Whenever we move forward to a new phase in life, it’s reassuring to have at least some idea of what to expect. To give you some food for thought as you look ahead to attending optometry school, we asked two current students, one first-year and one third-year, what their typical day is like. They’re working hard, but they also describe what they’re doing as productive, interesting, informative and fun.

As you probably already know, all of the schools and colleges of optometry require applicants to take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT). In addition to having the right prerequisites and a good GPA, the OAT is another important checkpoint you’ll have to clear on your road to a career in optometry. Each school ranks the importance of OAT scores differently as it considers whether to admit you to its Doctor of Optometry program, but poor scores are a nonstarter across the board. The high stakes can certainly be stressful — but much less so if you’re properly prepared.

So where to begin? First, download and read the official OAT Guide provided by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). The Guide contains a complete overview of the testing process as well as key details such as how to apply to take the test, the subjects you will be tested on (with sample questions), how the test is scored, the breakdown of the four-hour and 40-minute test day, items that you won’t be allowed to take into the testing area, fees, and FAQs. In fact, when you actually apply to take the test, you’ll be required to confirm that you have read and understand the information in the Guide. 

For the 2013-2014 academic year, 6,676 students were enrolled in the 21 schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and Puerto Rico. If you’re aiming to join them in a future class, you’ll need — to steal a phrase from the famous book and movie about the dawn of America’s space program — “The Right Stuff.”

Without a doubt, your undergrad GPA and your score on the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) will be heavily considered by any program to which you apply. But, as you work your way through the admissions process, other factors become very important as well. “Solid communication skills rank right up there with GPA and OAT scores as the most important attributes a candidate can have,” says Michael N. Robertson, Director of Admissions & Enrollment Services at Southern College of Optometry (SCO) in Memphis, Tenn. “We have interviewed our share of ‘smart’ candidates who just couldn’t communicate, and they were not admitted.”

DON'T MISS THIS FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO GET ANSWERS TO YOUR MOST PRESSING QUESTIONS ABOUT OPTOMETRY SCHOOL!

Registration is now open for the 2014 Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) Optometry Virtual Fair. The fair, ASCO’s second, takes place on April 17. No matter where you are that day, you can hop onto the Internet and live chat with admissions representatives from any or all of the 21 ASCO member schools — all for free!

Any questions you may have are fair game. Still trying to figure out whether optometry is the right field for you? Wondering which program is best for you and if you’re on track with prerequisites? Curious about when you’d actually start working with patients? Contemplating whether your OAT score and GPA give you a good shot at being accepted? Have questions about student housing? No problem, ask away! Also, it’s not required but you can upload your resume prior to the event so the schools and colleges can get to know you better, too. Each school chooses the hours during which it will have representatives available. (It was an all-day affair for many last year.) After you register for the fair at www.CareerEco.com/events/Optometry, you’ll be notified of each school’s hours.

If you’re considering pursuing a career in optometry, you’ve probably already started researching how to apply to optometry school. That’s a great place to begin, but it’s never too soon to start thinking even further ahead. A key question to ask yourself is what exactly you picture yourself doing once you have your OD degree in hand. We called on two well-established and highly respected doctors of optometry to help you get your wheels turning in that direction. They shared with us what they do during a typical day.

John Warren, OD, is the sole owner of the practice he opened in Racine, Wis., just under five years after graduating from optometry school in 1992. Prior to venturing out on his own, he had been working for an ophthalmic surgeon. “He’s a great guy, and the experience was great,” Dr. Warren said. “He focused on surgery and I took care of everything else that came through the door. But, as I got busier and busier, I realized I wanted to have more control over my earning potential.” Dr. Warren described the experience of getting his own practice up and running as “exciting, fun, and a bit scary.” He devotes about one day a week to a company he co-founded, which provides a cloud-based electronic health record/practice management system.

If you’d like to work in a profession where no two days are exactly the same and you have the opportunity to impact lives in a positive way, then optometry is the profession for you. Those were just two of the insights shared by Jennifer Smythe, OD, President of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), during her recent appearance on the LocalJobNetwork.com radio show “I Want to Be a [...]”. Dr. Smythe spoke with the show’s host about why she loves optometry as a career. Hear the whole interview at http://www.localjobnetwork.com/radio/play?rp_id=564, and discover some of the many things you might find appealing about being an optometrist:

Welcome to Eye on Optometry, a new blog from the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)! The main goal of the blog is to provide timely and useful information to anyone who is interested in applying to optometry school. It’s all part of one of ASCO’s many strategic objectives, which is to help the schools and colleges of optometry develop a large, diverse and highly qualified national applicant pool while getting the word out about the attractiveness of a career in the profession.

At least twice each month, we’ll bring you answers to questions that are common among potential applicants to optometry school. You’ll benefit from the insights of people in the know, such as optometry school admissions officials. You’ll also read about the firsthand experiences of those who have traveled the road from applicant to student to optometrist. Stay tuned for future posts such as “A Day in the Life of an Optometry Student,” as well as tips for preparing for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), and a heads-up to register for the ASCO Optometry Virtual Fair this spring. The fair is an innovative and convenient opportunity for you to interact, from the comfort of your computer, with representatives from the admissions departments of the schools and colleges of optometry.