Are you thinking about becoming an Optometrist and want to know how hard it is to study?
We’ll look at how hard Optometrist is in this article.
Ready to learn more?
Let’s dive in!
Optometry School Hard (Must Read)
Optometry school is hard, and becoming an optometrist takes a lot of time and effort. It takes a lot of hard work, diligence, and dedication to become an optometrist. Plus 4 years of undergraduate coursework (with a strong focus in sciences/math) and 4 years of optometry school are required.
You’ll take numerous subjects in school that are similar to general medicine classes, like anatomy and physiology, as well as several physics-based optics classes.
Neuroanatomy is certainly one of the most difficult classes for many optometry students.
There’s also the cost of needing to pay your university tuition on top of dealing with poor salaries. Noting that your education will take 8 years (7 at a minimum) and cost anywhere between $150,000 and $250,000 depending on your undergraduate and graduate school,
But if you are determined to become an Optometrist then you can make it.
The first step to becoming an optometrist is to attend a college or university that offers an optometry degree.
Before starting your degree program, you should also take some prerequisite courses, such as biology, chemistry, physics, and math.
To be accepted into an optometry program, you must take the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT).
This test assesses your critical thinking skills and knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, and math.
It also tests your language skills and general knowledge of science topics like optics, light waves, and how they interact with the eye.
Before everything else you need to do before you start your optometry school search is figure out what type of degree you want to earn.
There are two types:
- Doctorate in Optometry (OD)
- Doctorate in Science (ODS)
Now we have answered the main question, lets discuss other common questions.
What Is It Like Being an Optometrist?
Being an optometrist is a rewarding and challenging career. Optometrists help people see better by prescribing corrective lenses and treating eye conditions.
They also provide education on maintaining healthy vision and preventing vision problems.
Optometrists must complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program and a four-year professional doctoral program.
After graduation, optometrists must pass a state licensing exam to practice.
The work of an optometrist can be both mentally and physically demanding.
Optometrists must be able to concentrate for long periods while performing detailed repetitive tasks, and they also need to be able to stand for long periods and do some light lifting.
Optometrists typically work in private practices, but they may also work in hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare settings.
They typically work full-time hours, but some may work part-time or evenings and weekends to accommodate their patients’ schedules.
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Is it Hard Being an Optometrist?
It can be hard being an optometrist. One of the most difficult things is low wages, the repetitive nature of the role, and the lack of career progression and advancement.
After graduation, you will be an optometrist. That’s all there is to it. With that degree, you can’t do anything else.
MDs, PAs, and Nurse Practitioners, at the very least, can specialize if they don’t like their current specialty. There are no opportunities for advancement.
There is no opportunity for long-term advancement.
From the day you graduate to the day you retire, you will be doing the same job, with very little variation. Some people enjoy the safety and stability that comes with it.
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Is Being an Optometrist Boring?
Yes, being an optometrist can be a boring career due to the repetitive nature of the work. Although you may hear about a variety of unusual disorders while at university, most of your day is spent performing basic eye exams and suggesting lenses/glasses. You spend a significant portion of your day working alone.
If you get bored easily, optometry may not be the right career for you.
Being an optometrist, however, allows you to meet people from all walks of life.
If you enjoy meeting new people and conversing with them, your workday will be more engaging and entertaining.
The question of boredom is something that many optometrists have asked themselves in the past.
But as technology has advanced over the years, it has become easier for optometrists to keep their jobs exciting and up to date.
With the help of technology and new equipment, they can now do things like diagnosing eye diseases faster than ever before and use virtual reality to help train their future doctor’s assistants.
Do Optometrists Get Paid Well?
No Optometrist does not get paid well. Optometrists earn just enough to get by, but not enough to be truly independent. You can increase your earnings if you own a practice, but even the most profitable make less than $250K per year. If you’re lucky, you’ll make less than $80 to $90K right out of school, with the potential to rise to $120K in ten years.
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average salary for an optometrist range from $80,000 – $120,000 per year, depending on their experience and location.
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Optometrists in Demand?
Yes, Optometrists are in high demand now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many people are spending more time at home.
If you’re considering becoming an optometrist, you may be wondering if you will have a job after COVID-19.
So, what does the future of optometry look like during the pandemic?
This question highlights an opportunity.
The Optometrist is in high demand, primarily due to the large number of people who have never seen one before.
Perhaps optometrists need to market themselves more.
What Do the Forums Say?
“Compared to the pharmacy, optometry is a country mile better. But that mile is getting shorter.”
“There are more pros and more cons, but the best thing you can do is shadow a variety of optometrists and ask yourself if you could do this job happily for 30-40 years. You’ll get people in every profession wishing they made different choices.”
Optometry school was some of the most fun years of my life and the most academically intense. It would have been nice to study a bit less.
Final Words
Optometrist wages are low, lack career progression, and day-to-day roles can be tedious.
A career in optometry is competitive, and you need to invest a lot of time and money to become an optometrist.
To commit to this career, you need to spend many hours per week studying and earning credits, and this process can take several years.
Hope you have found this article interesting and helpful, for a further article relating to medicine below
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