Will a second Bachelor's help?

[Youngbuc23]

Hello all,

I am new to pre-optometry, and was hoping to get some insight on becoming as competitive as I can. I already have a Bachelor's but it didn't require me to take any of the prereqs required for optometry school, so I am currently back in school getting a second bachelor's, this time in Chemistry with a minor Biology. This is all new to me and it's been 4-6 years since I have had anything math or science related, so i'm somewhat struggling right now and don't feel like I'm off to a great start. I'm also working for a private practice, and am an officer in the Army National Guard so my time and energy is very limited. Anyways, my questions are:

1. Would a second degree, (first one is in criminal justice), help make me more competitive?
2. What GPA should I absolutely shoot for?
3. Are optometry schools military friendly?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

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[97thaik]

Hi, welcome to pre-optometry!

To answer your questions:

1. Optometry schools don't require any specific major/degree and I don't think they discriminate against certain majors. I believe that as long as you get your pre-requisites done, then it doesn't matter how you got there, whether you did it through community college, as a minor, etc. A second degree would be more of a talking point in an interview most likely. Like why not go into criminal justice as your original major was, etc. Things to that nature. If money and tuition is not a worry for you, a second degree can be another way to get your pre-requisites done, or you can just take the classes accordingly at a reputable institution

2. GPA, you should definitely strive for at least a 3.0 and up. I would look at the individual schools you're interested in and aim to be higher than their class average. Example. School A has 3.2 for the incoming class of 2020. Aim to be 3.2 or higher. If you're struggling with your GPA, then aim higher on the OAT in the same fashion as you would with the GPA.

3. I don't have much experience with the military, nonetheless military and optometry school. I guess it depends on what you mean by military friendly - flexible class schedule, tuition reduction, etc. I would email the schools individually to see what they offer in terms of that.

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions! Good luck on the pathway to optometry!