switch from pre-optometry to pre-med

[premed0440]

I started taking science prerequisites my junior year in order to apply to optometry school. I was active in the pre-optometry club on campus and was the treasurer. However, the beginning of the past semester (I am a senior now), I made the decision to apply to medical school instead. How should I mention optometry on my med school apps, or should I?

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[johnisles2011]

Say that was your first interest in medicine, but then you realized you wanted to be a full on doctor. Say why you changed your mind. This is a big and relevant decision, and the evolution in your way of thinking might be really interseting to adcoms and provide a window into your thinking process. I think evolution and change in thinking is always a good thing to put on applications. That's just my opinion.

 

[pinipig523]

You're not the first pre-op to switch to medicine.

I thought about optometry before being fully dedicated to medicine, I was also part of the pre-optometry club.

I would just say that as you learned more about the field of optometry, you began to find it more interesting to become an MD and still choose to go into OMD if you wanted to but still have the option to go into other specialties.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

I was part of pre-pharm clubs and posted in these forums as a pre-pharm before switching to pre-med.

 

[premed0440]

Say that was your first interest in medicine, but then you realized you wanted to be a full on doctor. Say why you changed your mind. This is a big and relevant decision, and the evolution in your way of thinking might be really interseting to adcoms and provide a window into your thinking process. I think evolution and change in thinking is always a good thing to put on applications. That's just my opinion.

I completely agree. Personally I felt my pre-optometry route was what led the way to my calling to be a physician. There is no way I would have started taking science prerequisites my jr. year of college (being a non science person until then) to plan on being a full on physician.