combined OD/MSc or OD/PhD

[cansnowflake]

I have found myself considering graduate school along with optometry, and I was hoping that anyone with experience with a combined degree would like to share their thoughts (and maybe a very brief description of their project)?
How do you find the workload in comparison to others in regular optometry school?
Do you find that reseach has enhanced your learning or further grabbed your interest in certain areas?
Would you recommend doing a combined degree?

Anyone else who has had experience in ocular research would be great to hear from too.

Thanks everyone for all of your help in this forum and for your many entertaining posts!

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[ProZackMI]

I have found myself considering graduate school along with optometry, and I was hoping that anyone with experience with a combined degree would like to share their thoughts (and maybe a very brief description of their project)?
How do you find the workload in comparison to others in regular optometry school?
Do you find that reseach has enhanced your learning or further grabbed your interest in certain areas?
Would you recommend doing a combined degree?

Anyone else who has had experience in ocular research would be great to hear from too.

Thanks everyone for all of your help in this forum and for your many entertaining posts!

I went to law school after medical school, but I knew a few people in med school who were getting MD/MPH or MD/MBA degrees concurrently. They had a rough time. I suggest that you do one degree first and then complete the second. In your case, complete your OD degree, take your boards, get a job, and get secure in your practice. Once you've done all that, then look around for local universities and see if you can find a graduate program that suits your needs and interests. If you find one, enroll.

Combined degrees take more time and money and lengthen your education. They sound like "fast-tracks" to two degrees, but the burn-out rate is high. It's hard enough to focus on the OD degree. I would really avoid combined degree programs. Focus on one at a time. You'll do better. Besides, once you've been through professional school, and are settled into your practice, you'll find getting a master's degree to be much easier and much less stressful. A PhD is a different story. A PhD is a lot of hard work. Law school (JD) was also a lot of hard work -- almost as much as medical school, in some ways. I'm sure glad I did it after I finished my education and residency. Good luck!
Zack

 

[scraders]

ProZackMI, i see that you had tons of education. how are you practicing now?

(off topic, which bigten team do you cheer for?)

 

[cpw]

There were two girls in my class that went combined degree OD/PhD .... they walked with our class and are now working on finishing their PhDs

 

[ProZackMI]

ProZackMI, i see that you had tons of education. how are you practicing now?

(off topic, which bigten team do you cheer for?)

I'm a die hard Spartans fan!!!!!!!! Yay, white and green!!!



My educational path was sort of weird. I started off majoring in political science/government as an undergraduate and loved it. I minored in biology just because I was interested in it and felt a solid science background couldn't hurt. I had planned on going into constitutional law after college, but during my senior year, ended up regretting that decision and opting for medical school. Since I lacked a lot of the biomedical sciences prereqs, I did a year of post bac med-sci and got an MS. This 1-year degree gave me my med pre-reqs, and then I went to medical school at MSU. While I was still in residency, I was considering getting a PhD or MBA, but felt law was more useful, so I started law school. I graduated in May!!!!!!!! FINALLY!

I'm a psychiatrist for now. I'll be taking the February 2006 Bar Exam. If I pass it, I think I will leave medicine and go into law. Not sure, but it's looking that way. A career in medicine is not what it's cracked up to be. I'm not sure how it is in optometry, but I should have stayed with my orginal plan and gone to law school directly out of college.