Hi, this is my first post, and I'm interested in a career in Optometry. Does anybody know of any good/informative journals/ magazines that I could start reading to gather more information about the profession? I just want to do as much research I can before I decide to pursue this career. Thank you in advance, I'd appreciate your responses!
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Optometry journals/mags. anyone?
- Thread starter aprildawn
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Hi!
A good place to start would be www.opted.org
The website has applicant information as well as a chart of all the schools with the various requirements. That was on a recent post if you look back a few but also from the www.opted.org website.
Also, on the same site, if you go to publications, there is an admissions requirement information packet that you can receive by writing to:
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Attn: Publications
6110 Executive Blvd.
Suite 510
Rockville MD 20852
Hope this helps! 🙂 and good luck!
A good place to start would be www.opted.org
The website has applicant information as well as a chart of all the schools with the various requirements. That was on a recent post if you look back a few but also from the www.opted.org website.
Also, on the same site, if you go to publications, there is an admissions requirement information packet that you can receive by writing to:
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
Attn: Publications
6110 Executive Blvd.
Suite 510
Rockville MD 20852
Hope this helps! 🙂 and good luck!
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Originally posted by aprildawn
Does anybody know of any good/informative journals/ magazines that I could start reading to gather more information about the profession?
http://www.revoptom.com/ Review of Optometry
http://www.optometric.com/ Optometric Management
http://www.seniordoc.org/articles_dyn.php Senior Doc (Articles)
http://www.aaopt.org/ American Academy of Optometry (not a journal, or magazine tho)
http://www.visioncareforums.com/forums.asp (forum with some articles)
Thank you. I was also wondering which books are the best to study for the OAT? There are a lot of companys out there that make study books like (Princeton Review, Kaplan, Barron's, etc.) Does anybody recommend a good study book, or practice tests that are on the web? I've also read on this forum that the MCAT is good for a certain part of the test? Thank you all again!
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hmm...well looks like i wont be needing my OAT stuff anymore! i scored 350 TS
r_salis gave me her Lipincott book to me, that really helped me with timing on the OAT and stuff... I used the MCAT examkrackers stuff for about a week, but used the DAT book (its really similar to the actual OAT) mostly for about 3 weeks.
i kinda procrastinated until the last week of the OAT. Even though i came up with a big schedule to study over summer (didnt happen), it gets hard during school with midterms in the way so study earlier. 🙂
PS. im selling my stuff if ur interested, i'll make a post about it later
r_salis gave me her Lipincott book to me, that really helped me with timing on the OAT and stuff... I used the MCAT examkrackers stuff for about a week, but used the DAT book (its really similar to the actual OAT) mostly for about 3 weeks.
i kinda procrastinated until the last week of the OAT. Even though i came up with a big schedule to study over summer (didnt happen), it gets hard during school with midterms in the way so study earlier. 🙂
PS. im selling my stuff if ur interested, i'll make a post about it later
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depending on how well u know ur stuff use the TopScore CD (i ran out of time and didnt use it at all---it was hard &, lol, demoralizing).
For practise exam stuff just stick with a copy of the ASCO OAT exam booklet (i was looking over what i scored on the book, and it was pretty close to what i actually got +/- 10), and study off the DAT book.
The MCAT is more passaged based questions, whereas the DAT/OAT seem to be just questions. btw, the DAT and OAT are both written up by the same association.
Tony
For practise exam stuff just stick with a copy of the ASCO OAT exam booklet (i was looking over what i scored on the book, and it was pretty close to what i actually got +/- 10), and study off the DAT book.
The MCAT is more passaged based questions, whereas the DAT/OAT seem to be just questions. btw, the DAT and OAT are both written up by the same association.
Tony
Thanks HighlyFanatic, also congrats on your acceptance and your OAT score! I would be interested in buying your books/materials...what kind of deal could you give me? What's a good one to start off with? I'm not far in the game at all, I still have to take a lot of pre-reqs, but I want to start looking at the OAT material. Thanks again.
April
April
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check your PM april
H
Hodori
Hi April,
You sound like me a year ago!
I would suggest utilizing your public library. I checked out a lot of AP books for Bio and Chem (I couldn't find one for Phys) and also checked out high school science books. I wasn't a science major and so those high school books really helped me get a strong foundation pior to tackling the AP books. Doing the AP questions can be discouraging but it will help. Keep in mind, however, that the AP questions are MUCH harder and specific than the OAT questions. I looked at an MCAT book but the MCAT is a totally different beast than the OAT. Like others on this forum have suggested, I also checked out a DAT books. The Kaplan DAT book was the most useful (disregard the perceptual ability section).
Some other disposable comments:
BIO:
I thought this was the hardest section on the actual OAT. It could be because it's been over 5 years since I took it in college... Nonethless, you have to get down and dirty and study the details.
