Guys Help

[iraqiamerican]

For the past 2 years, I have been doing pre-optometry for a certain univ.
But lately I've been thinking of doing opthamology instead...the reason for this is that I see the people that are getting accepted in opt. schools have an average GPA of around 3.2-3.3...I'm a 3.7 student and I'm afraid that I'm setting myself up for something I can do better then just opt. school....but I kind of get scared to think about med-school in order to do optho.....I consider myself smart student, but I get intimidated when I hear the phrase 'MCAT.' How hard is it to get into med school guys? How hard is MCAT? I just dont want to regret for not looking at all options while I'm young...so any help would be thankful.

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[fpr85]

Do you have a pre-med advisor at your school? You should talk to him/her.

If you're willing, you may want to buy (or check-out if your library carries it) the KAPLAN MCAT Comprehensive Review.

 

[Kazema]

The MCAT is hard but doable - you just have to be willing to study hard for it. I'm talking like 3 or 4 months of 10-20 hours a week dedicated solely to the MCAT. Some people can get away with studying less, and some have to do more.

Just keep in mind that GPA and MCAT aren't all you have to do. You also have to get clinical experience, volunteer, and try to get some research experience. The application process is also quite stressful and long.

But definitely give a try. Shadow a couple doctors, volunteer in a hospital or clinic and try to figure out if medicine is something you want to do. Also keep in mind that opthalmology is one of the most competitive specialties to get into, so even if you do get into a medical school it's by no means a guarantee that you'll be able to become one.

 

[tigress]

It really depends on what you want. Opthamologists do a lot of surgeries and see a lot of pathology. Optometrists see mostly normal people who need glasses, with perhaps a few people who have problems that are within the realm of optometry treatment. There is a big difference between the two practices. Optometrists can make good money these days, and many people really respect them. So you just have to analyze your motivations for going into the field. I can understand your feeling that you could do better. I know a really smart man who is an optometrist not because he couldn't go to medical school but because he was more interested in the day-to-day practice of optometry.

 

[Medikit]

If you work hard and do well in your science courses you will probably be well prepared for the MCAT.

 

[Calizona]

For the past 2 years, I have been doing pre-optometry for a certain univ.
But lately I've been thinking of doing opthamology instead...the reason for this is that I see the people that are getting accepted in opt. schools have an average GPA of around 3.2-3.3...I'm a 3.7 student and I'm afraid that I'm setting myself up for something I can do better then just opt. school....but I kind of get scared to think about med-school in order to do optho.....I consider myself smart student, but I get intimidated when I hear the phrase 'MCAT.' How hard is it to get into med school guys? How hard is MCAT? I just dont want to regret for not looking at all options while I'm young...so any help would be thankful.

I believe the most important factor you want to look at is lifestyle. What type of lifestyle do you want to have in the future. You most likely will have more time to focus on events outside of your career if you enter optometry vs if you are an M.D. This was actually one reason I was considering Dentistry for a while before I realized I wanted to be a physician. If I were you, I ask yourself if being an opthamologist vs an optometrist is really worth all the extra time it is going to take away from your social/family life. If you know you want to be an opthamologist than go for it. If you are doing it solely for the prestige, I would personally reevaluate your career choices.