Why do YOU want to become an optometrist? I don't have a brilliant answer.

[tam2688]

Hi guys,
I am playing the interview day over and over in my head, assuming I get the intervew!

I am thinking though, if they were to ask me why I wanted to be an optometrist, what I would say. I am generally interested in healthcare, love optometry, didn't pursue opthomology b/c I would not pursue surgery myself (risks, cost, post care, many patients need glasses after surgery) and I like reading about vision care, love the field.

I don't have a great childhood story about visiting optometrists as I don't wear glasses or contacts, and I just feel I don't have a good enough answer.

What did YOU say at the interview? What will you say if you haven't had the interview yet?

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[jymezg]

You don't need a sappy "I want to make the world a better place because I've been obsessed with optometry for the past 20 years" kinda story.

Be honest. As long as you have a genuine interest in the field and can convey that to your interviewer you will be fine.

As for my interview question: (Blatantly, mind you, no: "How are you doing today?"/"How was the drive up?") Why optometry?

So I spat the troofs: I shadowed MDs/OMD/ODs and I liked what I saw with optometry. That was it. I went on to talk about my shadowing and used that for examples of what I liked specifically about the proffession/lifestyle and compared and contrasted, showed him I did my research and this was the career for me. Then we went on to talking about other random stuff. Just be honest.

And you don't need to wear glasses to be an OD

 

[tam2688]

I agree, I couldn't be fake anyway. How about other people here, what did you say?

 

[bobbio]

Your answer doesn't have to be brilliant or unique. Just provide the interviewer with the reasons you mentioned above since those are the genuine reasons as to why you want to become an optometrist.

 

[blysssful]

I talked about how my venture into optometry was different than most, I guess. It started with photography, and I became increasingly more interested in vision because of that. Simultaneously, my parents informed me I must choose a "real major", and thus photography not being on that list, I ventured into the sciences. Found out I love biology and optometry is a great blend of the passions I already had.

Why optometry instead of optho is purely lifestyle choices-- I don't want to be 40 before I can start a family.

But seriously, if you are really sure that this is the right profession for you, you have done your research into the field, and you're ready to become a devoted optometry student (then later optometrist) there aren't any wrong answers. They don't expect a tear jerking story about how "optometrist" was your first word, or how you started reading Optometry & Vision Science at age 5.

 

[tam2688]

Awesome.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

When i interview yes i plan to be just honest. Im a bit scared though because the trouble i ran into last year (when applying to college) was that what i covered in my personal statement....i answered similar questions to what they asked at the interview..therefore feeling as if i am repeating myself and something they do not want to hear. Dont know how this factors in or works out later (btw if anyone can touch on this please do...did anyone else feel this way?)

But...i would say that i started out knowing i wanted to do something in vision science (started out meaning like beginning of high school...not when i was a child..when i was a child i knew i wanted to go into science and then doctor because thats the only thing people use to tell me when i use to tell them my favorite subject was science and math) but i thought ophthalmology...ive always had eye problems..and my father and his side of the family being diabetic has also had eye trouble. Later on i came to find there was a link. Then when i took physics in high school...my most favorite topic was optics. From there...i still wanted to be an ophtalmologist. Then in my senior year h.s...was the first time i knew the difference between optometrist and ophthamologist (i always thought they were similar or the same..and the degrees confused me just like dmd or dds dental) but then i did my research. Got invited then accepted to a 7 year program but decided not to go (they force you to major in bio, and i would rather not)...and from then been doing my research and fairly certain this is what i want to do.

 

[sportsdude00]

Why do you love optometry though? Have you shadowed? If so, then talk about that, your experiences, what hooked you and why you think it may be a good fit for you as compared to others (or you may not even need to compare to others).

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

...therefore feeling as if i am repeating myself and something they do not want to hear. Dont know how this factors in or works out later (btw if anyone can touch on this please do...did anyone else feel this way?)
...

Well, that depends on whether the interview was open or closed-file.
For closed file interviews, the interviewer actually knows very little about you, so you can't really repeat anything. I think this was actually harder because I talked about things that were too broad!

For open file interviews, I made sure to re-read my personal statements/applications and expanded on the things I wrote.
i.e. I talked about my everyday experience as a volunteer and later, employee for an optometrist. Instead of two lines in the app., I went into detail why it was helpful and how much I enjoyed seeing the realistic aspects of practice.

I think the key to not repeating yourself is truly knowing your application. Otherwise, if you feel yourself doing so, just tie it back into the school! (something that you probably didn't do due to generalized apps)
i.e. I was in my college's optometry club for x years and was elected the president as a senior. This will benefit me during my time at _____ because the school prides itself on leadership skills. I want to apply this experience to my future school and community.