Hey guys so as to not make have this post look repetitive I'll be a bit brief. I was looking into becoming an optometrist. Its been on my list of career choices for the past 6 years however I was wondering if there were any Optometrists in the LA, California area that would mind me shadowing them for a day. I'm currently getting back in school full time for my bachelors starting this summer and have looked around online and gotten a pretty good idea of the career field. I work full time as well so my time is limited however I will try and be as flexible as possible. I first wanted to do Optometry while i was still in the military then i got out and got offered a job at SpaceX and although I do enjoy my job now I'm long past ready for something new. Thank you for all the help you guys can provide! Also any advice on the materials i should brush up on I saw that Chemistry and inorganic chemistry( although i have a firm grasp on these). Biology and physics were also some big subjects that I had to look forward to. Were there any other unsuspecting subjects that you guys had trouble with while in undergrad.
Optometry shadow in Los Angeles California
- Thread starter rogersja
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The way I got into my shadowing experiences was to look around for optometry practices in my area (I only really looked into private practice and OD/OMD practices, not huge chains) call and explain to the receptionist my interest in shadowing. Usually I would ask if they would pass the message along to the doctor and leave my number or if they had the doctor's email or personal phone number so we could coordinate something. Many said they were too busy or never responded, but the others were super willing to help and loved the willingness to learn. It's awesome and invaluable experience, I understand why so many schools look highly on shadowing experience.
Thanks Cate !! I actually started planning on places I would contact to see if they would allow me to shadow with them this has been super helpful!
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LA also has a lot of weekend free medical clinics I.e. like care-harbor . I’ve done a few of these during optometry school but there have been undergrad students who help volunteer and you could get some hands on opto experience even if it’s just helping with VAs. Might look good on your app 🙂
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I'm at UCLA and got one through the medical centers here, but if you just go into an optometry office and ask, I am sure they will let you.
I'm currently at SMC but plan on transfering to UCLA I'll definitely look into going to the medical centers when I transfer. For now I'll look around some more! thanks bud
