Optometry for infants/pediatric

[MissPickles]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello all! I really enjoy working with children, and I am interested in infant perception and vision issues, also. I am hoping that maybe you can give me some information about the role of optometrists in working with children? Also, are there lots of opportunities in this area? Can you specialize just in pediatrics?

Thanks a bunch!

Lindsay

 

[MissPickles]

I just saw that you need calc for optometry. I'm not sure if I can do calc! Dammit. I am just not very strong at math.

 

[dinkus]

You're probably going to need to take Calculus for any health profession.

 

[mjl]

You're probably going to need to take Calculus for any health profession.

Agreed. I doubt you will be able to get around taking at least one semester of calc for the majority of health/science related professions

 

[Jonbrout]

I just saw that you need calc for optometry. I'm not sure if I cando calc! Dammit. I am just not very strong at math.

 

[Shnurek]

LOL not strong at math and you want to be an opto-METRIST! You are kidding me right. Half of what we do requires math calculations and complex physics formulas. Get a reality check.

 

[MissPickles]

Hehe, so angry. Actually, many medical programs, nursing schools, PA school, even a lot of veterinary programs do not require calc. They do require trig based physics, and chemistry, which are obviously very math related/math based. In the past I tried to understand calculus but it was very difficult for me.

Anyway, when you look up the curriculum and the pre-reqs, its not obvious that there's tons of math with the exception is "geometric optics". I did more research and of course I found out more about the math; but I had to actually google "how much math is in optometry". Anyway, thanks so much for all the KIND advice....even though I should have done more research before I posted, its not necessary to be so rude and condescending.

 

[PharmyC]

Hehe, so angry. Actually, many medical programs, nursing schools, PA school, even a lot of veterinary programs do not require calc. They do require trig based physics, and chemistry, which are obviously very math related/math based. In the past I tried to understand calculus but it was very difficult for me.

Anyway, when you look up the curriculum and the pre-reqs, its not obvious that there's tons of math with the exception is "geometric optics". I did more research and of course I found out more about the math; but I had to actually google "how much math is in optometry". Anyway, thanks so much for all the KIND advice....even though I should have done more research before I posted, its not necessary to be so rude and condescending.

Well spoke and very true. I thought the pharmacy forums were full of jaded individuals, but at least you'll find the occasional supportive voice in a thread. As far as your concern about calculus, MissPickles, I'd say give it a try. To me calculus itself is easy, it's the algebra that always gave me issues when trying to solve problems using calculus. But that gets easier with practice.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

Hello all! I really enjoy working with children, and I am interested in infant perception and vision issues, also. I am hoping that maybe you can give me some information about the role of optometrists in working with children? Also, are there lots of opportunities in this area? Can you specialize just in pediatrics?

Thanks a bunch!

Lindsay

I would say if you're interested in infant perception issues, then pursuing a Ph.D or OD/Ph.D would seem more appropriate. The same goes for children, although graduating optometry school and doing a residency in COVD would seem like the right track there.

As far as lots of opportunities, I would say no because its a specialized field that is not in need for the majority; only a few specific cases.

Yes, you can confine ones practice to "pediatrics" but this mode would be more likely in a academic or institutional/research setting. As for private practice you can have peds as a niche to one's comprehensive practice.

 

[QueenieCSS]

Is there a lot of calculus in optometry school? I always thought there would be basic algerbra/geometry instead.

I feel like pretty much all the math we do is algebra/geometry/trig. Even the OAT was SAT level math and not calculus based. We have some more complex physics equations but so far I have never had to figure out differential equations since I started in school.

Plus, most of the hands on stuff in clinic is very basic math. Obviously some of the more specialized things might have slightly more complex equations but overall I am figuring out someone's ADD power based on the difference between two results I get from the exam. Basic addition and subtraction with some multiplication/division worked in there from time to time.

So basically - I don't really recall doing any calculus since I started school. I don't even think I COULD do any now without reviewing notes from undergrad. I think they just want you to prove that you could do some of the higher level math, even if you won't be using it in school.

 

[MissPickles]

Thanks a bunch for the supportive replies. I know my initial question about calc may have seemed poorly informed, but from the curriculum of the OD programs I looked at, I didn't really see where one would need calculus. 😳

In my undergrad years I actually failed algebra 4 times. I am not proud to say this; I did decent in stats but for some reason, algebra...I just can't seem to get it. It frustrates me so much. Needless to say I did finally pass but I needed a lot of tutoring and had to work extremely hard to get a C. Now I am older and I feel my quantitative reasoning is better...I know that sounds odd, but it's like there's a magical difference between 22 and 25 for me. Still, I'm not sure if it's a "can do calculus" difference. I always remember trig and geometry being better, because it made more concrete sense to me; but I haven't taken that stuff since high school.

 

[Shnurek]

Thanks a bunch for the supportive replies. I know my initial question about calc may have seemed poorly informed, but from the curriculum of the OD programs I looked at, I didn't really see where one would need calculus. 😳

In my undergrad years I actually failed algebra 4 times. I am not proud to say this; I did decent in stats but for some reason, algebra...I just can't seem to get it. It frustrates me so much. Needless to say I did finally pass but I needed a lot of tutoring and had to work extremely hard to get a C. Now I am older and I feel my quantitative reasoning is better...I know that sounds odd, but it's like there's a magical difference between 22 and 25 for me. Still, I'm not sure if it's a "can do calculus" difference. I always remember trig and geometry being better, because it made more concrete sense to me; but I haven't taken that stuff since high school.

If you get 300 or above on the math section of the OAT you should be fine.