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[Rusunn]

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I want to apply for the SUNY optometry school in fall 06 and i have a few questions

1) I am missing 3 required classes (general psyc, stats, and 1 semester of english) can i take them at community college? would this look bad??


2) is geography considered a social science

3)how do one get expose to optometry?

 

[rpames]

1) Taking a few classes at a CC won't hurt you, especially considering the classes you still need to take are not really important. Take the classes and apply.
2) I really don't know. I would call the schools you are interested in and ask.
3) Just go to a couple ODs in the area and ask them if you could observe some time. I suggest going to the practice because you can wait in the waiting room until the doctor has a second to talk to you. If you call, the staff member may tell you the doctor is with a patient and s/he will call you back. That will probably take a while. Plus, it is always harder to say no to someone if they are standing in front of you as opposed to over the phone. If you are a little nervous to just pop-in, make an appointment if you have not had an exam in a while and while you are there start asking questions.

 

[scraders]

2) is geography considered a social science

it depends on the type of geography. i took a geography course that is considered a social science under the general education course listing. if you're not sure, you should probably send a course description to the admission committee of the schools that you plan to apply to.

here's a description of the course that i took:

The manner in which climate, landforms, resources, and cultural factors promote and inhibit change in developing countries (e.g., India, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, China, Kenya, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala). Comparisons are made between these countries and others in both the developing and developed world.

This course addresses contemporary issues in development and environment in the Third World. Cultural geographic and political economy perspectives are combined to examine resource use and relations between Third World countries and Western industrialized nations. Case studies will be drawn from Africa, Asia and Latin America in discussing the following topics:

* DEVELOPMENT THEORY AND THE WORLD ECONOMY
* SCARCITY AND ABUNDANCE
* FOOD SYSTEMS AND PEASANT ECONOMY
* POPULATION AND RESOURCES
* DEVELOPMENT AND ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
* INTERNATIONALIZATION OF AGRICULTURE
* RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STATE
* DEVELOPMENT AID
* THE FOOD CRISIS IN AFRICA
* THE INTERNATIONAL DEBT CRISIS
* ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT MODELS

Geography 101 has been approved as a General Education course in the areas of Social Perspectives and Non-Western Cultures and Traditions.

 

[Rusunn]

Thanks all for the help

1 more question:

I am currently working full time doing research with a professor at a college and i do not like it and want to quit. To what extent does research help a person get into optometry school??? I was wondering if its worth it to stay in research so i can put it on my application.

 

[odstudent]

Thanks all for the help

1 more question:

I am currently working full time doing research with a professor at a college and i do not like it and want to quit. To what extent does research help a person get into optometry school??? I was wondering if its worth it to stay in research so i can put it on my application.

Research is quite important during your undergraduate career and it looks pretty good to professional schools. Researching shows that you have compassion for science. However it is probably more beneficial for you to shadow some ODs or try to apply a job at an optometrist office since you already have researching experience. Good luck to you

 

[rpames]

Research is quite important during your undergraduate career and it looks pretty good to professional schools. Researching shows that you have compassion for science. However it is probably more beneficial for you to shadow some ODs or try to apply a job at an optometrist office since you already have researching experience. Good luck to you

If you push the importance of doing research and how great it is, often times the question you will be asked during the interview is, "If you love research so much, why don't you just get a Ph.D?"

I'm not saying research is bad, in fact I did it and actually was published in a journal. But during the interview I spun the research in my favor. I said things like, "It is beneficial to see the medical field from the lab bench in order to truly appreciate both sides of the field." and "Although I enjoyed my time staring in a microscope, I further pushed me to a career where I could talk to things with more than one cell."

 

[ODhopeful]

If you push the importance of doing research and how great it is, often times the question you will be asked during the interview is, "If you love research so much, why don't you just get a Ph.D?"

I'm not saying research is bad, in fact I did it and actually was published in a journal. But during the interview I spun the research in my favor. I said things like, "It is beneficial to see the medical field from the lab bench in order to truly appreciate both sides of the field." and "Although I enjoyed my time staring in a microscope, I further pushed me to a career where I could talk to things with more than one cell."

