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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.

Two Students Who Did Well Share How They Prepared to Succeed

Kelsey Connelly, a first-year student at Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry, says she tends to struggle with standardized exams, so she took an OAT prep course during her junior year of undergraduate school. In addition to the resources provided through the prep course, she used her class notes, especially in general chemistry and human anatomy, for studying. And, thinking back, she remembers studying “a lot.” Each week, she spent about three hours in the prep class in addition to studying on her own for 6-8 hours. “I gave up a lot of fun time,” she says, “but it was an investment in my future that paid off. I got into the school of my choice!”

Kelsey, who is also a Trustee-Elect for the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA), says it was important for her to determine her strengths and weaknesses early on. At the beginning of her prep course, she took a practice OAT. “I took that practice exam cold, and it told me what I was good at and what I wasn’t good at right off the bat,” she notes. “I used that as a tool to shape my study plan. I also talked with my advisor about what she saw as my strengths and weaknesses, which added a helpful perspective. Also, there are plenty of resources online and in libraries that can help you master the subject matter. Talk with other students and your professors about anything you don’t understand.”

In hindsight, Kelsey wishes she would have waited to take the OAT until after she finished her undergrad physics course. “The physics section was more difficult for me because the physics class I was taking at the time hadn’t yet covered a lot of the material.” However, her study plan served her well, and she advises others to use their study time wisely too. For example, “If you know the biology material really well, don’t spend as much time on it; move on to what you struggle with.”

Elizabeth Brubaker, a first-year student at The Ohio State University College of Optometry and President of her class, agrees that planning for the OAT is crucial. “Make a plan and stick with it,” she says. For starters, she credits being an active member of Ohio State’s pre-optometry club as “by far the best resource I had.” The club provided her with solid information she could use for formulating her OAT plan. With that knowledge as a base, she also bought a 12-week prep course during the spring semester of her junior undergrad year. She chose the online option, logging in to lectures every Sunday night for four hours. From that point, she was able to plan what areas she would study and when. “Even though I attended the online class every week, it was hard to study more material during the week along with my other classes. So after finals were over in June that year, I focused on studying the additional prep course materials for at least an hour every day until I took the OAT in August.”

Elizabeth also used a strategy she learned from another optometry student. During the two weeks before she took the OAT, she woke up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday as if it were test day. She got ready, ate breakfast and sat at her desk as though she was actually at the test center. She took a full-length sample test on each of those days (part of her prep course resources), complete with the same scheduled break and snack she planned to have on test day. “I believe this helped me the most because it trained my body and brain to be able to sit there for that length of time and focus. It was also great because it showed me how well I was doing in each section and what sections needed more focus before the test. It was very useful too for adjusting to taking a test on a computer, which is how the OAT is done.”

If she were taking the test again, Elizabeth says she would schedule it for at least a month or two earlier. “Had I done that, I could have submitted my application to optometry school that much sooner, which would have given me a little more time to relax before starting my senior year of undergrad.” She also thinks that instead of taking the online prep class, she perhaps would focus on other online resources. “I learned so much more from the online quizzes and tutorials than I did from listening to the professor lecture. But really it depends on what type of learner you are and what will work best for you.”

OAT Tips from the Admissions Office

Michael N. Robertson, Director of Admissions & Enrollment Services for Southern College of Optometry, says there are lots of study guides out there, and each one has its own merits. He recommends that students look at several to see which one(s) seem best for them. He also says you don’t have to restrict yourself to OAT guides. “Some candidates have told me they found MCAT or PCAT guides to be great supplements.” Of all the tools available, however, he feels “you can’t beat good old-fashioned class notes and textbooks when it comes to test prep.”

Robertson says the biggest OAT-related mistake he sees prospective students make is taking the test for granted. He points out that a mindset such as “I make really good grades, so I’m not worried about studying for the test” could be counterproductive. He also advises against taking the test a first time “just to see what it’s like.” As he explains, “More than likely, the school to which you apply is going to see that first ‘practice test’ score and it could cause concern. It’s better to prepare thoroughly for the test the first time.”

Robertson leaves us with two more sage points of advice: “There’s no one way to prepare for the OAT, but nothing can totally replace hard-core studying.”

Please be sure to check out the OAT FAQs on the ASCO website.  Also let us know in the comments section below what you would like to hear about!

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.”

If admissions officials like what they see based on your application materials, you’ll likely be invited to sit down for a face-to-face interview, and that’s where your communication skills really need to shine. The main thing we’re looking for during the interview is the candidate’s ability to communicate professionally and succinctly in a one-on-one situation, which is exactly what he or she will be expected to do in an exam room with a patient.” Interviewers evaluate whether the potential student is generally articulate and they also pay attention to specifics such as whether he or she maintains good eye contact, limits the use of slang and demonstrates adequate critical-thinking skills. Interviewers may also be thinking about whether you would be a good fit with their particular student body. “My advice is to be yourself,” Robertson explains. “Tell us what makes you tick, what you like and don’t like, etc. Don’t give us the answers you think we want to hear; provide answers that are yours and yours alone.”

