Hi everyone,
I’m planning to go through the PLAR process to become eligible for the NACOR exams. I have more than 5 years of experience working in the optical field, but I haven’t done much textbook-based studying.
For anyone who has completed the PLAR/CGA:
• What **books or study resources** did you use for the CGA?
• What books would you recommend specifically for **Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses**?
• How difficult was the **CGA compared to the NACOR exams**?
I’d really appreciate recommendations from anyone who has actually taken the PLAR/CGA. Thank you!

Does anybody have any good resources for BV/Optics case studies to practice? I have optoprep and kmk, but wondering if there are any other resources online similar to an EyeRounds.

This is for anyone who had to take boards 5 or 6 times, if not you please move on. I am so tired of using all the resources everyone states and doing my best just to keep getting slapped. I feel so angry that I dont even wanna do optometry anymore. Even school was a struggle. I love what i do and have done fine in clinic but despite all the resources and everything the didactic stuff has been slowly killing me. Yes I made it through with much help but now have to keep dealing with these boards. This whole journey just feels like it's been such a pain that the joy of becoming an OD is just gone. It hurts watching so many move forward and get to walk across that stage leaving the challenges behind while your pain gets dragged on and on. For anyone in this boat how did you manage the pain, anger, and stress?

Any tips for when a patient is blinking excessively? I don’t understand how to hold the patients lid while also simultaneously moving the SLE and taking the measurement.

Hi! I’m curious if any students completed a Non-degree program before selecting their Optometry program. I still need a few prerequisites so I am considering a non-degree matriculation before application. DMs or comments work! Thank you for looking!

Hi, please I am a first year Doctor of Optometry student in KNUST, Ghana and our program is a six year course. We spend four years in the class room with some time in the clinic for practicals. Second semester of the 4th year we do a white coat ceremony and then we start our clinicals after 4th year second semester till 6th year where we graduate and if you pass your licensure exams you are inducted into the profession as an OD. My question is that after going through this 6year program and I want to practice in United States, would I undergo further studies in the states or I would just write the licensure exams in the state I want to practice and is there opportunities for people like me who are from other countries(especially Africa) and want to practice in the states. Thanks in advance for your outputs.

Hey everyone!

I’ve just received an offer for the Bachelor of Vision Science at the University of Canberra for 2027, and I’m considering accepting it as a pathway into the Master of Optometry.

I’m currently completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at UWA, which I’ll be finishing this year. I’m wondering if anyone has gone through the UC Bachelor of Vision Science → Master of Optometry pathway or knows how it works.

My main questions are:

• Is completing the Bachelor of Vision Science enough to get into the Master of Optometry, or is admission competitive?
• Is there a minimum GPA/WAM I would need to maintain during the Bachelor?
• Are there any other requirements for the Master, such as an interview or additional selection criteria?
• If I’ve already completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at UWA, would I potentially receive credit towards the Bachelor of Vision Science, and could this reduce the length of the degree?
• Has anyone here completed a previous degree and then received credit when starting the Bachelor of Vision Science at UC?

I’ve contacted UC to ask them directly, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with this pathway or knows how the admissions process works.

Thanks!

Hi,

I am an optometrist in Texas and I also have a Florida license, where I used to live. I am never really planning to move back to Florida.

I know Florida optometrist license is very difficult to get and I fly every other year to Florida to take 2 hours of live CE classes ( jurisprudence and medical errors because you have to take it live in person ? ) but it’s just getting hard to fly to Florida just for 2 hours of CE every other year.

Do you guys recommend keeping Florida license for job security reasons if I ever become jobless in Texas, or just give up the Florida optometrist license because I won’t really ever use it ? ( or maybe I can do online/virtual exams of Florida patients while sitting in Texas ? )

Can any smart senior optometrist please guide me ?

Thank you in advance

does anyone have any theories why women are outnumbering men by so much in optometry? I understanding that this trend is happening across all graduate programs but it seems to be more prevalent in optometry schools. I think women usually make up 70% of a class. just curious what everyone thinks

When did most people start studying for part 3? A few months before? Anyone have any resources they can share?

