How many applicants have experience?

[EthosLogos]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have experience working in an optometry clinic and I was wondering how many other applicants had experience as well. I'm kind of hoping this is an edge above my peers.

I'm majoring in human biology and have a decent gpa (3.2) but I'd like to know if there's something (besides upping my GPA) that will give me a step above my competition.

 

[jymezg]

Well experience and shadowing are like an unwritten (if not required depending on the school) requirement.

Best bet is to learn as much as you can so you will sound knowlegable/interesting and have stuff to talk about during your interveiw.

 

[Noemimi]

I agree, I have 2+ experience interning/shadowing... when I went to opto-camp in Berkeley, my fellow campers had similar experience. I think the only way to be even considered nowadays is by having some experience because it shows that you are interested in the profession and have looked into it.

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

Almost everybody. Why would you go into a field without fully knowing what it is about?

If you want to stand out, you have to do something about it.
Start a pre-optometry club at your school, create a volunteering project, do something that's beyond academics. It's going to take a lot of hard work, but that's why it stands out.

 

[BobDoleX]

when i applied to ICO, i had 5 hours of shadowing and minor experience in an optometry club. i got in fairly easily. (3.7GPA, 380/390 AA/TS)

SCO required that i do 20 more hours of shadowing and then i got in.

i think with optometry school, experience isn't THAT necessary if you have great grades. however, i think that can be said on most health careers.

 

[jymezg]

when i applied to ICO, i had 5 hours of shadowing and minor experience in an optometry club. i got in fairly easily. (3.7GPA, 380/390 AA/TS)

SCO required that i do 20 more hours of shadowing and then i got in.

i think with optometry school, experience isn't THAT necessary if you have great grades. however, i think that can be said on most health careers.

True.

If you have a 450OAT and a 5.0 GPA you can get in pretty much anywhere, as long as they don't ask for documented hours. I don't look at it as a requirement for school though, rather its more important to check it out the profession to make sure you will be happy with the career/lifestyle/ect for the next 50 or so years.

 

[QueenieCSS]

Experience is important but you can think about it in terms of paid employment or shadowing.

I got a job working in an optometry office but I only had enough time to do this because I was a post-bac and was doing classes but no extracurriculars. If I was in school full time I may not have been able to commit to that many hours a week.

I think the more important thing is to shadow. You get to see a wide variety of practice types (if you take the time to seek out different opportunities). You can also fit it into a busy - and sometimes not consistent - schedule.

IMO working is great if you can fit it in but shadowing is the most important way to see what the career holds for you. Any applicant that doesn't shadow is at a disadvantage.