Optometry vs. pharmacy

[funnyshoes84]

Hi, I have been focusing on applying to pharmacy school for Fall 2006 but recently I've become really interested in optometry as a profession; however, I have no experience with optometry and still need to take the OATs if I'm going to apply next year. I was wondering if I should volunteer at an optometrists office to gain more experience, but I really don't have a lot of time to do so. Can anyone give me insight into why they like optometry?? Thanks!

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[ppa93]

Hi, I have been focusing on applying to pharmacy school for Fall 2006 but recently I've become really interested in optometry as a profession; however, I have no experience with optometry and still need to take the OATs if I'm going to apply next year. I was wondering if I should volunteer at an optometrists office to gain more experience, but I really don't have a lot of time to do so. Can anyone give me insight into why they like optometry?? Thanks!

You have the same situation as mine. I didnt want to take OAT, so I decided to go for Pharmacy and found out that pharmacy is very competitive. A lot of people are going for pharmacy. Then I checked out Optometry, and I got really interested in it. So i took the OAT and stuffs. I think the best way to know good things about Optometry is shadowing an OD. I think you can give time an hour a week. Cant you? Plus you need to do some shadowing because you will need a recommendation letter from an Optometrist if u are gonna apply for optometry schools
Good luck

 

[FutureIrishOD]

Hi, I have been focusing on applying to pharmacy school for Fall 2006 but recently I've become really interested in optometry as a profession; however, I have no experience with optometry and still need to take the OATs if I'm going to apply next year. I was wondering if I should volunteer at an optometrists office to gain more experience, but I really don't have a lot of time to do so. Can anyone give me insight into why they like optometry?? Thanks!

Hey,
I was in your place about year ago. I am actually the president of the pre-pharmacy club, because i know enough about it. My suggestion is get involved in a pre-optometry club and try to at least shadow an optometrist for a few days. I also volunteer with Prevent Blindness. But to learn more about optometry I just mainly used the links form www.opted.org and then visited websites like for American Optometry Association and the Texas Optometry Association and read all the information about the schools I could find. For the OAT, I would just use your old notes and the PCAT or MCAT study guide. It is very similiar to the PCAT, except the OAT includes physics. Good Luck, I think optometry is a much better career choice.

 

[r_salis]

I didnt want to take OAT, so I decided to go for Pharmacy and found out that pharmacy is very competitive. A lot of people are going for pharmacy.

FYI -- entrance to optometry schools has become much more competitive recently, especially this year -- SUNY applicants are up 30%, for example.

 

[sandyy]

Optometry and pharmacy have become really competitive in the last few years, but how much more competitive is pharmacy than optometry..are they about the same?