Opinions on including non-optometry related work experience on OptomCAS?

[impassivitea]

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I'm not a traditional applicant, so on the one hand, I want to show that I have a diverse set of experiences and that I kept myself busy. But on the other hand, I don't want it to seem like I wasn't completely committed to optometry.

What would you guys recommend?

 

[2020Focus]

Hi! Non-traditional applicant here as well. I think you should absolutely include non-optometric work experience, if within the last 10 years. There's a reason that section is there! Like you said, it shows the admissions committees that you have a diverse set of skills and including time management if also attending school at the same time.

Good luck to you!

 

[impassivitea]

Hi! Non-traditional applicant here as well. I think you should absolutely include non-optometric work experience, if within the last 10 years. There's a reason that section is there! Like you said, it shows the admissions committees that you have a diverse set of skills and including time management if also attending school at the same time.

Good luck to you!

Thank you! Good luck to you too!

 

[Clippersfaneyecare]

I'm not a traditional applicant, so on the one hand, I want to show that I have a diverse set of experiences and that I kept myself busy. But on the other hand, I don't want it to seem like I wasn't completely committed to optometry.

What would you guys recommend?

I applied to both dental school and optometry last cycle so I may be able to help. For dental school I included one optometry internship experience but everything else was dental, while for optometry I included one dental internship and everything else was optometry. The point is you should still have your experiences point towards your commitment towards optometry, but including one or two experiences from other fields won't hurt you and can probably help your app, just make sure your other experiences don't overshadow your commitment to optometry.

 

[Cookie_nibbler]

I applied to both dental school and optometry last cycle so I may be able to help. For dental school I included one optometry internship experience but everything else was dental, while for optometry I included one dental internship and everything else was optometry. The point is you should still have your experiences point towards your commitment towards optometry, but including one or two experiences from other fields won't hurt you and can probably help your app, just make sure your other experiences don't overshadow your commitment to optometry.

Hey man, im on the same boat. Im a dental hygienist and was very interested in optometry! Can you give me your input on your situation about being in the dental field and applying to optometry? Do schools see if you applied to both their optometry and dental program?

 

[Clippersfaneyecare]

Hey man, im on the same boat. Im a dental hygienist and was very interested in optometry! Can you give me your input on your situation about being in the dental field and applying to optometry? Do schools see if you applied to both their optometry and dental program?

From my experience with applying to the optometry program and dental program for the same school, no they did not ask me about the other program during interviews. I doubt the optometry and dental programs even knew I applied to both at the same school, and I still got in to both the optometry and dental programs. The biggest thing with applying to both is you may need to take both the DAT and OAT and also will need to write a dental and optometry personal statement.