Shadowing

[oo0Archangel0oo]

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Hey, guys! I have a little question about shadowing. Some people I have spoken to told me that it is better to shadow a bunch of optometrists in order to get a feel for a variety of different practices rather than to stay at one practice for an extended period of time. Most of the optometrists I shadow seem to let me shadow for a couple hours for one or two days. They assume that I'll only be shadowing for a short period of time. Is this normal? What I mean is, are your experiences shadowing similar to mine? I want a good letter of recommendation from an optometrist, but I feel very awkward asking them for a letter after spending so little time with them. Any input/help would be much appreciated!

 

[Optomchick]

Hey, guys! I have a little question about shadowing. Some people I have spoken to told me that it is better to shadow a bunch of optometrists in order to get a feel for a variety of different practices rather than to stay at one practice for an extended period of time. Most of the optometrists I shadow seem to let me shadow for a couple hours for one or two days. They assume that I'll only be shadowing for a short period of time. Is this normal? What I mean is, are your experiences shadowing similar to mine? I want a good letter of recommendation from an optometrist, but I feel very awkward asking them for a letter after spending so little time with them. Any input/help would be much appreciated!

Most of my friends interned for one Optometrist for at least a year, then maybe shadowed 1 or 2 more.

 

[cults]

Bump. I'm actually a bit worried because I'm in the same situation.

 

[blackhole2]

I´ve been told by the pre optometry advisor at my school it is better to shadow a variety as opposed to one for an extended period of time.

 

[Blondiechick919]

I´ve been told by the pre optometry advisor at my school it is better to shadow a variety as opposed to one for an extended period of time.

This is totally true. They want to make sure that you have a good understanding of different styles of practices, different doctor styles, etc. I worked for two different multiple doctor practices, one for over a year, so technically I was never really "shadowing". However, I was able to see two different sides of the industry. One was in the heart of DC on the 9th floor and not the slightest bit commercial. Totally private practice style. The other was a locally owned chain but had a private practice feel (but also pushed a lot of material sales). I have never seen any truly corporate optometry gigs, so I can't comment on those.

 

[luckyfeet]

Honestly, I shadowed someone at Costco and someone in a private office, each once a week for 3 hours each for 5 weeks and that's enough! You get the feel for it! If you can, try to shadow a hospital setting, it was hard for me to find that type of opportunity!

 

[Blondiechick919]

Honestly, I shadowed someone at Costco and someone in a private office, each once a week for 3 hours each for 5 weeks and that's enough! You get the feel for it! If you can, try to shadow a hospital setting, it was hard for me to find that type of opportunity!

This is actually more than most evidently. Some people in my interview group said they shadowed 1 OD for 8 hours. That was it.

 

[BeesKnees22]

Hey, guys! I have a little question about shadowing. Some people I have spoken to told me that it is better to shadow a bunch of optometrists in order to get a feel for a variety of different practices rather than to stay at one practice for an extended period of time. Most of the optometrists I shadow seem to let me shadow for a couple hours for one or two days. They assume that I'll only be shadowing for a short period of time. Is this normal? What I mean is, are your experiences shadowing similar to mine? I want a good letter of recommendation from an optometrist, but I feel very awkward asking them for a letter after spending so little time with them. Any input/help would be much appreciated!

I probably shadowed for a combined total of like 10 hours. I seriously wouldn't worry about it too much as long as other parts of your application are strong. I had trouble finding doctors who would even let me shadow, but I finally found one really nice guy. The problem was that our schedules were really different, so I couldn't usually find the time to go. He still wrote me a nice letter (I assume they're all going to be a little generic), and I got in without issue. GPA and OAT matter a lot more.

 

[Eye4Eyes]

For me, I've shadowed about 7 Optometrists in different settings. Now I'm working for a clinic with both Optometrists and Ophthalmologists. From my understanding, the admissions committee want to see if you have a good understanding of the field and the variety of options you may have when it comes time for you to practice. Definitely shadow around a bit (also shadow an Ophthalmologist too!), and if you are given the opportunity, try to work with an Optometrist!

 

[optoapp2012]

Hey, guys! I have a little question about shadowing. Some people I have spoken to told me that it is better to shadow a bunch of optometrists in order to get a feel for a variety of different practices rather than to stay at one practice for an extended period of time. Most of the optometrists I shadow seem to let me shadow for a couple hours for one or two days. They assume that I'll only be shadowing for a short period of time. Is this normal? What I mean is, are your experiences shadowing similar to mine? I want a good letter of recommendation from an optometrist, but I feel very awkward asking them for a letter after spending so little time with them. Any input/help would be much appreciated!

Do you know your own optometrist very well? I shadowed a few doctors for just half a day, and she was one of them. She has been my optometrist since high school, so I asked her for a letter and she was happy to write it! I thought that worked out well, because she knew me better than anyone I shadowed for a short time. Even shadowing for a few days with the same doctor doesn't really let you get to know them well enough. If you don't have an optometrist you know well to write the letter for you, you might consider getting a part-time job with one and building that relationship a little. Like someone else said, working for one is very different from shadowing - you aren't in with the doc usually when you work there, so you don't get to see the side of what an OD is doing...however, the doc gets to know you as a person.

 

[oo0Archangel0oo]

Thanks for the responses, guys! It seems like some of you didn't need to shadow that much, but had really competitive OAT scores and GPAs! It is good to know that the amount of shadowing hours isn't a super strict requirement.

My optometrist was actually the first optometrist I shadowed. Unfortunately, I switched my insurance and ended up not seeing her for my eyes due to cost related issues. I'll definitely shadow a little more and see if I could develop a stronger relationship with an optometrist!

Thanks again for all the responses! 😍