I guess if the interviewer asked why not get a Ph.D instead, I would say "It is through my undergraduate research experience that I know I do not wanna play with test tubes all day for the rest of my life, instead I like to work with people and help them to better their lives." That is a pretty good answer, right?? All I am saying is that research is good for someone to have experience with since it looks good on your academic record.

 

[cpw]

I guess if the interviewer asked why not get a Ph.D instead, I would say "It is through my undergraduate research experience that I know I do not wanna play with test tubes all day for the rest of my life, instead I like to work with people and help them to better their lives." That is a pretty good answer, right?? All I am saying is that research is good for someone to have experience with since it looks good on your academic record.

I had three years of research and production on my resume when applying to OD school. The OD/PhD recruiters were calling me constantly... but I explained at my interviews that although I appreciated my time in biotech.. I realized it wasn't for me and look forward to being on the direct to patient side of health care (aka the "front line"). The ODs were happy with my answer.. the OD/PhD's were sad. 😉

 

[rpames]

I guess if the interviewer asked why not get a Ph.D instead, I would say "It is through my undergraduate research experience that I know I do not wanna play with test tubes all day for the rest of my life, instead I like to work with people and help them to better their lives." That is a pretty good answer, right?? All I am saying is that research is good for someone to have experience with since it looks good on your academic record.

Your base to the answer is good, but I would leave out the "help people" part. Health profession interviewers hear that all day long, " I want to help people!" Although I hope that is a reason people are applying, we need to find other, more unique, answers. Like something about how you find the interpretation of visual stimuli very fascinating and you would love to understand it better. You can make a statement about, "I want to know why it is that when look a fan spinning, it suddenly appears to go backward." That will illustrate that you have given the visual system thought beyond just glasses and cataracts.

 

[ODhopeful]

Your base to the answer is good, but I would leave out the "help people" part. Health profession interviewers hear that all day long, " I want to help people!" Although I hope that is a reason people are applying, we need to find other, more unique, answers. Like something about how you find the interpretation of visual stimuli very fascinating and you would love to understand it better. You can make a statement about, "I want to know why it is that when look a fan spinning, it suddenly appears to go backward." That will illustrate that you have given the visual system thought beyond just glasses and cataracts.

😴 I fell asleep half way through your answer... sorry...
I'm just kidding. I think rpames makes a very good point in that helping people is a good intention that should not be spoken out loud. Pretty sure the interview people think you're unoriginal if you say something like that. You can probably say something like "I stabbed my younger brother in the eyes with a newly sharpened pencil and I am just curious as to why all the sudden he couldn't see anymore?" haha..... I dare someone to say something like that.

 

[Rusunn]

1) Taking a few classes at a CC won't hurt you, especially considering the classes you still need to take are not really important. Take the classes and apply.

i actually asked my pre-health advisor about this. He said that its better to take these classes at a 4 yr college, unless its a significant burden to me. so i really dont know what to do, taking 3 required classes at a CC would be more convenient but it might have negative effect. what i could do is take one at a 4 yr in the summer and 2 at CC in the fall but is that also bad? since i would be done with my application in the fall and i would not finish up my required courses can someone help me out? 🙁

 

[Ning]

i actually asked my pre-health advisor about this. He said that its better to take these classes at a 4 yr college, unless its a significant burden to me. so i really dont know what to do, taking 3 required classes at a CC would be more convenient but it might have negative effect. what i could do is take one at a 4 yr in the summer and 2 at CC in the fall but is that also bad? since i would be done with my application in the fall and i would not finish up my required courses can someone help me out? 🙁

Hey,

I really wouldn't worry too much about taking those courses at a community college, especially since those courses aren't core science classes. If it makes you feel better, many of the people on the forum have taken at least one sort of required course at community college. I'm currently taking a human anatomy course at a CC, a pre-req I am fulfilling before I enter UCB this coming fall.

Don't worry about not having all your required courses fulfilled by the time you apply. I should think that the schools care more about the science classes. When I applied, I hadn't taken 3 required science courses for UCB.

Most pre-health advisors are not as familiar with optometry school...I think optometry schools are a little more lenient when it comes to where you take your classes.

Ning-Ju