I want to give up everything. Need hope..

[JinTaek]

Hi guys.

I've been preparing for OAT and applying to schools since May. As the application open date is coming up, I am having a major stress that I would not be accepted any schools. Sometimes I think that why am I even studying when I know I would not make it through. Everyday I am having a debate whether or not that I should continue to study for optometry school instead of going to radiation therapy school.

I have 2.97 overall GPA (Probably lower major GPA) in Zoology degree with 50+ shadowing experience. I've been studying OAT for long time but the scores from practice tests shows that it is not improving that well. My friends who are trying to go to dental school have at least 3.0 GPA with lots of shadowing/volunteer hours.

My question is .. is there even small chance to get one of the schools with my spec? I mean even if I get decent score on the OAT, I still have low chance due to lack of hours of shadowing/volunteer (0 volunteer hours, 50+ shadowing hours) and low GPA. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO GOT IN WITH GPA BELOW 3.0??

I have applied to these schools :Western University of Health Sciences
University of the Incarnate Word School of Opt
University of Alabama
Southern College of Optometry
Pennsylvania College of Optometry/Salus University
Illinois College of Optometry
and one at the Puerto Rico.

I'm trying to take the biochemistry this summer session which cost me 1K (Which is required class) and I'm not sure if this is even worth to take it.. I know that it is always good to try at least once but finance is a big problem for me.

I would appreciate all the helps and advices. Thank you very much and god bless you.

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[tkuhug]

Try retaking some of the required courses at your local cc. The BOG fee waiver is great for financial assistance for people who have completed their undergraduate degrees.

 

[JinTaek]

Try retaking some of the required courses at your local cc. The BOG fee waiver is great for financial assistance for people who have completed their undergraduate degrees.

I live in North Carolina. No BOG..

 

[sky019]

Your situation is better than mine to be honest. I have a lower GPA compare to you but still got into MCPHS. People may bash me because I'm heading to a new school. But you know what? screw them. I love the program from this school. It all goes down to what is it that you want. If you have the passion, then don't give up! There's always a school for you.

Try and apply to everywhere. Study hard for your OAT. You will do fine!
Good luck!!!

p.s. Puerto Rico...I would not apply to them. They suck. They didn't even bother contacting me about my application whatsoever.

 

[JinTaek]

Your situation is better than mine to be honest. I have a lower GPA compare to you but still got into MCPHS. People may bash me because I'm heading to a new school. But you know what? screw them. I love the program from this school. It all goes down to what is it that you want. If you have the passion, then don't give up! There's always a school for you.

Try and apply to everywhere. Study hard for your OAT. You will do fine!
Good luck!!!

p.s. Puerto Rico...I would not apply to them. They suck. They didn't even bother contacting me about my application whatsoever.

Thank you so much. I just need this 'DETERMINATION'.. May I ask your OAT score and do you have any other extra activities?

 

[sky019]

Thank you so much. I just need this 'DETERMINATION'.. May I ask your OAT score and do you have any other extra activities?

I PM'ed you

 

[optogirl81]

I think you should be fine - apply early! Take your OAT asap when you feel ready that way if you need to re-take it you have 3 more months to study and still apply sort of early. I re-took a class at a cc the summer before i started school - you can wait until the school tells you you need to retake it.
If you apply early, get good OAT scores and have a likeable personality then you should be golden


My stats: 3.1-3.2 overall GPA, 2.9 science GPA
OAT: Avg: 330, TS: 310

And I got into several schools and I applied kinda late...I had about 20 hrs shadowing experience, I did have some work experience (but not in optometry). I am now at Nova

 

[JinTaek]

thank you so much for replies guys.

Do you guys think I should apply to more schools?

I feel like I should but I do not have some prerequisites such as anatomy or physiology.

 

[JinTaek]

I think you should be fine - apply early! Take your OAT asap when you feel ready that way if you need to re-take it you have 3 more months to study and still apply sort of early. I re-took a class at a cc the summer before i started school - you can wait until the school tells you you need to retake it.
If you apply early, get good OAT scores and have a likeable personality then you should be golden


My stats: 3.1-3.2 overall GPA, 2.9 science GPA
OAT: Avg: 330, TS: 310

And I got into several schools and I applied kinda late...I had about 20 hrs shadowing experience, I did have some work experience (but not in optometry). I am now at Nova

Thank you for the good info!! how many schools did you apply?

