Optometrist Question???????

[Visionz]

Hello to everyone to this forum, this is my first post, this might be a weird question since it's my first but here it goes:

If your an Optician and you want to become an Optometrist what are the necessary steps to do so???

Do you go to university????
Or
Since your an Optician do you just need to write the entrance test for optometry??

Any help on this topic would be appreciated.

[Happylady]

In the U.S. optometrists go to 4 years of school AFTER college. The schools are very difficult to get into as there are more people wanting to go then there are spaces for them.

And it is you're not your. :)

[jjlabra]

For most optometry schools you are only required to fufill core course such as biology, chemistry, other sciences, etc Some universities offer a bachelors in visual science but a BA is not necessary just the key courses. Go on to school websites
New England College of Optometry
St Louis College of Optometry
Pennslyvania College of Optometry
Here are few colleges, and check out the requirements. I am going for the same thing so I did a little research. Associate Schools of Optometry will list all the schools in the U.S. www.opted.org/info_links.cfm

[Jubilee]

While you certainly don't have to have your Bachelors, to gain admittance into an Optometry School without it takes very high grades and a fanastic score on the OAT. Those who gain admittance without a Bachelors will receive one in the visual science after their first year at Optom School.

When I was seriously looking into going to Optom school, I was told by the schools I interviewed with that my opticiary background was indeed a huge plus in my favor.

For schooling, it wasn't necessary to have a BA or BS in the physical sciences, but I certainly had to have at least 4 semesters of higher biology, with physiology and anatomy, 1 or some places 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry, and Two semesters of Physics...Along with Calculus.

I am sure that some of the ODs on this board can give more details.

Cassandra

[SpecialT]

You will probably need a degree in biology, it is getting less and less common to just take the specified courses and get in to optometry school.

You should also go to a reputable school and keep the GPA high because it is pretty competetive to get accepted.

You will need (at least) a decent score on the OAT which is a test that optometry schools require prior to admission. This has nothing to do with optical knowledge but rather biology and chemistry.

It is nice to have experience and you will need references from O.D.'s (usually 2) It is almost as important to have a good personality that can set you apart from others during the interview.

All of it is worth it, but you should be 100%. I would hate to see you go through all of that and not get in.

I recommend calling the optometry schools to get the requirements and talk with an advisor at a solid university about the program.

Good Luck on your decision, its a big one!

[Aarlan]

Hello to everyone to this forum, this is my first post, this might be a weird question since it's my first but here it goes:

If your an Optician and you want to become an Optometrist what are the necessary steps to do so???

Do you go to university????
Or
Since your an Optician do you just need to write the entrance test for optometry??

Any help on this topic would be appreciated.

It is a pain in the rear. I have an opticianry degree from an accredited community-technical college, a bachelors degree from UCONN (graduated magna cum laude), and I was told I still needed 6 more classes to meet the prerequisites. After 6 1/2 years of school I needed 2 years of part time class work to get into a 4 year program (not including the year of residency I hear they are thinking of adding)! Optometry is more about biology, health, science and medicine rather than just optics, so the opticianry will nothing to gain you preference over some other prospective optometry student who has a premed or bio degree.

Good luck though. If you have the will, the drive, and the patience, anything is possible.

AA

[drk]

In the U.S., essentially, you have to go through eight years of college, less any time you have already put in at the undergraduate level. You'd need to satisfy the Pre-Optometry curriculum requirements, though.

That's just to make you eligible for admission. Necessary, but not at all sufficient, I'm afraid.

People ask me, sometimes, about what I'd have to do to become an ophthalmologist, as though I'd have to take a few night courses! How about getting accepted to med school and then being able to pull the ophthalmology residency?

[Visionz]

Well thanx a lot for all the input, it's pretty obvious to me now that it's not an easy task to get in the program and it's time consuming as well. I'll have to see the options that are open to me but for now opticianary is my main focus. It's something that i've wondered about and i think i got all my answers from this board, much to think about it.