You guys are misconstruing what I said and analyzing it to the point where you guys sound ridiculous. First off, by "passion" I don't mean accept the crackhead down the street who has never taken a class but wants to pursue optometry since he was 4 months old. I meant, someone who may not have stellar grades (ie; 4.0 GPA and 400TS/AA) but can show and demonstrate enough "passion" to have an extensive background in the optometric/ophthalmic field. I know so many students who HAD to shadow an optometrist for like a week just so they could COMPLETE their admissions applications. Sadly enough, if they have solid GPAs then they get into any school in a heartbeat. And frankly, to me that is JUST as alarming and detrimental to the optometric career as someone who got in with a 2.5GPA and below avergae OAT scores. At the end, aren't you private practice ODs out there continually bashing those commerical ODs for allowing themselves to be dicatated by large corporations? Hmm...if these people had more passion for the career....would they not have more of a committment to the betterment of their professional image and not settle for anything less. So, that is why I feel there should be a stricter criteria for experience in the field and not solely based on steller grades and competitive OAT scores. A great candidate should truly possesses an interest in the career and have the background experience to prove it. Now if you possess a sincere interest and you have the brains, GREAT! Of course, acceptance should not be based on just passion, I do believe grades are important too.
I've worked with so many ODs throughout my 6+ years in the ophthalmic and optometric field and I CANNOT tell you how many of them dread their jobs. It really is sad and I often wonder if they knew what they were getting into. The future of this career will only improve when more passionate ODs are out there supporting the AOA and other legislative organizations in making progressive movements towards optometry.
But this will never happen until the bitter rivalries between schools and putting each other down ceases to exist. So until then, optometry has a gloomy road ahead of itself, as I see it.
As far as the OAT goes, I am going to agree to disagree.
No one has the right to judge me when they don't even know my full academic profile. but since i started this thread in my defense i have graduated with semesters being on the deans list and i have taken 4 or more science rigorous classes which definitely shows i am ABLE to read and handle the load of work in optometry school. I have my own reasons not to take the OAT again and apply next year. I have been accepted to IAUPR because i did meet there AA OAT score and GPA requirements. So i got accepted legit. 