To boost your chances of admission, you may also want to find ways to convey to the programs you’re targeting that you have a strong work ethic. And don’t forget to highlight your involvement in volunteerism or leadership activities. There’s one attribute of a strong candidate that Robertson finds often escapes potential students: knowledge of the field. “We want to see applicants who know this is the right field for them,” he notes. “That only comes from shadowing optometrists, working in the field, and researching relevant details like state laws and issues currently affecting the profession. After all, how can you be comfortable in your career choice if you know very little about it?” 

Learn More

You can learn more about applying to optometry school if you take advantage of the Optometry Virtual Fair on April 17. The fair, backed by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), is an opportunity to live chat with admissions representatives from any or all of the 21 ASCO member schools. Registration is open now at www.CareerEco.com/events/Optometry. You’ll find more details about the fair there, and you can also check out what we posted here at Eye on Optometry on March 20.

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.

Andrew Gurwood, OD, FAAO, owns a private practice with his wife. He bought the practice from his father. He sees patients there occasionally, but splits the bulk of his time between his two primary jobs. He is a Professor of Clinical Sciences at The Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University and a member of the professional staff at its Eye Institute. He also practices in the Department of Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He realized years ago when he coached a soccer team that he “has a knack for simplifying complicated concepts” and that he likes to teach. Dr. Gurwood is also a prolific researcher and author (working in academia mandates research) and he lectures nationally and internationally on a wide range of ocular disease topics. He is a founding member of the Optometric Retina Society. In his spare time, he serves as an instructor with the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy.

Here’s what else Drs. Gurwood and Warren had to say.

What Does Your Typical Day Look Like?

Dr. Warren: “I arrive at the office at about 8:50 a.m. The staff has already prepared for the first patient appointment at 9 a.m., so I take a few minutes to check the computer to see what the day’s caseload looks like. I see patients from 9 until noon and then again from 1:15 until the last appointment at 4:10 p.m. I’m usually leaving the office by around 4:40, unless I stick around longer to talk with the day’s final patient or staff. If possible, between patients, I catch up on e-mails and handle tasks related to running the business. I take a lunch every day, but it’s typically a working lunch. We’re open later on Wednesdays, when the last patient appointment starts at 6:15 p.m. After 4 that day, we see a patient approximately every 10 minutes. On Thursdays, I don’t see patients unless a post-op patient I’m co-managing needs to be examined. That leaves Thursdays for family time and taking care of personal errands, usually mixed with some administrative work. The practice is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Dr. Gurwood: “I see patients at Einstein from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, generally 15-25 cases per four-hour session. I’m at PCO 40 hours each week, where I supervise second- and third-year students as they work with patients at The Eye Institute. I’m able to head home by 5 p.m. on most days.”

What is Your Usual Patient Mix?

Dr. Gurwood: “In my private practice and at Einstein, I see a mix of patients. Some I’ve been seeing long-term, some are new patients who specifically want to see me, and some have been referred to me by primary care physicians. It’s always an interesting mix, at Einstein in particular where I see everything from contact lens overwear to gunshot injuries.”

Dr. Warren: “My mix is 50/50 between pathology and routine vision care. My patients tend to be older, late 50s and early 60s on average, and therefore have more pathology, than for many other ODs (See “Highlights from AOA Research and Information Center Survey Results” and accompanying graphics.)partly because so many of them have been coming to me since I was fresh out of school. Some I’ve been seeing for 20 years. We’ve come to know a lot about each other. Most of them consider me a friend and vice versa.”

What Do You Love about Your Job; What is a Challenge?

Dr. Warren: “I love caring for patients and interacting with people in the office. What I find most challenging is dealing with the policies and processes of insurance companies.”

Dr. Gurwood: “I love the people and the students I work with. The students and I develop a family-like camaraderie that lasts a lifetime. In my teaching role, a challenge is recognizing when students aren’t doing well and figuring out why so I can help them get back on track. In general, the technology demands on a practice, electronic medical records for instance, are challenging, not to mention costly.”

What Advice Would You Give to Someone Pursuing a Career in Optometry?

Dr. Gurwood: “Never buy the car without driving it first. In other words, spend time with as many ODs as you can to see what their days entail. Question them about what they consider to be the upsides and downsides of the profession. Along with learning about the prerequisites for optometry school and what will be expected of you, evaluate your post-education debt to potential-earnings ratio. Also make sure you understand the commitment required to serve your patients well, especially lifelong learning to grow with the standards of care.”

Dr. Warren: “The economic realities of private practice are very different now, much more complex, than they were when I started out, so make sure you understand those things. Also, shadow several doctors to learn about all of the potential practice settings you might be interested in.”

What One Word Would You Choose to Describe Your Typical Day?

Dr. Warren: “Enjoyable.”

Dr. Gurwood: “Interesting.”

Not a Day Goes By That . . .

Dr. Gurwood: “ . . . I’m not amazed by the things I see. No case is mundane; every one has a unique angle.”

