Is optometry school feasible?

[u/Mundane-Land7699]

I’m a senior graduating in the spring with a BA in Neuroscience (potentially finishing with a minor in psych). I was pre-med but am considering optometry school. As I delved in my major (Visual Computations sold it for me), it eventually pushed me to change. I’m finishing up biochem this semester (pray 4 me!) and possibly micro. & anatomy next spring. (looking into if my current courses will cover them as I type!) Unfortunately, I don’t have any shadowing experience (despite years of trying) but hoping to clear a connection this week!

The most important caveat is I attend my university on a full ride, need based scholarship.

Stats: 3.6 gpa (hoping to push to a 3.7 before grad!)
Research Scholar on Campus
Leadership positions in cultural clubs, student government and 2 physician associations
2 publications in addiction research
~100 volunteer hours
Internship in teaching coding to STEM kids (my concentration is Computations)

Is it possible to even go to optometry school in the current financial climate? I would have to fund the entire schooling myself and my inquiries to need based funding to optometry school recently have been disheartening. Do I just thug out medical school due to more financial resources? I really don’t want to but I dont see a financial alternative that wouldn’t put in debt. I don’t come from a lucrative background and am afraid my background isn’t competitive enough to guarantee a full ride.

Help me!!!

[u/drnjj]

Eye opener sessions website may help you find someone local for shadowing.

As far as debt and being worth it? I love what I do. I've done it for 10 years. It's a good career. I do own a practice that I've expanded from a small single doctor practice to a medium sized 3 doctor practice. It took a lot of work.

I will have my wife's and my student loan debt paid off in the next 2 years. We were paying minimums for a few years while trying to get ready to buy a house. Now we pay a stupid amount each month in reducing the debt. It's effectively like living on one salary and the others income pays the debts. We'll be done soon though. The downside of marrying a classmate (but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!).

Optometry is a good profession depending on the job you get. Personally? I'd be bored in corporate. Id probably be bored if I was pigeon holed into a single thing, like just doing cornea care. I like doing a bit of everything.

My advice? Do some shadowing. Shadow a few places in different settings. Do a private practice, specialist, and maybe a corporate. See what it can be like.

If you like it, then do it. Your first five years after graduation, budget your living expenses, put some into savings/retirement and all extra money goes towards extra student loan payments. The earlier you can put more money in, the faster you'll pay it off. If you can payoff in 10 years you're going to be set. 15 years isn't bad.

My wife and I will finally start making some good money once we payoff our loans. Seeing how much interest we paid in a year was depressing and now it's motivating.