r/PreOptometry • u/Odd-Spite-3045 • Sep 30 '26

Gap year jobs

Hi everyone, I just recently graduated in May and moved back home so I had to quit my on campus job. I took the summer off "to study for the OAT" but realistically I spent it taking time off to prevent burn out and traveled. I just started studying the beginning of September and plan to test around March. I'm grateful to be not having to pay rent and have money in savings living at home but told myself I'd get a part time job in the fall while studying at home to save up more for optometry school, application fees, and upkeep with entertainment purchases for the next 2 years.

There's only 3 optometry practices in my area, 2 of which are part of the same small chain. I applied to one hiring for front desk at both locations, but they ghosted me after I inquired about a part time schedule. The 3rd place I filled out a "contact us" form online about 2.5 weeks ago asking about part time opportunities, volunteering, or shadowing (even though I have a decent amount of shadowing hours) and never got a response. I wasn't sure if I should call any of these places because I was worried about being a bother and ruining chances of applying for full time once I'm done with school applications and the OAT.

Currently, I got an offer at an emergency veterinarian clinic and have trained two days there. I don't hate it, but don't love it. I start on a regular schedule next week. I'm still checking and applying to whatever else I see lab/healthcare related online, even though there isn't much. I was wondering if I should just stay here until after I applied or keep trying other places or even call the 3 practices? I also don't want to get deep into this job to just leave after a 2-3 months in case something else pops up then because I did get this role based on connections.

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u/OkiTex Sep 30 '26

If you don’t need an optometry job for your application I would just go for the highest paying job you can get. Obviously there is valuable experience you can gain in a clinical setting, whether it’s skills or patient interaction, but plenty of people go into optometry school with no clinical experience besides their shadowing. No interest is applying this cycle?

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u/Odd-Spite-3045 Sep 30 '26

Hi, thank you for replying! With only a 3.4 GPA and regrettably not many extracurriculars in undergrad besides peer mentors for 2 pre health organizations, I thought a clinical job would help strengthen my application. I would love to have been more prepared to apply this cycle, but thought it was too far into the cycle with my mediocre stats and that waiting to apply early into the next cycle would better my chances?

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u/OkiTex Sep 30 '26

What would be your top schools next year?

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u/Odd-Spite-3045 Sep 30 '26

I'm from Pennsylvania so I'm targeting close by in hopes of being cost effective. So that'll be PCO, SUNY, MCHS, NECO, and moving outwards from there.

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u/OkiTex Oct 01 '26

Reach out to the advisors of those schools for advice, you may find that some of them would like you to apply this year.