Amy
Optometry School vs. Medical School: Is optometry school less selective and rigorous as medical school?
I don't know much about optometry school. #medicine #graduate-school #optometry
4 answers
James Constantine Frangos
James Constantine’s Answer
Optometry School vs. Medical School: Is optometry school less selective and rigorous as medical school?
When comparing optometry school to medical school, it is essential to understand that both paths have their own unique set of challenges and requirements. While both optometry and medical schools are graduate-level programs that lead to professional degrees, there are significant differences in terms of selectivity, curriculum, and career outcomes.
Selectivity: Medical schools are generally more selective than optometry schools in terms of acceptance rates. Medical school admissions are highly competitive, with a lower acceptance rate compared to optometry schools. This is primarily due to the larger pool of applicants for medical programs and the limited number of seats available in medical schools. Medical school applicants often need higher GPAs, MCAT scores, clinical experience, research background, and extracurricular activities to be considered competitive candidates.
On the other hand, optometry schools tend to have higher acceptance rates and may be perceived as less selective compared to medical schools. However, this does not diminish the academic rigor or quality of education in optometry programs. Optometry schools also require strong academic performance, OAT scores (Optometry Admission Test), letters of recommendation, and relevant experience for admission.
Curriculum and Rigor: Medical school curriculum is focused on training students to become physicians who diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions. The coursework is extensive and covers basic sciences, clinical rotations, patient care experiences, and specialized training in various medical specialties. Medical students undergo rigorous training that prepares them for the demanding nature of healthcare practice.
Optometry school curriculum emphasizes vision care and eye health. Students learn about the anatomy of… (stopped)
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Cindy Cesar
Cindy’s Answer
Yes. In the sense that in order to become an optometrist you don't need to complete a residency. So you are truly done in 4 years.
But optometry school is not easy, it's just more focused on the eyes and the parts of the body that relates to the eyes. Medical school is a lot more information since they deal with the whole body.
Some key differences is the malpractice insurance and cost/length of schooling.
Medical doctors make more money, but also have to pay more in malpractice insurance after they graduate, the schooling including the residency is much longer and therefore there is additional cost for schooling.
Optometrists malpractice insurance is significantly lower, and there is much less schooling/tuition involved. I would say it is less competitive to get into optometry school than medical school.
sreejith Nair
sreejith’s Answer
optometry over medical school so you would have more time for family and travel, because if medicine, you would have likely chose a field like pediatrics that can be somewhat limiting for these activities. I'm sure there are other optometry students in this forum who can help you with their own reasoning for entering optometry.
Jared Cox
Jared’s Answer
As there are far more medical schools than optometry schools, I would tend to think the opposite is true. However, each school is a bit different in what they are looking for. In my experience, optometry schools are well aware that eye care is a tight knit community and focus on whether or not the applicant seems like the type of person we would all be glad to call colleague (think character, integrity, caring, community involvement, etc).
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