 

[sky019]

You should totally apply to more schools. Not all schools require anatomy or physiology. Most school recommended. Just look at the school's pre-req and see if they match the classes you already have taken :]

 

[Loptometriste]

thank you so much for replies guys.

Do you guys think I should apply to more schools?

I feel like I should but I do not have some prerequisites such as anatomy or physiology.

An optometrist I worked with told me to only apply to schools that will accept me. There is not point of wasting money on applying to 10 schools if you know 5 of them won't even look at your app.

 

[OhhDee]

SDN is not the place to come for hope

 

[Tonometry]

SDN is not the place to come for hope

This is ^ is your answer. I couldnt say it any better

 

[tbair200]

This website has way too many people with a lot of pride. So why can't we all be encouraging? I am not sure. I will be encouraging. I am in a similar boat as you.My gpa is higher but I took my OAT and needless to say I did horrendous. So I have to retest (it sucks I was so upset). Anyways, think about all the people that got into opt, dental, pharm, med, law etc. I am POSITIVE that at some point they ALL doubted whether or not they had what it takes. I heard a classmate of mine with a 3.9 gpa freaking out over med school. Can you believe that!?!!? Anyways, we cannot predict what will happen to you just like I don't know if I will get into Opt school either. Just try your best and keep going!!! Study hard for your Oat! I would recommend getting more than Kaplan esp for the biology, it def was not enough.

 

[Tonometry]

We arent full of pride, We were in the same boat more or less. The internet shouldnt be where you find your inspiration to keep moving on with the choices you make.

You know why this isnt a place to come for hope? Theres people on here that hate optometry, the people in it and even go so far as to make fun of us for trying so hard to become optometrist. They arent totally wrong but they are negative enough that coming here for "hope" is a dangerous thing to do.

My only advice is meet an optometrist, become their friend and get their advice, They are less likely to put you down.

 

[Jason K]

You know why this isnt a place to come for hope? Theres people on here that hate optometry, the people in it and even go so far as to make fun of us for trying so hard to become optometrist. They arent totally wrong but they are negative enough that coming here for "hope" is a dangerous thing to do.

The Titanic was a terrible place to go for hope as well - as are most impending disasters, optometry-related or not. I've rarely seen any "fun-making" of prospective OD students on here. I've seen a lot of that going from student to OD, but rarely the reverse.

This place, in addition to being thin on "hope," is also a place where negativity is immediately labeled as "hate," in order to warm the hearts of the naive. Consider that as you form your opinion on the matters at hand.

 

[Tonometry]

The Titanic was a terrible place to go for hope as well - as are most impending disasters, optometry-related or not. I've rarely seen any "fun-making" of prospective OD students on here. I've seen a lot of that going from student to OD, but rarely the reverse.

This place, in addition to being thin on "hope," is also a place where negativity is immediately labeled as "hate," in order to warm the hearts of the naive. Consider that as you form your opinion on the matters at hand.

Jason K just demonstrates a prime example of the "negativity" this forum has.

He claims he doesn't practice optometry anymore to avoid the "sinking ship" and politely puts us down calling us naive as we climb aboard this titanic he cleverly uses as a metaphor for optometry. Jason K "rarely" sees it because he is to busy doing it.


Lots of people come on this forum and post "will i make it into optometry?" threads and they get two replies:

1) Students who are in the same boat - encouraging you to try harder
2) OD (or Ex-ODs) saying why bother? optometry is a bad place to be in

I'd like to reinforce my first post: This is not the place to come for hope.

 

[Jason K]

Jason K just demonstrates a prime example of the "negativity" this forum has.

He claims he doesn't practice optometry anymore to avoid the "sinking ship" and politely puts us down calling us naive as we climb aboard this titanic he cleverly uses as a metaphor for optometry. Jason K "rarely" sees it because he is to busy doing it.

Tonometry just demonstrates a major trend that has developed within the latest generation of youth. You've been programmed by the liberal educational system to believe that there are no wrong answers, and that every decision is fine, as long as it feels right to you.

