Wow this was inspirational. I have worked under ophthamalogist & recently under amazing optometrist. Im stuck between nursing & becoming an optometrist. Im just worried if i'm smart enough to actually become an eye doctor. I have a passion for eye treatment. Im currently a medical assistant but i love working in ophthamology.
Hey! Loved watching your videos as I'm going into optometry school myself quite soon. I would be interested to hear how you transitioned into school, your impressions, how it was different from what you imagined, etc. look forward to hearing more!
Hi Tyler, Could you tells us how hard is optometry and how much of studying you do everyday? Is there summer clinical rotation that you have to do every year? How is the profession and where is it heading from now and 5 years later? Is the market saturated like pharmacy school or there is fewer optometrist than pharmacist? Thank you for the help!
Optometry school can definitely be demanding. Most days you're in class followed by studying at night. Some weeks are lighter than others. Being out practicing now, I try to keep up with new technology but standard of care changes so slowly I'm not constantly studying every day after work and can easily stay up-to-date. Most schools give you your first summer off but the remaining summers are spent in class or in your school's clinic as you embark on your clinical experience. You do rotations in your entire fourth year which means you're in clinic full time. There is definitely a shift in eye care as far as bigger companies currently taking over smaller practices because people want things cheaper and faster. Unfortunately, big box stores do that better than most small practices can. It usually doesn't affect how I take care of my patient's, however. There were 44,400 optometrists in the US in 2019 with 4% growth in the next decade (normal growth) and 321,700 pharmacists in the US in 2019 with a 3% decline over the next decade according to the US Bureau of Labor.
Hey Tyler, can you make a video on how you prepared for the Optometry Admissions Test? I'm in my 3rd year of Undergrad and I am looking forward to your input. Thank you
Tyler, thanks so much for making these videos! They are very informative and I hope you continue making them. As an incoming freshman in college, optometry seems to stand out in my mind on top of any other health profession and I am hoping I will take a liking to it. From a previous comment I read, is there a certain business class you would recommend pertaining to health and business?/a certain science that you notice seems to be the "'most important/used" in optometry school that you took as an undergraduate? Thank you and I am looking forward to your videos and progress! Also, is there any other social media we could follow you on? If not, I understand :) thanks once again and keep it up! 👍🏼
Good questions. I would say that taking a business class might be to your advantage since optometry schools teach you very little to nothing about the business aspect. Fortunately, my school has a couple of business classes. I think it's always a good idea to get ahead, but don't overwhelm your undergraduate schedule either because learning the business aspect comes from life experience too. As far as science classes to focus on, I think physiology, pathology, neuroanatomy, and immunology are great classes to get ahead in since it'll be very easy for you once you re-learn those topics in optometry school. Thanks!
Marc Pan My interview was pretty laid back! They don't try to trick you or anything. Just have a couple questions ready because usually the more you can get the interviewers talking the more they know how interested in the profession you are, which will help score you some points 👌🏼
Thank you SO much for all these videos!! Hearing about your personal experiences makes it a lot easier to grasp the foundations of optometry school and what it entails. I'm going to be a sophomore in college this fall, and I was wondering if there is any experience you would recommend (bedsides shadowing) to help get ahead while also taking classes? Thanks again!! :)
Thanks for the comments and question! I would say I am glad I had a chance to work in offices before I went to school. Unfortunately, since optometry school only teaches you how to be an eye doctor, most programs fall short to teach you the business aspect. Optometry is equal parts exams and business oriented. If you score any secretary, sales, or pre-tester position, you'll really thank yourself later.
Hey Tyler! I never really knew I wanted to do optometry until I saw your videos, so thank you! Its just that my freshman year I struggled with my general bio classes because of a few setbacks, so I got a few Cs. Should I retake these classes, or just up my game in the remainder of my Bio major courses to prove my future grad schools that I'm ready for Optometry School?
Thanks for the question! I would look at my "grades it takes to get into optometry school" video. Each school has an average GPA in order to be considered a competitive applicant. If you work really hard on your upcoming classes and level out your GPA you shouldn't have to retake those previous classes. Thanks for asking! Good luck to you!
Hi Tyler, great video. Was wondering what your views are upon where you would work upon graduation. i have a fear of corporate chains. if you did end up at one do you think it would be easy to move locations if you were not happy at one?
Good question. There are a lot of options to work corporate, private practice, VA (veteran affairs), ophthalmology practices, vision therapy etc. I honestly don't know how easy it would be to leave a practice since I don't have experience with that yet; however, there is something you can do during your interview with a potential employer. I've learned that, depending on the practice's policies, you can negotiate certain parts of the job setting such as pay, work hours, on-call, scribes, benefits, and other things before you take a job so you can get a feel for how your job environment might be.
Oh thats great advice. I guess even with a corporate chain the individual chain owner would be able to make those decisions. So if you started off full time and circumstances changed and you wanted to do part time, you could potentially negotiate. Thanks Tyler, appreciate your feedback.