Dr. Warren: “ . . . I don’t help somebody. It may sound cheesey, but it’s true. Patients are so appreciative, whether it’s the eighth-grader cracking a smile about his new contact lenses, or the 78-year-old whose glaucoma drops are working.”

Highlights from AOA Research and Information Center Survey Results

■ Optometrists spend an average of 37 hours per week in the office.

■ The majority age group (24%) of patients seen by optometrists is 35 to 54 years.

■ On average, optometrists treat 60 patients per week. The average for owner optometrists is 57, including seven walk-ins/emergencies and 16 new patients. The average for non-owner optometrists is 63, including 20 new patients and nine walk-ins/emergencies.

■ Optometrists provide pre-op evaluation and care for an average of 17 refractive surgery patients per year. They provide post-op care to an average of 23 patients.

■ More than three-fourths of optometrists co-manage, on average, six cataract patients per month.

Sources: The 2012 Survey of Optometric Practice and the 2011 Clinical Practice Survey. Both surveys were conducted by the American Optometric Association Research and Information Center. Respondents to both surveys included ODs in private, corporate and other practice types.

Average Number of Patients Diagnosed and Treated for Anterior Segment Disorders per OD per Year

Average Number of Patients Diagnosed, Treated and Co-Managed for Cataract and Posterior Segment Disorders per OD per Year

Topical Agents Prescribed by ODs per Month

Oral Agents Prescribed by ODs per Month

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:

• I made a real difference today, can’t wait ‘til tomorrow! Optometrists diagnose and treat sight-threatening ocular diseases and conditions, but they also help their patients to maintain healthy eyes for a lifetime of clear vision — and it’s hard to overestimate the value people place on vision. According to a survey of more than 11,000 people in 11 countries commissioned by Bausch + Lomb in 2012, if forced to choose, 68% of people would rather lose one of their limbs and 67% would rather lose 10 years of their life than lose their eyesight. Three quarters of the people interviewed said they would rather have their salary cut in half than experience a permanent 50% decline in their vision. For some real-life examples of how optometrists change lives through vision every day, take a look at ASCO’s new publication “True Stories – What Do Doctors of Optometry Do?” at http://info.opted.org/optometry-truestories.
• Wow, I can do that, too? The settings in which you can practice optometry are almost too numerous to list. You can choose to be self-employed or an employee and work in a rural community, suburban area or large city. You can provide general or “family” eye care, seeing patients at all stages of their lives, or you can narrow your focus to an area such as contact lenses, geriatrics, low vision, occupational vision, pediatrics, sports vision or vision therapy. You can practice alone, with a partner or partners, or with other healthcare professionals. Still other opportunities can be found in optometric education, scientific research, the military, public health or other government service, hospitals, clinics, teaching institutions, community health centers and the ophthalmic industry.
• Yes, I’ll be home for dinner. In most if not all of the settings where you can work as an optometrist, you can establish a flexible full-time or part-time schedule and expect to receive relatively few emergency calls, both of which go a long way toward your ability to have both a respected professional career and a satisfying personal life.
• Comfortable compensation and a future I can bank on. Optometrist is frequently cited in the mainstream media among the “Best Jobs in America,” “Best Paying Jobs of the Future” and “Best Careers” by such entities as CNNMoney, Kiplinger’s and 24/7 Wall St.

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2014-15 Edition produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of optometrists is expected to grow 24% percent from 2012 to 2022. This compares favorably with the average growth rate for all occupations, which is projected to be 11%. The growth in optometry will result in approximately 8,100 new jobs over the 10-year period, the BLS notes. The compensation is attractive, too. The latest numbers from the American Optometric Association (AOA) show the average net income for optometrists is $129,385. That jumps to $203,230 for owners of group practices.

“As in any field, compensation in optometry is generally tied to your specific job responsibilities and experience,” says Bill Rabourn, founder and managing principal of Medical Consulting Group in Springfield, Mo. “But I am so pro everything in the business of eye care right now. If you look at all the statistics on the Baby Boomer generation, the aging of the population, the increase in life expectancy and growing awareness about eye health, the opportunity is tremendous. There will continue to be a huge need for vision services.”

Furthermore, Rabourn says, optometry can provide a “really nice” lifestyle in the medical arena. “As long as you are doing what you love in the setting that is right for you, you can hardly go wrong. I would encourage anyone thinking about a career in optometry to pursue it.”

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.

We hope you’ll visit Eye on Optometry often for helpful information. If you have a question you’d like to see answered in the blog, e-mail it to Paige Pence, ASCO’s Director for Student and Residency Affairs, at ppence@opted.org.

In the meantime, don’t forget to take advantage of ASCO’s Web site, www.opted.org, which also contains resources you’ll want to check out. The site is where you’ll find the official guide to the Optometry Admission Test, a profile of each school’s most recent entering class, and key information about OptomCAS, the centralized application service that allows you to file one application and send it to multiple optometry programs. You’ll also find a new booklet produced by ASCO, (“What Do Doctors of Optometry Do?”) that is filled with inspiring examples of how optometrists make a real difference in the lives of their patients every day — and more!

Let us know below what you would like to hear about!