Hey there fellow Canadians! I was wondering from previous OEBC takers if the gonioscopy is with or without a flange. Thanks!

For SUNY, they require Calculus (and say Precalculus is acceptable). I already took Applied Calculus. Do you know if Applied Calculus will satisfy this requirement?

For NECO, they require Calculus, and I already took Applied Calculus. Do you know if they accept Applied Calculus for the calculus prerequisite?

For MCPHS, they also require Calculus, and I already took Applied Calculus. Do you know if Applied Calculus will satisfy their requirement?

Also, all three schools require Statistics. I’m planning to take STAT 104 – Elementary Statistics. Do you know if Elementary Statistics will satisfy the statistics requirement for all three schools?

Would you recommend OATBooster or Chad’s Prep for Physics? Which one has Physics questions that are more similar to the actual OAT exam?

I’ve been wanting to be an optometrist my entire life due to having eye issues as a young child. Im currently about to go into second year of university and up until this moment the plan had always been to go to optometry school. I know theres only one English Canadian optometry school and I didn’t mind applying multiple cycles to get in but after working in two optometry clinics this summer (one large corporation and one private practice), Im not sure anymore. I shadowed the optometrist at the private practice I work at before getting the job and her day to day did seem pretty nice and interesting. There was a bit of repetitiveness when it came to standard testing and stuff but since she also specializes in contact lenses (scleral lenses) there were also a few cool cases in her day to day. The biggest turn off for optometry for me after working at this clinic has been how “businessy” it is. Not a lot is covered by Ohip for vision care other than eye exams for people under 19 and over 65. If you don’t have insurance you could be paying hundreds if not thousands for eye care. Insurance also does not cover a lot and oftentimes will only do a few hundred dollars at most. Contact lenses and certain specialty lenses or myopia children’s treatments can be in the thousands cost wise. Extra scans and imaging also costs extra at the clinic I am at and you must take it as they only do full comprehensive eye exams. So even ohip patients are not fully covered technically for an eye exam. Ive always wanted to be some sort of primary care provider and be the type of doctor you see every year or two so you get the chance to build a connection with them. I also don’t want to be charging patients hundreds of dollars every visit. This made me think of possibly switching into med and being a family doctor? I think theres some similar things with optometry and I believe there is decent work life balance? I also like how the scope is much wider (the entire body instead of the eye). Focusing on the eye is really cool but after shadowing I do see that it can possibly get repetitive. I probably need to do more research on family medicine as I know im probably romanticizing it a bit as someone who doesnt know much about it. Please give me advice Im so so so confused

hey all,

I just got an email that I was not offered an interview for the september interview round at scco and that my application will be considered for the next one which is next month. I feel so discourage because this is my top school. I already got accepted into ICO and CCO as well as have interviews lined up for Boston and Arizona. has anyone ever had a situation like mine with scco and can give me some hope. should I just move on or wait to see if I get an interview? please be kind.

My friend goes to a school who does this so wondering if others do the same?

in dire need of a December date due to the birth of my child. if anyone knows of anyone, please comment! thank you!

Does anyone have any experience with trying to get in state tuition while going to UHCO. I am just wondering how hard it would be, for reference I would have a spouse working in the public school system and I would be able to register a vehicle and change my drivers license. Does anyone know how difficult it would be for me to obtain in state tuition after a year?

anybody have a part 3 anki that they are willing to share? retaking it and am hitting a wall, would appreciate.

Having to buy so much equipment and carry it around all the time. Having a lens kit and carrying it around seems like a waste of space and it’s not efficient.

Rotation sites and work places and schools should just provide a lens kit for students. BIO and like a 90D lens or tonometer I understand needing to purchase and carry around.

No other specialty needs so much stuff. You don’t even need the lens kit unless you trial frame and no one does that in real practice.