I've been accused of "insulting" posters on this forum many times before. It makes me yawn, because every time I ask for evidence of this "insulting behavior," my request goes unanswered. If you think being called "naive" is an insult, you've only served to prove my point. There isn't an optometry student on Earth who isn't naive about the profession he or she will enter, and that included me when I was in school. One cannot develop a strong base of wisdom, judgement, and understanding of a field until they've been in it for a while. Sorry, that's reality, whether you like it or not.

Lots of people come on this forum and post "will i make it into optometry?" threads and they get two replies:

1) Students who are in the same boat - encouraging you to try harder
2) OD (or Ex-ODs) saying why bother? optometry is a bad place to be in

I completely agree. That should tell you something.

 

[Tonometry]

One cannot develop a strong base of wisdom, judgement, and understanding of a field until they've been in it for a while. Sorry, that's reality, whether you like it or not.

And If we the "young generation" don't believe in your "wisdom and understanding of the optometric field", you simply say that we are insulting you. How hypocritical.

The reality is many people have different views of optometry (The young generation and the old). There will be people who tell you optometry is a good profession to be in and others who don't. Don't get me wrong there's alot of bad things happening in this profession (much like any other profession) but the internet forum is not reliable for you to based your opinions. The optometrist you shadow are right there doing it for a living, they have honest answers. Jason K the harbinger of Chuck Norris is not a reliable source of information no matter how old and wise he is. He tries to give us a lesson in every closing sentence he post (it must be a habit), dont take it to heart.

 

[Jason K]

And If we the "young generation" don't believe in your "wisdom and understanding of the optometric field", you simply say that we are insulting you. How hypocritical.

The reality is many people have different views of optometry (The young generation and the old). There will be people who tell you optometry is a good profession to be in and others who don't. Don't get me wrong there's alot of bad things happening in this profession (much like any other profession) but the internet forum is not reliable for you to based your opinions. The optometrist you shadow are right there doing it for a living, they have honest answers. Jason K the harbinger of Chuck Norris is not a reliable source of information no matter how old and wise he is. He tries to give us a lesson in every closing sentence he post (it must be a habit), dont take it to heart.

Being called "naive" is quite different from being called a "failure," an "idiot," a "loser," or any of the other host of insults that have been thrown my way over the years - not sure why that is so difficult to comprehend. If you're so ruffled by the use of the term, "naive," you've got to work on getting your skin thickened. I couldn't really care less what someone throws at me on this forum - it's an online forum occupied by people who know almost nothing about me, nor I them. What I do know something about is the profession of optometry. You can ignore me or listen, I really don't care since I'm not on here for your benefit.

<Insert "And That's One to Grow On" message here>

 

[Tonometry]

You can ignore me or listen, I really don't care since I'm not on here for your benefit.

Clearly you do care or else you wouldn't of commented so much on my post.

And like you said "it's an online forum occupied by people who know almost nothing about me, nor I them" so thats why I state that your not a reliable source of information" I didnt mean to offend you, but then again you "dont care" lol

 

[optogirl81]

Thank you for the good info!! how many schools did you apply?

I was worried and applied to about 8-10 schools. You can tell the schools you plan to take those pre-reqs in the summer before starting...so if you do get into one of those and plan to go, you can take them in the summer. More schools = better chance of getting in somewhere!

Good luck!

 

[Jason K]

Clearly you do care or else you wouldn't of commented so much on my post.

No, I respond to plenty of people who hold opinions I don't care about - so do you, apparently.

And like you said "it's an online forum occupied by people who know almost nothing about me, nor I them" so thats why I state that your not a reliable source of information" I didnt mean to offend you, but then again you "dont care" lol

My knowledge of you, or anyone else on this board, has nothing to do with my knowledge of the profession being discussed. Therefore, your statement about me "not being a realiable source of information," is void of foundation. This stuff is really simple - not sure why it's causing so much confusion.

 

[pod101]

SDN is not the place to come for hope

WELCOME TO THE PODIATRY FORUMS MUHAHAHAHAA! Oh wait this is OD. My bad!

