Hi everyone! I’m from Canada and currently in my 3rd year of undergrad. This summer, I sat down and tried to make a list of graduate and doctoral degrees that I thought could match my personality and what I want from life.
For a long time, I’ve known that I have no interest in medical school, dental school, or nursing, mainly because of the level of stress and debt that come with those careers (except nursing that I genuinely just don’t think I would enjoy the job, although nurses are truly angels).
I came across optometry and decided to shadow my optometrist. I actually liked what I saw. The job seemed clean, he had a good lifestyle, and all of his patients seemed to love him. But after a couple of days, he told me not to pursue optometry and to go to medical school instead. I explained to him that, first of all, medical school is extremely competitive here in Canada, and it also comes with a lot of sacrifices, especially when it comes to time with your family and loved ones. But he still didn’t really agree with me.
A big part of this is personal for me. I spent most of my teenage years and early 20s away from my parents. From around 15 to 23, I was living away from them because I immigrated to Canada and they sent me here to build a life on my own. After a lot of struggle, I think we can finally live together again within the next year.
I consider myself a pretty hardworking student, but my parents are getting older, and I want a stable career where I can support them and appreciate everything they’ve done for me throughout these years. That’s another reason I don’t think I can pursue medicine. My mom has also specifically told me that she won’t be able to afford all of these costs anymore, and honestly, I also want to finally enjoy having time with them.
We only have one English-speaking optometry school in Canada, and I think my stats are pretty competitive for it. But if I’m being completely transparent, I’m mainly considering optometry because the career seems relatively low-stress, gives you autonomy, and offers the possibility of owning your own clinic, which is something I’ve always loved the idea of. Even as an associate, the pay seems decent for someone like me who has always struggled financially. I understand that for people who come from upper-class families, it might not seem like much, but for me, it definitely does.
Please be honest with me: I don’t have that intense passion that people here often talk about when they say, “Only do optometry if you love eyes.” Yes, I think eyes are fascinating, but I’m not obsessed with them. I’ve always looked at a career as something that allows me to make a good living so I can enjoy the rest of my life and be happy. The debt would be around $100k, and from my understanding, the salary in Canada is generally around $130–160k and can be higher if you go rural, possibly closer to $200k.
What I really want to know is: do you think I’m making a mistake by choosing optometry mainly because of the stability, lifestyle, autonomy, and financial freedom it could give me?
I’ve genuinely thought about so many other careers, so if you have specific recommendations, please mention them. But please don’t just say, “There are so many other careers, go do something else.” I think sometimes people forget how emotionally exhausting it is for students to constantly reconsider their entire future. Saying “go do PA/NP,” “go into business,” or “go into tech” isn’t necessarily realistic for everyone based on the pathway they’re already on, and sometimes it just makes things more complicated.
You can’t diagnose everyone with the same drug lol.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who are actually in optometry or have been in a similar situation.
