Optometric experience

[canadianpreOD]

Hi everyone!
I have some questions about optometric experience and whether or not mine will be considered as strong as others...I am overly paranoid going into the admissions process because my GPA is on the low end of applicants and I am hoping I can prove myself in some avenue!

I have been working at an optometric practice for 5 years now and have dealt with nearly every aspect of eye exams and patient care, besides being the dr myself and producing the prescription and diagnosing conditions. I have also spent time in the exam room shadowing with the doctors and have secured references with each of them because I have known them for so long. I am concerned because I may not have as many numeric "shadowing hours" as other applicants, some people have said they had hundreds of hours or nearly a hundred. My tallied observation hours are around 40, I work there full time and they need me to do my job around the office during all of our open hours instead of sitting in the exam room. Will my experience working for so many years mean as much as my in-exam hours? All of the docs are very busy and because of covid, shadowing in their small offices over these next few months will be difficult. Is the general consensus that any optometric experience is just as valid as shadowing hours??

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[futod2020]

Honestly, as much as shadowing gives you a firsthand look into what optometrists do in the exam room, I believe that your years of experience working in the clinic is so much more valuable. Through working, you’re able to directly assist patients and be a part of the optometric workflow—which you can’t get from shadowing alone.

 

[lcxcupcake]

Hi, just curious what is your role in at the practice? I agree with @futod2020 that directly working with patients can be more beneficial than just shadowing. I work as an optometric tech and I’m usually the first person that the patient sees. I’m responsible for taking patient history and doing entrance exams. I have a good sense of patient flow, patient care, and I get to learn things that can be useful in clinic (if I get accepted). All things that can be used in a personal statement or on interview days, which would give you an advantage!

 

[canadianpreOD]

Hi, just curious what is your role in at the practice? I agree with @futod2020 that directly working with patients can be more beneficial than just shadowing. I work as an optometric tech and I’m usually the first person that the patient sees. I’m responsible for taking patient history and doing entrance exams. I have a good sense of patient flow, patient care, and I get to learn things that can be useful in clinic (if I get accepted). All things that can be used in a personal statement or on interview days, which would give you an advantage!

Hi there! Similar to yourself, I am involved with the entrance exams (NCT/OCT/autorefractions/dilations/visual fields) and history! I don't really know if my job really has a title but it encompasses all of those aspects!
Thanks for your response

 

[lcxcupcake]

Hi there! Similar to yourself, I am involved with the entrance exams (NCT/OCT/autorefractions/dilations/visual fields) and history! I don't really know if my job really has a title but it encompasses all of those aspects!
Thanks for your response

Not sure what schools you’re applying to, but when I asked NECO if my work hours could be counted towards shadowing hours, they said it was fine!

 

[deleted1029384]

I am concerned because I may not have as many numeric "shadowing hours" as other applicants, some people have said they had hundreds of hours or nearly a hundred. My tallied observation hours are around 40, I work there full time and they need me to do my job around the office during all of our open hours instead of sitting in the exam room.

I think you should be fine. I was in a similar employment situation and I was accepted with less than 20 hours of actual shadowing. Don't let the 100+ hours of shadowing that other people have intimidate you!

That being said, I know Salus requires 25 hours (min.) of shadowing experience upon matriculation. There is a separate form in the acceptance package that the doctors you shadowed need to sign off on to confirm you have shadowed x amount of hours with them.