 

[Silhouette]

Lately I've been seriously contemplating optometry as a career. I thank Jason K, if he's sincere, in providing what he believes are prescient warnings about the future abysmal state of optometry. Despite of this, he's still probably earning his daily bread through optometry, a degree he duly earned. If there are resentments, it is because he's made his own mistakes. He was "naive" at some point.

Right now on nearly all the forums on SDN, there are negative talks about a particular career. Pharmacy, was no exception a few years ago when I completed the application. I had done some research and I knew I did not like the retail side of pharmacy. I hated the drive-thru that cheapened care. I hated being a cashier ringing merchandise other than therapeutic drugs as a pharmacy intern. I suppose I wanted to be a clinical pharmacist at some point in my career but I was so dispirited (because I couldn't even find a job as an intern, and when I did I worked barely 12 hrs/week during the summer). Bottom line, I chose pharmacy purely for the money (that is no longer; no more hiring bonus as in 2004-2005 years). I got out and I have no regrets.

Whether optometry has similar stories is up to the individual to decide. I gave a hard look at nursing and the minimal amount invested but the career is just not for me. I like the science but everything about the field does not suit me.

Dentistry is way too expensive and it is not quite what I want to do. But I prefer it to nursing.

Medicine is way too long and frankly, while hospitals are useful, stay the heck out of there if you possibly can. In addition to nosocomial acquired diseases, one is never certain the care (direct or intellectual) a loved one is receiving there. And if I were a nurse, I wouldn't feel offended whatsoever... hospitals are a serious dichotomy.

What I (think) like about optometry is that I can be the bridge between a patient and an ophthalmologist. I don't have to operate (though some people fancy this). You come into my group practice and I will do what I can as a doctor of optometry to help your vision (even if glasses are the only solution). Many people in my family wear glasses because of poor eyesight. One family friend was urgently referred to an ophthalmologist because of risk for cataract or glaucoma. I prefer using the optometry equipment (which actually involves a real skill) than to be a pharmacist (with hardly a time for break... some professional!) verifying drugs. I don't want too much responsibility of an ophthalmologist. Also, most people tend to see their optometrist than spending a lot of money going to a eye physician. Yes, having a practice can be expensive but I like the idea that maybe someday it can be a possibility. Owning an independent pharmacy these days... well, good luck!

So you label me a seller of glasses... this is of course, part of the business and I will still prefer it to being in a hospital for 12 hrs. I come to realize that I would still prefer to be in a mall (if it comes to that) than worrying too much whether a patient will live or die. In this economy, it is hard enough to land any job, and I can only swallow with a grain of salt a disgruntled optometrist who is probably still working as an optometrist.

Many of my friends went on to graduate from pharmacy, some of them are ok with it, others regret choosing pharmacy altogether. Alas, they were too far along to drop out. But, the good news, they will have an income, hopefully. For this reason, I can advise someone to carefully research the field of pharmacy (or any career) before diving in. However, it is up to them to decide and make their own mistake. For me, I'm ready for a career in optometry. Since I'll be applying to just one school (because of family commitment), it will either meant to be or I may end up working in a hospital as a male nurse which I don't fancy. But I'll still be working and my ego won't get the best of me.

Oh! One more thing... I love physics. Wish me luck!

 

[ucfgrad10]

[

You know why this isnt a place to come for hope? Theres people on here that hate optometry, the people in it and even go so far as to make fun of us for trying so hard to become optometrist. They arent totally wrong but they are negative enough that coming here for "hope" is a dangerous thing to do.

My only advice is meet an optometrist, become their friend and get their advice, They are less likely to put you down.[/QUOTE]

I get this a lot for going into podiatry. But hey, haters going up hate and taters going to Tate. Never give up! Always try to stay positive and do what YOU want.

 

[PreOpt317]

I was worried and applied to about 8-10 schools. You can tell the schools you plan to take those pre-reqs in the summer before starting...so if you do get into one of those and plan to go, you can take them in the summer. More schools = better chance of getting in somewhere!

Good luck!

Congrats on Nova! I also plan on applying to Nova. If you don't mind, can you please tell me more about your applying experience? Were you still working on your undergrad when you applied/were you still taking the prereqs yet you got accepted!? Please share! Thank you!