Shadowing- an issue?

[luckyfeet]

I was talking to faculty at an optometry school, and I told them I was shadowing this summer and applying in July. They told me it looks bad if shadowing is not consistent?! I was involved in POPS and shadowed an optometrist in sophomore year and now two years later....


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[Blondiechick919]

I was talking to faculty at an optometry school, and I told them I was shadowing this summer and applying in July. They told me it looks bad if shadowing is not consistent?! I was involved in POPS and shadowed an optometrist in sophomore year and now two years later....


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What is POPS?

Either way, It's better that you showed interest earlier and are still doing it now, as long as you can explain the gap. If POPS is extracurricular, they will most likely look the other way since 99% of schools like you to be well-rounded.

 

[luckyfeet]

Pre optometry professional society!! okay great thanks!


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[Blondiechick919]

Pre optometry professional society!! okay great thanks!


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Even better, that way it shows that you have a vested interest in optometry since you were part of an organization dedicated to it. duh. Bonus points for leadership.

 

[optoapp2012]

I was talking to faculty at an optometry school, and I told them I was shadowing this summer and applying in July. They told me it looks bad if shadowing is not consistent?! I was involved in POPS and shadowed an optometrist in sophomore year and now two years later....


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I think it's silly that they told you that. I shadowed 2 different optometrists each for like half a day by the time I applied to schools. I didn't list it at all in my optometry experience part of the application (only thing I listed was involvement with POPS). I mentioned it briefly in my essay, but that's it. I think that if you can talk about enough stuff with regards to optometry - detailed knowledge of the residency programs, difference between optometrist/ophthalmologist/optician, what an average day looks like, challenges facing optometry, etc...then you'll be fine. I think the shadowing is mostly beneficial for YOU so that you can figure out if it's a good career for you. Only a few schools ask for details about how many hours you've shadowed, who you've shadowed, etc. I was asked briefly in my interviews, but again still managed to get by with my limited actual shadowing at that point.

(side point: I've shadowed a lot more and work full-time in an office now...just hadn't done those things by the time I was applying ).

 

[luckyfeet]

What were your stats though?


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