I'm honestly kind of nervous. I mean, since I was 8 years old, I started wearing eyeglasses and I loved going to the eye doctor. Over time I would find myself reading about eyes, studying how they work, just out of curiosity and I decided I would go to school for optometry. I'm still trying to get my undergraduate prerequisite classes done so I can apply to an optometry school soon, but I'm kind of nervous because I'm worrying whether optometry itself is going to be difficult or not lol. I'm praying. 😃
in the process of studying for the entrance exam/ finishing pre reqs.. this was motivational! did you have any studying tactics that stuck out to you for being successful? hope to be as enthusiastic as you in my future career, you seem like a very genuine person :) thanks for the tips!
thanks for the continued updates! I first watched your videos when deciding if optometry was what I wanted to pursue and now I just applied for optometry schools :) I'm taking my OAT next week! overall, how was your first year? (classes, tests) and do you have a break now for summer?
As an aspiring optometrist I've been trying to learn as much as I can to better prepare myself. One question I do have regards residency. How much do you know about that topic? Is it required? What are the pros and cons of residency? Do you personally know anyone who has gone through that process? None of the optometrists I have observed have done residency and aren't very helpful in answering my questions regarding that topic.
Good question. Residencies are not required. Some people are for them and others are not. I've learned that residencies provide good opportunities to get involved with any sub-specialty you might be interested in. In all, it's an extra year of learning experience that working in a regular practice will not always give you. It is also a good idea to do a residency if you're looking into being a professor or want to be involved with the American Academy of Optometry if you stay in the states. The downsides are that you delay getting paid for that year and that some residencies are stressful.
I would say if you know you want to make the change then do it! Shadow eye doctors wherever you're from, ask them questions, and see what a typical day looks like to see if you think you'll like it. You wouldn't want to commit to something like this if you don't know what it really looks like in action.
Great video! I am thinking about doing optometry after my bachelors. I subscribed, hope to see more!
Wow this was inspirational. I have worked under ophthamalogist & recently under amazing optometrist. Im stuck between nursing & becoming an optometrist. Im just worried if i'm smart enough to actually become an eye doctor. I have a passion for eye treatment. Im currently a medical assistant but i love working in ophthamology.
Hey! Loved watching your videos as I'm going into optometry school myself quite soon. I would be interested to hear how you transitioned into school, your impressions, how it was different from what you imagined, etc. look forward to hearing more!
Good ideas! Thanks for the comments and best of luck to you!
Who do you think makes more money in Washington state? optometrist or software engineers? Plz, answer currently debating between both careers.
I'd like to know how much you payed to go to optometry school?
All this time debating careers and I could have almost been done if I had just gone out of high school. Better late than never?
I'm kinda nervous to go to college after high school
Hi Tyler,
Could you tells us how hard is optometry and how much of studying you do everyday?
Is there summer clinical rotation that you have to do every year?
How is the profession and where is it heading from now and 5 years later? Is the market saturated like pharmacy school or there is fewer optometrist than pharmacist?
Thank you for the help!
Optometry school can definitely be demanding. Most days you're in class followed by studying at night. Some weeks are lighter than others. Being out practicing now, I try to keep up with new technology but standard of care changes so slowly I'm not constantly studying every day after work and can easily stay up-to-date.
Most schools give you your first summer off but the remaining summers are spent in class or in your school's clinic as you embark on your clinical experience. You do rotations in your entire fourth year which means you're in clinic full time.
There is definitely a shift in eye care as far as bigger companies currently taking over smaller practices because people want things cheaper and faster. Unfortunately, big box stores do that better than most small practices can. It usually doesn't affect how I take care of my patient's, however.
There were 44,400 optometrists in the US in 2019 with 4% growth in the next decade (normal growth) and 321,700 pharmacists in the US in 2019 with a 3% decline over the next decade according to the US Bureau of Labor.
Hey Tyler, can you make a video on how you prepared for the Optometry Admissions Test? I'm in my 3rd year of Undergrad and I am looking forward to your input. Thank you
Tyler, thanks so much for making these videos! They are very informative and I hope you continue making them. As an incoming freshman in college, optometry seems to stand out in my mind on top of any other health profession and I am hoping I will take a liking to it. From a previous comment I read, is there a certain business class you would recommend pertaining to health and business?/a certain science that you notice seems to be the "'most important/used" in optometry school that you took as an undergraduate?
Thank you and I am looking forward to your videos and progress! Also, is there any other social media we could follow you on? If not, I understand :) thanks once again and keep it up! 👍🏼
Good questions. I would say that taking a business class might be to your advantage since optometry schools teach you very little to nothing about the business aspect. Fortunately, my school has a couple of business classes. I think it's always a good idea to get ahead, but don't overwhelm your undergraduate schedule either because learning the business aspect comes from life experience too.
As far as science classes to focus on, I think physiology, pathology, neuroanatomy, and immunology are great classes to get ahead in since it'll be very easy for you once you re-learn those topics in optometry school.
Thanks!
Hi Tyler,
I have an interview at Midwestern and was wondering if you have any tips or advice.
Thanks!!
