Scholarships to optometry school?

[freedomreigns]

Hello! This may be a dumb question... but.. Do optometry schools give scholarships to applicants? maybe not a free ride of course, but something? I researched alot about optometry cuz i'm really excited to be one. And in the process of choosing schools i'd like to go to, I was just wondering. I always just assumed that they didn't because all the admitted students are being admitted for being such competent applicants right?

oh also. i'm going to be a junior undergrad student in the fall. and I'm planning on taking both semesters worth of ochem in the summer (5 week ochem a which has just begun, 5 week ochem b.. yikes!).. and just reading all the topics in the forum's getting me quiiite anxious about the OATs since i'm not that great of a test taker even if my grades are alright. i kinda wanna buy one of them books and study here & there early.. do you advise me to start studying with a Kaplan/Princeton Review/etc OAT book? cuz don't they come out with new editions every year- should i wait? hehe thanks for all the input you guys~ God bless!

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[Squint]

scholarship list for all schools

http://www.aoa.org/x5142.xml

 

[cunikki]

most scholarships are for students already in school (most of ours are to the 3rd year who did cl research and some such stuff) ... there are a few for incomign people with the highest gpa at my school (scco) and also if you are from a western state look into wiche (its awesome .... colo is paying over half my tuition)

 

[eyebwoi]

I wouldn't take both your organic chem classes in the summer. Those are probably two classes you want to make sure you have enough time for. Organic chem II is tough...

 

[prettygreeneyes]

...and also if you are from a western state look into wiche (its awesome .... colo is paying over half my tuition)

Amen to that! Do you have to go back to Colorado at all after school?

 

[cpw]

UHCO does give some scholarships before matriculation. most of the scholarships come from grades and clinical performance in third and fourth year. Third year being the big $$ year.

In our school, people were so lazy about writing a one page essay that if you actually BOTHERED to write the essay and had a decent GPA you could clean up. Your laziness, meant more money for me. Thanks lazy classmates !!

Most third and fourth year scholarships are sponsored: VSP, Cole Vision, Wal-Mart, etc. (all listed on the link posted above)

 

[sniklegem]

Which schools are you going to apply to? Wherever you apply, do so early.

At SCO, if you are in by December (I think), then you are eligible for the first rounds of our scholarship selections. We have several available to matriculating students. This past year we gave out about 30 (give or take a few), ranging from $20,000 to $500. I got a $12,000 over 4 years, so that helps out a lot!

Our scholarships are real! We don't raise tuition to fund them, we don't raise the money as we go, the school gets all the money for the scholarship before it is awarded.

 

[cunikki]

um yeah for colo you do have to go back to practice for 4 years but you are allowed to go anywhere... each state has its own rules... washington you have to practice in an underserved area... wyoming you dont have to go back at all.... etc

 

[destrin24]

If you are interested in the military, there is the Health Profession Scholarship Program that provides a full ride.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

um yeah for colo you do have to go back to practice for 4 years but you are allowed to go anywhere... each state has its own rules... washington you have to practice in an underserved area... wyoming you dont have to go back at all.... etc

Nevada is the same as Colorado... you do need to go back (which I was planning on doing anyway) but you can practice anywhere in the state. It sure did make my first year of loans a bit smaller than my classmates!

 

[freedomreigns]

If you are interested in the military, there is the Health Profession Scholarship Program that provides a full ride.

i googled it up and read several sites saying the same thing. sounds like a really good scholarship~ do any of you know anyone who has taken up the offer. i am aware that for optometry there is a minimum of 3 years that you need to give back for "active duty." But correct me if i'm wrong in that the "active duty" that you would be doing would basically be working as an optometrist no? though you do engage in training throughout the 4 years, since it is a health profession scholarship, you'll be "serving your duty" not by engaging in 'fighting'-type duty but just working in one of the army facilities correct?

anyone utilizing this scholarship? i would greatly appreciate some feedback on pros/cons.. whether there's a "catch"? sounds better than it really is? thankks!!

 

[freedomreigns]

I wouldn't take both your organic chem classes in the summer. Those are probably two classes you want to make sure you have enough time for. Organic chem II is tough...

yeah.. i know.. but im going to try to take both sessions anyways so that that i can be on track again once fall semester starts, and also because i really want to study abroad hehehe.
i have a question you guys.. im currently taking ochem right now and man it's insane. i mean the material i don't find that difficult, but summer session is so short (5 weeks) that though i understand the stuff, i mess up so much on tests due to careless mistakes!! i'm debating on whether or not to drop it.. but i've worked so hard this far... which leads to the notion that it's very possible that i might get a C in this course. (and no i have not been slacking off, i have in fact been studying very hard every day.. then why the C you ask? .. i get really anxious during tests & over-think things too much.. <bad BAD habit i need to break> n frankly, this prof is more tough/strict than other ochem professors.. more on the strict/nit-picky details side.. hehe in case u were wondering)..

well..the school i want to go to is SCCO because it's not as far and i love the facility and after researching about the school and curriculum, i would love to go there. n i could commute from home so i can save money.

i havent been able to get in contact with the admissions counselor cuz shes been in various meetings when i've called, maybe one of you can answer for me. possibly those who've been accepted. if i do happen to get a C in this class.. and later on decide to re-take it to "up" my grade.. will they consider the C.. the A (assuming i'd get that the next time i take it) or average it out as a B?

thanks guys!!

