After my first year of optometry school I was given the opportunity to serve as a Student Ambassador for Southern College of Optometry. Since that time I have met many prospective students that have come to the college for their interviews and tours of the school and without fail, I have been asked every time, “How did you choose which optometry school to attend?” First of all let me say it is not an easy decision and I do not envy those that are in the middle of this arduous process. There are quite a few things that you have to take into account when deciding where to live for the next 4 years of your life. In this post I hope to be able to give a few pointers on how I made my decision to attend my school.
These three questions helped me make my final decision on which school I should attend.
How much am I willing to pay?
- Can I get a scholarship?
- Will I get state residency?
- Is the education offered worth the price?
Will this school help me achieve my goals?
- Do I want to do research?
- Do I want to develop new technologies or devices?
- Do I want to be a great clinician?
What will be my clinical experience at this school?
- What is the school’s clinical patient base like?
- Will I get the exposure I need to become the doctor I want to be?
- Is the school’s eye clinic a place of learning?
There is one more thing that cannot be overlooked when deciding which optometry school is the one for you – THE FEELING! Some people call it the Gut Feeling, others call it The Feeling in Your Bones, I call it THE FEELING and it hasn’t led me astray yet. So, when you go to the many wonderful schools of optometry ask yourself the above questions, but also try and remember how the different schools make you feel and choose from there. I hope that this post has helped you make one of the biggest decisions in your life. I know you’ll make the best decision for you! Good luck!
Ross Chatwin
Student Ambassador Class of 2014
Southern College of Optometry
rossjchatwin.com
