Optometry!! Such a wonderful, fulfilling, and exciting career to be in. But how do I get there? What should I be doing in undergrad to stay involved? I have rounded up 5 ways that I like to stay involved in the field of optometry while still in undergrad:
- Shadowing
This is probably the most obvious, but also the most crucial!! On top of great grades and OAT scores, Optometry schools want to know that you have done your research on what it’s like being an Optometrist. I recommend printing out your resume and going to local Optometry offices and simply let the receptionist know that you are interested in the field of Optometry and would love to shadow the doctor. Most of the time they are more than happy to help!! Shadowing is a great way to get to experience that one-on-one doctor to patient interaction that comes with being an Optometrist. Tip: don’t be afraid to ask questions along the way! It makes the experience that much more memorable.
2. Pre-Optometry Club
This is a huge one! What better way to stay involved in the profession than to do so with students with the same interests and goals as you. First, find out if your school has an optometry school. And if not…START ONE!! I attend a pretty small school. To find enough students to start a whole club on it’s own was hard. So I joined my university’s Pre-Health club that includes many health care professions from Pre-Med to Pre-Dental. Through my club, I was able to start a “Pre-Optometry Shadowing Program” which allows students to explore the eye-care field by shadowing Optometrists as well as Ophthalmologists around our area. It is a great way to form relationships with local doctors and helps students find instant contacts to start shadowing.
3. Community Service/Volunteering
There is always something that we can do to help out our community whether that be helping clean up a local park or simply visiting a senior center to provide company to a resident. No volunteering is left unnoticed. Additionally, you might be surprised to see that there are volunteer opportunities that involve Optometry! School vision screenings are very common throughout the community and with a little research you can find out just who to contact to get involved and be apart of this wonderful experience. I contacted my local Lions Club which performs vision screenings around the county schools! They were more than happy to have me come along and help out with the screenings.
4. Reaching Out to Optometry Schools
Your undergraduate years are the prime time to start looking at potential Optometry school’s that appeal to you. You don’t want to wait until last minute. Most, if not all, optometry schools offer at least one event throughout the year whether that be an open house or even a conference for interested students to attend! Attending these are great ways to show that you are interested! Here is an old blog post that I talk about my tips for Pre-Optometry School Visits!
5. International Trips
If you have ever talked to someone about their volunteer trip to a third world country one of the first things they say is that it is easily “one of the most life-changing experiences they have ever had!” There are many amazing organizations out there that travel to third world countries to solely provide eye-care to the under privileged community. Being able to be apart of someone’s journey to improved vision/eye-health can be one of the most rewarding experiences someone can experience. I had the privilege of going on my first International Trip to Guatemala just last week! I will be sharing my experience soon on the blog.
Pre-Optometry is such an exciting time to shadow different doctors as well as find new ways to get involved in fun, creative projects in the optometric community – the opportunities are endless. I would be more than happy to talk to any of you if you have any Pre-Optometry related questions or need help brainstorming new ideas.
Eloisa Morfin
Pre-Optometry Student
Sonoma State University
My email: e_morfin_33@yahoo.com
