When I decided to commit to the career of optometry, I was starting the fall quarter of my junior year at Santa Clara University (SCU). Amongst the various pre-med and pre-PA students, I found myself to be the only person pursuing optometry. SCO didn’t have any pre-optometry programs, clubs, or optometrist alumni to share their wisdom. I was alone, but I was determined. This was the career I wanted to pursue.
After making the decision, I knew I had to research and prepare for the application process. The first step was making sure that all my prerequisites would be completed. I tried to plan accordingly when scheduling classes and I reached out to prospective schools when I was unsure which courses were acceptable. The admissions team at SCCO was extremely helpful (and quick to respond) whenever I had questions. Never leave things up to chance! It’s always a good idea to double-check if you are unsure.
The next obstacle was studying for the OAT. I turned to YouTube, Reddit, and other websites to determine the best way for me to study the material. Ultimately, I decided to buy the Kaplan book, watch ChadsPrep videos on YouTube, and scavenge for other free practice tests online. There are also prep courses you can buy such as Kaplan, OAT Bootcamp, and Limitless Prep, but those can be expensive. Here is a list of great resources you can find online for OAT prep:
- Buy full practice test from ADA
- Buy Kaplan test book (comes with two practice tests)
- Limitless Prep
- Free Kaplan Practice Test
- OAT Bootcamp
- Chads Prep (Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics)
Another great resource is friends and family! They may know someone with knowledge of optometry. By mentioning I was interested in optometry, friends referred me to their parents, or even professors who knew a recent graduate. I have learned that people want to help in any way they can, so don’t be afraid to ask around. You never know someone’s connection until you ask. Friends and family are also a great asset when practicing for interviews. Have a list of questions ready for them to ask you and try to simulate that interview environment. It will help to calm those nerves on the actual day.
During my senior year of undergrad, and after I had been accepted into SCCO, my university was starting a pre-health peer advising program. This was an opportunity to help students who were curious about optometry. SCU didn’t have any program like this, and I was the first to create a database of resources to help the next pre-optometry students. Even if there was just one person who was interested in optometry, I felt satisfied knowing that I helped that person. That person was me at one point – I would’ve loved to have someone to speak with and share their experience. When I was applying, the Student Ambassadors at SCCO helped answer my questions and concerns. Even when I didn’t have peers who were experiencing the same thing, there was a community ready to help. Don’t feel nervous to reach out because we were all in your shoes at one point.
If you have feelings of doubt, confusion, or uncertainty, just know that there are resources and people to help you during this journey. Believe in yourself, have courage, and take that leap of faith. You’d be surprised how resilient you are. Please feel free to reach out to me at emmayue.scco27@ketchum.edu if you have any questions. I’d love to share resources and help you through this process.
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