The decision to become a optometrist is not one to be taken
lightly. You'll have to commit to a minimum of six years of
university, you'll have a heavy courseload, and once you
graduate, you'll literally be responsible for one of the most
important aspects of people's lives–their sight. And you'll most
likely be taking on a considerable financial burden until you
graduate.
On the other hand, optometry can be incredibly rewarding. If
you go into clinical optometry, you'll get to interact with a
tremendous variety of people. You'll be dealing with patients,
colleagues, and other health professionals. You'll be responsible
for making sure your patients are getting the optimal treatment.
And if you decide to go into research, you'll be interacting with
highly intelligent colleagues from a wide range of scientific
fields. In either case, optometrists tend to be both well-paid
and well-respected–a rare combination.
What you need
To be effective and successful, optometrists must have certain
traits that help them with their position. First, and most
crucial, they definitely need to have the ability to pay
attention to detail. Judgment and dependability are essential for
this job as well. Since you'll have access to potentially
dangerous substances, you must have high ethical standards and
maintain reliable records. Finally, you'll have to be
knowledgeable about and keep up with the constant stream of new
products and treatments on the market.
So is it right for you? Ultimately, that's a decision you have
to make. Optometry school is a serious time and financial
commitment. But if you have specific career goals and apply
yourself, the payoff can be extraordinary.
Whether you want to focus on the clinical practice, research
or teaching branches of optometry, you�ll need to get your doctor
of optometry (O.D.) first. The application process for a
four-year optometry program is similar to that of many other
graduate programs. In order to be considered for an accredited
program, you�ll need to have completed your undergraduate degree
at a four-year college or university, as well as provide scores
for the OAT (Optometry Admission Test).
The OAT* is a standardized test that measures general academic
ability and scientific comprehension. You should take the exam as
close to your graduation as possible. Studies indicate that
students tend to perform worse the longer they�ve been out of
school.
There are 19 accredited schools and colleges of optometry in
North America. You can find a complete listing at the American
Optometric Association�s website.
After completing optometry school, those who want to become
practicing optometrists must also pass a standardized licensing
test issued by each state. Potential educators may also have to
take a similar exam to teach classes.
Kaplan has a full range of options to help you with the OAT
and beyond. Go to our OAT
page or career channels for more courses and resources.
