what sbould i be doing (internships/shadowing)

[Michers]

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Hi everyone,
I am getting my undergraduate degree in biology this may, but did not apply to optometry school for next fall because I felt I didn't have the experience necessary to be accepted. I shadowed a doctor for an afternoon my sophomore year but haven't done any shadowing or interning since.

What do you guys suggest I do to better my chances of acceptance once I apply. What type of experience is necessary. Is shadowing enough or do I need to intern/work at an office. How long should I work for before I apply?
Is it possible for me to be ready to apply for fall of 2010?

I attended a private college and my GPA is just above 3.0 is this going to be a big problem as far as GPA requirements?

 

[thanotoriousfob]

Hi everyone,
I am getting my undergraduate degree in biology this may, but did not apply to optometry school for next fall because I felt I didn't have the experience necessary to be accepted. I shadowed a doctor for an afternoon my sophomore year but haven't done any shadowing or interning since.

What do you guys suggest I do to better my chances of acceptance once I apply. What type of experience is necessary. Is shadowing enough or do I need to intern/work at an office. How long should I work for before I apply?
Is it possible for me to be ready to apply for fall of 2010?

I attended a private college and my GPA is just above 3.0 is this going to be a big problem as far as GPA requirements?

Your GPA is decent as long as you have strong OAT scores. Aim for 350+.

In terms of shadowing you don't need to do an internship but observation is a must. Some schools require a certain amount of hours and some schools don't. I would check out the specific schools' website for more info. I personally would try to shadow optometrists in different settings, that way you can see how optometry is practiced in different modes. Also maybe shadow a specialist if you can. The admissions committee I think wants to see that you have done enough observation so that you can make a sound judgement as to whether this is the right career choice for you and you understand what optometry is about. Make sure during your observations you ask questions about the scope of optometry, the direction of the field, pros and cons, etc.

If you are having a difficult time finding observation I would start with your optometrist. While there ask if he/she knows colleagues at different practices so you can began your networking process. That is what I did and it worked out great. You have plenty of time to get ready to apply for Fall 2010.

When are you writing your OAT?

 

[171590]

You do not need to work/intern at an office. It is an interesting perspective to have BUT not necessary. You DO need to shadow. Working as an optician/tech is not the same as shadowing!!! When you do that kind of "job" you are working in your own role, you are not WATCHING & LISTENING & PROCESSING all of what goes on inside the closed optometrist's room. You are often too busy doing your own testing or working up front w/ patients. You dont want to be an optican/tech. You are interested in being an optometrist!

You NEED to watch, listen, and process what goes on in the room so you can ASK QUESTIONS about what you see. You need to understand what goes on in an optometrist's head, what daily "duties" and skills are required, how stress is handled, how they come across to their patients, etc. You also need to ask the OD's about their background, personal life, how they got to the point they are at, would they do it the same all over again, etc. See if you know you can be the one sitting behind the slit lamp.

That's what's most important and what you should get out of shadowing. You need to ask the "important questions" that you form while observing. (It definitely comesu up during interviews and during your essay(s)) Sure, some of that can be answered while working/interning. But are you going to intern at a private practice and a commercial practice, and a VA Hospital and a clinic specializing in XYZ?! You NEED to see all of that. You don't have time to work at all of these places. Shadow them. You only need to go for a couple of days at each. Take it all in. Form optinions and quaint observations. Ask about the "bad things."

Besides, I'm sure you could find a more lucrative job over the summer than being an optican. Hopefully one that will be flexible in your studying for the OAT---- b/c you will need to KILL IT to offset you GPA.

No harm in working/interning but you do not NEED to. Good luck!

 

[wytefire]

I was in the same boat as you. I took a year off as well before applying to optometry school because I too felt I did not have enough experience with an optometrist. So I started shadowing an optometrist and opthalmologist all last summer to really experience the field, studied for the OATs, and worked in a microbio lab. Everything worked out well and I was accepted to PCO. I def agree with the other posts, don't really focus on finding an intership, just find an optometrist that you can shadow. Just study hard for the OATs, do your best, and stay committed.