PHY:
Study the topics that are on the practice OAT--it's provided by the same company that you sign up with for the actual OAT. If you study those topics, you're bound to get atleast a 330. I studied a lot of topics that wasn't on the practice test and it also wasn't on the actual exam. Don't be intimidated by it.... (I was scared to death to tackle this section!)
Chem:
Gosh, where do I begin? I suggest studying for math first. This way, you brush up on your arithmetic and you get used to not using your calculator. Other than that, the Topscore CD really helped (the Topscore CD was the only thing I spent money on to study for the OAT).
Orgo:
I suggest browsing through the Kaplan DAT book to get a feel for the topics. Don't bother studying all the specifics. Trust me on this. Group the reactions together and forget out all the mechanisms. If you make good notes (make sure the topics are organized) and look at it periodically. Looking at the topics over and over again will really help.
Math:
If I recall correctly, this is the section that you can miss the most and still get a decent score. For instance, you can get around 15 wrong and still get a 350. I think.... If you look at the scoring chart, you'll get what I mean. I suggest utilizing this section to raise your total OAT score because the math is very basic. The time, however, is probably your biggest enemy. You might want to study the hard questions on the SAT (I believe Qs 24/25 are the toughest on the SAT).
Reading Comp:
Well, any of my comments on this section might be misleading cause I was a liberal arts major. If you did well on the RC on your SAT, you shouldn't worry. Despite my background, I lucked out on the actual exam b/c I attended a seminar that was given my the person whose experiment was the focus of the third reading passage.
Like so many other things in life, if you put in your dues, you'll go fine. Don't underestimate the exam but don't stress too much. Good luck, April. Also, if you want explanations, pm me. 🙂
Also, if you want to buy my Topscore Cd, pm me. You have to use the Cd within a certain time, but don't worry about that. If you're interested, I'll let you know when you pm me.
You sound like me a year ago!
I would suggest utilizing your public library. I checked out a lot of AP books for Bio and Chem (I couldn't find one for Phys) and also checked out high school science books. I wasn't a science major and so those high school books really helped me get a strong foundation pior to tackling the AP books. Doing the AP questions can be discouraging but it will help. Keep in mind, however, that the AP questions are MUCH harder and specific than the OAT questions. I looked at an MCAT book but the MCAT is a totally different beast than the OAT. Like others on this forum have suggested, I also checked out a DAT books. The Kaplan DAT book was the most useful (disregard the perceptual ability section).
Some other disposable comments:
BIO:
I thought this was the hardest section on the actual OAT. It could be because it's been over 5 years since I took it in college... Nonethless, you have to get down and dirty and study the details.
PHY:
Study the topics that are on the practice OAT--it's provided by the same company that you sign up with for the actual OAT. If you study those topics, you're bound to get atleast a 330. I studied a lot of topics that wasn't on the practice test and it also wasn't on the actual exam. Don't be intimidated by it.... (I was scared to death to tackle this section!)
Chem:
Gosh, where do I begin? I suggest studying for math first. This way, you brush up on your arithmetic and you get used to not using your calculator. Other than that, the Topscore CD really helped (the Topscore CD was the only thing I spent money on to study for the OAT).
Orgo:
I suggest browsing through the Kaplan DAT book to get a feel for the topics. Don't bother studying all the specifics. Trust me on this. Group the reactions together and forget out all the mechanisms. If you make good notes (make sure the topics are organized) and look at it periodically. Looking at the topics over and over again will really help.
Math:
If I recall correctly, this is the section that you can miss the most and still get a decent score. For instance, you can get around 15 wrong and still get a 350. I think.... If you look at the scoring chart, you'll get what I mean. I suggest utilizing this section to raise your total OAT score because the math is very basic. The time, however, is probably your biggest enemy. You might want to study the hard questions on the SAT (I believe Qs 24/25 are the toughest on the SAT).
Reading Comp:
Well, any of my comments on this section might be misleading cause I was a liberal arts major. If you did well on the RC on your SAT, you shouldn't worry. Despite my background, I lucked out on the actual exam b/c I attended a seminar that was given my the person whose experiment was the focus of the third reading passage.
Like so many other things in life, if you put in your dues, you'll go fine. Don't underestimate the exam but don't stress too much. Good luck, April. Also, if you want explanations, pm me. 🙂
Also, if you want to buy my Topscore Cd, pm me. You have to use the Cd within a certain time, but don't worry about that. If you're interested, I'll let you know when you pm me.
Thanks Hodori, your pointers will definately help. I still have quite a while to go. What book do you recommend to study the physics portion of the OAT for someone who has not taken physics yet? I won't be able to take my pre-reqs until 2005 becuase of other obligations, but i want to start looking at the OAT material. Thank you.
April
April
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I used the MCAT book for phys and the Lipincott book.
