Shadowing an Optometrist for medical school

[JohnIV]

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Just a quick question for my fellow peers. Would it be worth shadowing an optometrist in regards to witnessing patient-doctor relationships, or should I disregard the opportunity?

 

[AlteredScale]

Just a quick question for my fellow peers. Would it be worth shadowing an optometrist in regards to witnessing patient-doctor relationships, or should I disregard the opportunity?

I would disregard it. Shadow a physician (MD or DO).

 

[s5260205]

OD shadowing experience won't count much. It's a different story if you were to work with an OD as it would be clinical experience (though still not as favourable).

 

[Lord Boko]

OD shadowing experience won't count much. It's a different story if you were to work with an OD as it would be clinical experience (though still not as favourable).

*quietly waits for the person who mistakes OD for DO and gets mad*

 

[Goro]

Useful only if you want to be an optometrist.

Will it impress us? No.

Just a quick question for my fellow peers. Would it be worth shadowing an optometrist in regards to witnessing patient-doctor relationships, or should I disregard the opportunity?

 

[kalat]

It's only worth shadowing an MD or a DO. If you're applying DO, it will help for you to shadow a DO. Even better if they use OMM. It is okay if all you can get is an MD though. They're both medicine. Optometry, pharmacy, physicians assistants, and the like are not appropriate alone, but I don't think it would hurt to say you also got some experience from them additionally during the interview. It'll help you better understand the team healthcare dynamic that's at play in a lot of places (e.g. the optometrist I go to also has an ophthalmologist on staff).

 

[redvelvet89]

I shadowed podiatrist and used it in my secondary app (bc my shadowing exp. really taught me why I want to pursue DO .. not MD..)

 

[allantois]

What about an oral surgeon who's a DDS 🙄

 

[moonwake]

NP/PA might help a little but it won't count for shadowing. I shadowed a pharmacist and I included it on my application because I was a former pharmacy school applicant and stuff. I just considered it an EC. I wouldn't have shadowed the pharmacist if I was shooting for MD/DO though. Make sure you get physician shadowing in there somewhere.

 

[CrimsonKing]

What about an oral surgeon who's a DDS 🙄

Most, if not all, OMF surgeons are MD/DDS. While the MD part is useful medical shadowing, shadowing in OMFS would be more useful for someone going the Dental route.