Wait a year or go?

[nguyenless]

---

Members don't see this ad.

ok...so I might of worked too much during my undergrad....I'm average in everything, gpa (3.1), (AA-310/TS-300) OAT and such. I have had 2 interviews and 2 more interviews to go. I'm on hold for one school for better scores and I have been accepted to IAUPR. I'm retaking the OAT march 2nd before my interview on march 5th. If I don't get into any other school this year, should I wait one year and try again for schools in the states or just go to IAUPR and not waste a year? Should I put down the 1k deposits just in case? 😕 I spent so much this year alone on interviews, tests, study material and random stuff....don't know if I should wait or just go if I don't get in anywhere else.....

 

[DawgOD]

when is the 1000 due?

and i would try to go balls out on the OAT.. Going to puerto rico would be a huge change..

u would get to learn spanish though. 🙂

 

[Mewcakes]

You sound very much like my situation except I have a lower GPA but I higher OAT. 😛 But essentially we're quite similar. It really depends on your willingness to go to PR. I've worked with a young woman who graduated recently from IAUPR and she's a very able optometrist and she can definitely conduct an exam in Spanish. I asked her about her experiences there and she said she wouldn't trade it for the world. But I'm sure that could be said about most people's time in OD school.

Do you have a specific school that you REALLY want to get into that you have an interview for?

 

[nguyenless]

Eh. Feb 20th is the deadline. I called to ask for an extension. They gave me till feb 27th. I would know after my interview on march 5th by march 15th. I think I'm going to put the deposit tomorrow. Just 1k more towards my 120k+ school loan. Lol.

 

[Mewcakes]

Surely there's a refund policy of some sort?

 

[chic4rm714]

Surely there's a refund policy of some sort?

they refund all except $125...so basically, you'll get $875 back

 

[nguyenless]

o...they do refunds....well that's not bad then....now i just gotta kill the OAT.....😀

 

[Mewcakes]

Optometry school is going to be difficult enough, and it certainly isn't going help if you have to overcome a language barrier.

The classes are surely taught in English though. I don't know where you're from, Nguyenless, but if you're from CA or any of the states along Mexico, being able to speak Spanish is a HUGE advantage in practice. The spanish speaking population will seek you out if you're the only one que se habla espanol and you will build a really loyal patient base that way. Or if you're looking to join a medical group/optometric group, it's going to help make you different and more valuable above other applicants. A bilingual doctor is a great asset.

I mean, it's in my list of things to do, to go back and learn Spanish at a high enough fluency that I can conduct an exam. So if you're cool with PR, I wouldn't let the Spanish deter you at all. It's an accredited school, so you'll still be an OD as far as the US is concerned.

 

[SikhAngel]

I was also accepted to IAUPR but I'm still waiting to hear back from other schools. I was looking at their curriculum and it seems that you are taught spanish the first year if you have no prior knowledge at all.
I also went on to facebook group for IAUPR and messaged students at random to see how they liked it there and their experience. I got a very positive response from the students. They like puerto rico and are happy they got an opportunity to learn spanish.

 

[nguyenless]

did anyone say Rosetta Stone? lol 😀

 

[Mewcakes]

If the classes are taught in Spanish, then I should think that your experience will be unique from any other school. You'll learn optometry words in spanish. That way you don't have to sound like a 5 yr old saying "este es un Opthalmascope". I don't know, coming from an area where there's a huge Spanish speaking community, I would give the opportunity great consideration. Especially since according to the Optometry forum, competition is fierce these days.

 

[B A S H]

In my early research for IAUPR I was so convinced that everything you do there would be in spanish. PR is nice but it's definately a big change. I chose not to even consider IAUPR because of the lower GPA averages and OAT scores, but don't get me wrong; that's just because the OAT is in english and most of the people applying to IAUPR are from Puerto Rico and/or aren't english speakers. So when you put the OAT in the middle of all this, obviously the scores will be lower because the OAT uses advanced english test, with terms the non-english speakers may not be familiar with.

Overall, I think it's a good school for those that understand and speak spanish pretty well, but If you're wanting to go there just because that's the only school you got into then you're not trying hard enough. Retake your OAT, go to your interviews and see where they go. Keep in touch with the advisors at the schools you applied to as they are very helpful in what you'd need to do in order too boost up your chances of getting into that school. Best of luck! 😀

 

[raleighzia]

I'm in the same exact situation with PR being the only one I have heard and accepted from. I applied to UHCO and UIWSO still nothing. Good advice Bash.