what you know now.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

It's easy to split hairs when choosing which school to attend, I honestly recommend making it much easier on yourself. I would consider two things. Number one is cost. How cheap can you live where you want to go to school? Can you get a scholarship?

Number two might vary for you, depending on your heart's deepest desires, but from a practical standpoint this made a huge difference for me, and that is how close you can live to the school. Living a few blocks from campus opened up my schedule and allowed me to be way more flexible with my schedule.

Number three is school colors, because trust me.

 

[JBL0008]

Best advice I got was "Where will you be the happiest at?". I was stuck between two schools and sometimes you have to go with your gut.

If you really want to look at all the factors though compare price, board passing rates, environment, distance from family, and look deeply at the curriculum.