New applicant advice?

[Missind33]

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Okay here's my story:
In 2012 I graduated with a non-science degree with a 3.8GPA and in the fall I started a masters program in speech-language pathology. Within the first couple of months I began to doubt whether this field was for me. While I was doing excellent in the courses I was enrolled in, it was the therapy that I truly disliked. I was miserable, and I grew depressed over despising the essence of my once career goal. I felt I became complete 180 degrees of my normal self. I went to my advisor and told her my thoughts about leaving the program. I was recommended to withdraw from two graduate courses and continue giving therapy. That these feelings are temporary and should dissipate soon. And at the end decide whether I want to continue the program. After a while, I realized that nothing had changed. And I decided to withdraw from the program mid-semester. It was a very hard and difficult decision for me.

My mother is an optometrist and after I withdrew, she recommended I help work at her office to help keep my mind off of things. Growing up I never considered optometry, but after working at her office for a couple of months, I felt optometry encompassed all the things that I felt lacked in speech-therapy. I decided to renroll in my university and take the pre-reqs for optometry. I did not know if I had a shoot at admissions because of my past.

Is there you can recommend to me in order to be a successful candidate for admissions? I plan to apply in a year or two.

 

[EyEGiRL7]

So you liked taking courses but hating doing the work? Wouldn't word it that way to admissions committees your undergrad gap is fine but prerequisite gpa will be way more important bc it's based on the science you'll take in optometry school....leaving the program makes you look like a quitter, we'll in fact you are a quitter...what about therapy didn't you like? Are you going to go to optometry school and never give a exam? Providing you stick with the program long enough... If you are on here questioning what to tell admissions is like saying "I guess I'll do this" has your mother been an optometrist a long time?how do you not have a clue what optometry encompasses or that it would interest you until now? You sound like you may be smart but it's hard to tell bc 3.8 in non science easy classes don't say much. Optometry is a VERY VERY-rigorous program that requires complete commitment and you already sound like someone who doesn't like to work very hard.....so having said all that.....you decide what would make you a better candidate than someone with maybe a lower gpa but who is completely determined and ready to do what ever it takes? Bc in the end when you get to optom school and you are in over your head overwhelmed with classes and tests and clinic work are you gonna bail out then too? As for useful advice lots of shadowing hours (not mommy) and a high gpa and you should get into any optometry school but with a high a gpa you must already know that

 

[fLuxe]

I have no idea why the person above me chose to be so rude, but I'm sure you'll be fine if you can demonstrate why you want to be an optometrist. I met plenty of optometry students and applicants in my interviews who left different fields for different reasons. Just be prepared to explain why you made the decision.

If it would make you feel better, I'm sure a lot of the admissions offices will say the same thing. I know it seems intimidating to contact them directly, but give a few of them a ring or send a few emails, everyone I've dealt with in admissions has been really nice. Good luck.

 

[Missind33]

I don't know why the above person choose to be rude either. I didn't post to be "attacked" by the decisions that I made the past and be forced to cry. I came for advice on what to do now.

I'm meeting with a pre-professional advisor in a couple weeks to start getting put in the right direction. Thank you fLuxe for the advice. I was initially hesitant to apply just because I left from a former program, however you're one that eased my fears. Thanks for the advice of contacting admissions directly for advice. I plan to do that as well now.

 

[optometrygirl29]

ignore the person up above, if you truly want to be an optometrist then you will find a way to be one...point blank

 

[Rain Clouds]

There are a LOT of people here at optometry school who started out doing something else and switched to optometry later. A lot of my classmates out here used to be in finance, business, engineering, art, entertainment, and on and on and on. I myself spent most of my professional time as a musician and photographer before I got into optometry school. While many of your fellow applicants are your typical science-major/pre-health-track folk, there are going to be plenty of "non-traditional" applicants, too, and you certainly don't have the most far-fetched story of the bunch.

First off, do well in your pre-reqs and on your OAT. They will get you in the door and into your interviews.

Then, get a bit of optometry experience under your belt at different offices if you can. No one needs you to "make up" for not starting out on an optometry track, but they DO want to see that you know enough about the profession to stick through the program. Write a great personal statement about your honest journey to optometry from speech-language pathology. Make sure you can convey what about optometry is different than what you were doing before. Make sure you can talk about it, because you can be sure that that will come up during your interviews. Go around and tell people about what you love about optometry, it'll make the interviews easier.

And finally, don't reject yourself from places. If you're insecure about your past, it'll show right through. Do the work, and believe that you're as deserving of an optometry degree as anyone else.

 

[missbrightside]

whoa that person was really rude!! haha

make sure optometry is what u want to do 100% (and why) and be able to articulate that once you get invited to interviews. Do your well on science pre-reqs, above 300s on the OAT, and apply early starting in July if you are ready.

 

[Tonometry]

I guess EyEGiRL7 just had a bad day.

Good Luck on your path, my advice is to shadow optometrist from a variety of fields, vision therapy, commercial to private. Your mother being an optometrist should have contacts like that. By looking at everything optometry has to offer, you'll find your ideal career more so than what you think you have now.

 

[Roffles]

Eyegirl is just pissed because she had terrible stats and trouble getting in, but you'll have no problem as long as you do decent in pre-reqs and on the OAT. Ignore her childish rant.

Contact admissions committees, shadow lots of different practices (you don't want to make the same mistake twice!), and focus. You'll do fine.

Tons of people come from different careers to optometry, science and non-science, and do very well. You didn't commit before because you weren't into the program, but I think if you truly enjoy what you'll be doing I the future you'll have no problem committing to optometry. Just make sure to explain that in your future interviews.

Good luck!