Marc Pan My interview was pretty laid back! They don't try to trick you or anything. Just have a couple questions ready because usually the more you can get the interviewers talking the more they know how interested in the profession you are, which will help score you some points 👌🏼
Midwestern is too expensive👎
Thank you SO much for all these videos!! Hearing about your personal experiences makes it a lot easier to grasp the foundations of optometry school and what it entails. I'm going to be a sophomore in college this fall, and I was wondering if there is any experience you would recommend (bedsides shadowing) to help get ahead while also taking classes? Thanks again!! :)
Thanks for the comments and question! I would say I am glad I had a chance to work in offices before I went to school. Unfortunately, since optometry school only teaches you how to be an eye doctor, most programs fall short to teach you the business aspect. Optometry is equal parts exams and business oriented. If you score any secretary, sales, or pre-tester position, you'll really thank yourself later.
+Tyler L Thank you so much! I'll definitely look into that.
Hey Tyler! I never really knew I wanted to do optometry until I saw your videos, so thank you! Its just that my freshman year I struggled with my general bio classes because of a few setbacks, so I got a few Cs. Should I retake these classes, or just up my game in the remainder of my Bio major courses to prove my future grad schools that I'm ready for Optometry School?
Thanks for the question! I would look at my "grades it takes to get into optometry school" video. Each school has an average GPA in order to be considered a competitive applicant. If you work really hard on your upcoming classes and level out your GPA you shouldn't have to retake those previous classes. Thanks for asking! Good luck to you!
Yes definitely will! Thank you!
Hi Tyler, great video. Was wondering what your views are upon where you would work upon graduation. i have a fear of corporate chains. if you did end up at one do you think it would be easy to move locations if you were not happy at one?
Good question. There are a lot of options to work corporate, private practice, VA (veteran affairs), ophthalmology practices, vision therapy etc. I honestly don't know how easy it would be to leave a practice since I don't have experience with that yet; however, there is something you can do during your interview with a potential employer. I've learned that, depending on the practice's policies, you can negotiate certain parts of the job setting such as pay, work hours, on-call, scribes, benefits, and other things before you take a job so you can get a feel for how your job environment might be.
Oh thats great advice. I guess even with a corporate chain the individual chain owner would be able to make those decisions. So if you started off full time and circumstances changed and you wanted to do part time, you could potentially negotiate. Thanks Tyler, appreciate your feedback.
I want to go into optometry school but I thought it was 2 years instead of 4?
4 in the United States at least.
I'm honestly kind of nervous. I mean, since I was 8 years old, I started wearing eyeglasses and I loved going to the eye doctor. Over time I would find myself reading about eyes, studying how they work, just out of curiosity and I decided I would go to school for optometry. I'm still trying to get my undergraduate prerequisite classes done so I can apply to an optometry school soon, but I'm kind of nervous because I'm worrying whether optometry itself is going to be difficult or not lol. I'm praying. 😃
same to me... i heard the career is easy to do when you have machines to support but the studies might be really hard while still in school !!.
ADOETTE hi there! I'm thinking about optometry and will be starting under grad in Fall 2017. What did you major in For your undergraduate?
Hahaha seem too late... i already dropped out and being an entrepreneur buddy, making money online, pursuit my dream... but gooooooood luck!!
May I ask how that is going for you? :)
How is scope of Optometry in their countries? Am 23 year (OD) From Islamabad Pakistan.
in the process of studying for the entrance exam/ finishing pre reqs.. this was motivational! did you have any studying tactics that stuck out to you for being successful? hope to be as enthusiastic as you in my future career, you seem like a very genuine person :) thanks for the tips!
check out my other videos! I have a couple things to say about how to study. Thanks for the question.
whats average salARY?
103000
@@mustafaaalmosawi are you an optometrist ?
Enjoy your summer break! It's going to be your last one. Optometry school will go by quickly, so enjoy it! I've just started my residency.
Jonathan Look I hate math with a passion is it a requirement??
thanks for the continued updates!
I first watched your videos when deciding if optometry was what I wanted to pursue and now I just applied for optometry schools :) I'm taking my OAT next week!
overall, how was your first year? (classes, tests) and do you have a break now for summer?
As an aspiring optometrist I've been trying to learn as much as I can to better prepare myself. One question I do have regards residency. How much do you know about that topic? Is it required? What are the pros and cons of residency? Do you personally know anyone who has gone through that process?
None of the optometrists I have observed have done residency and aren't very helpful in answering my questions regarding that topic.
Good question. Residencies are not required. Some people are for them and others are not. I've learned that residencies provide good opportunities to get involved with any sub-specialty you might be interested in. In all, it's an extra year of learning experience that working in a regular practice will not always give you. It is also a good idea to do a residency if you're looking into being a professor or want to be involved with the American Academy of Optometry if you stay in the states. The downsides are that you delay getting paid for that year and that some residencies are stressful.
Is there any crazy math you do on the day to day? How much 1/10
Very little math but nothing to worry about. There's a little math needed for contact lenses but there are apps to help you do the math generally!
Tyler L thank you!
Hey Tyler. Love the vids. Hey I was considering a change of career at the age of 40. do you feel that is realistic?
I would say if you know you want to make the change then do it! Shadow eye doctors wherever you're from, ask them questions, and see what a typical day looks like to see if you think you'll like it. You wouldn't want to commit to something like this if you don't know what it really looks like in action.