 

[reconsider]

Scholarships for optometry schools????????
http://img.studentdoctor.net/images/smilies/laughy.gif


You guys are dreaming. Optometry school is big business. They want you to borrow big bucks so you can work at the mall selling boxes of acuvue lenses.

No one is going to give you any money to go to OD school.


Read http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/optometrysucks/

for everything you need to know about optometry school

 

[prettygreeneyes]

No one is going to give you any money to go to OD school.

Ummm... yeah. Getting about $40,000 from Nevada thru the WICHE program, and received an additional scholarship from Pacific.

Your posts may be a lot more helpful if you could offer up WHY you feel this way? Did you flunk out? Debt unmanageable? Were you unable to find a job after graduation? Did your practice go under? No one will put any stock into what you say until you can back it up with an explanation. Until then, you'll be brushed off as a being a little bitter...

 

[destrin24]

i googled it up and read several sites saying the same thing. sounds like a really good scholarship~ do any of you know anyone who has taken up the offer. i am aware that for optometry there is a minimum of 3 years that you need to give back for "active duty." But correct me if i'm wrong in that the "active duty" that you would be doing would basically be working as an optometrist no? though you do engage in training throughout the 4 years, since it is a health profession scholarship, you'll be "serving your duty" not by engaging in 'fighting'-type duty but just working in one of the army facilities correct?

anyone utilizing this scholarship? i would greatly appreciate some feedback on pros/cons.. whether there's a "catch"? sounds better than it really is? thankks!!

While on active duty, you will serve only as an optometrist. Alferec may be a better person to ask, since he's already been on the scholarship for a year. His site basically sums up the pros: http://www.optstudent.com/hpsp.html.
Cons? It depends on your perspective of what the cons are. Just know you have a minimum amount of years you need to serve. You won't know where you will be serving until you graduate from optometry school, which may or may not be in the country. If you plan to have your own practice, most likely you won't have the opportunity to until 3-4 yrs after you graduate. Or if you wish to be employed, your salary in the Army is generally lower than what you may receive if you were in private/commercial practice.

 

[eyebwoi]

yeah.. i know.. but im going to try to take both sessions anyways so that that i can be on track again once fall semester starts, and also because i really want to study abroad hehehe.
i have a question you guys.. im currently taking ochem right now and man it's insane. i mean the material i don't find that difficult, but summer session is so short (5 weeks) that though i understand the stuff, i mess up so much on tests due to careless mistakes!! i'm debating on whether or not to drop it.. but i've worked so hard this far... which leads to the notion that it's very possible that i might get a C in this course. (and no i have not been slacking off, i have in fact been studying very hard every day.. then why the C you ask? .. i get really anxious during tests & over-think things too much.. <bad BAD habit i need to break> n frankly, this prof is more tough/strict than other ochem professors.. more on the strict/nit-picky details side.. hehe in case u were wondering)..

well..the school i want to go to is SCCO because it's not as far and i love the facility and after researching about the school and curriculum, i would love to go there. n i could commute from home so i can save money.

i havent been able to get in contact with the admissions counselor cuz shes been in various meetings when i've called, maybe one of you can answer for me. possibly those who've been accepted. if i do happen to get a C in this class.. and later on decide to re-take it to "up" my grade.. will they consider the C.. the A (assuming i'd get that the next time i take it) or average it out as a B?

thanks guys!!

That's pretty much why I was saying don't take organic chem in the summer! It's an important class, and attention to detail counts. One wrong step in a synthesis can ruin the whole answer (from what I recall!). It can be overwhelming for some people in a normal semester, taking it in summer is an unnecessary stress!

I don't think getting a C will be disastrous, as long as your grades for everything else are high. If you choose to retake the class, most schools will average your grade (though you will want to contact the schools to make sure). You won't really increase your gpa by much, if at all, especially from a C to a B or an A.

 

[panzer]

While on active duty, you will serve only as an optometrist. Alferec may be a better person to ask, since he's already been on the scholarship for a year. His site basically sums up the pros: http://www.optstudent.com/hpsp.html.
Cons? It depends on your perspective of what the cons are. Just know you have a minimum amount of years you need to serve. You won't know where you will be serving until you graduate from optometry school, which may or may not be in the country. If you plan to have your own practice, most likely you won't have the opportunity to until 3-4 yrs after you graduate. Or if you wish to be employed, your salary in the Army is generally lower than what you may receive if you were in private/commercial practice.

So you are saying that when on "active duty", you will never ever pick up a gun if, lets say, they have a war and need troops? I think Iraq should serve as a good reminder for you.