Pupillary Pathways

In the last blog post, Advice To My First-Year Self In Optometry School,  I outlined the things I would do differently in optometry school knowing what I know now. Though it’s easy to look back at things I would do differently, I would also like to share the things that I think I did that may help you with your journey as well!

Hindsight is always 20/20 (pun intended). Looking back at my Optometry school experience, there are so many things I would tell my first-year self. 

Whether academically or socially, here are things I would have done differently If I had to go back in time. 

If you don't control your time, your time will control you. This is relevant now more than ever before. Managing your schedule in optometry school can be very challenging. In previous blog posts, I’ve mentioned the importance of time management and keeping a detailed calendar of school, personal, and work activities, but here’s how to take your detailed calendar to the next level!

As a practice owner, the number one question I get asked all the time is, “Do you have any book recommendations that would put me on the path to becoming a practice owner?” 

Though I love to read, there isn’t a book that outlines it all. In fact, I never felt absolutely ready to have my own practice, as I felt like there were a lot of things I had absolutely no idea how to do.

Though there's a lot that I'm learning every day. Being a practice owner isn’t exactly how I imagined it would be, but I still love what I do! Here's what my actual day-to-day as a practice owner looks like.

Have you ever wondered if you’ll be stuck in clinic all day every day after graduation and boards?

You can be if you want to, but there’s always room for more! In this day and age, optometry is dynamic. Many are pursuing Non-clinical jobs as side hustles.

Have you ever thought about what else you can do with an optometry degree? Though there are many options in clinical care, there may be a number of reasons you would like to branch out.  Whether you’re waiting on board exam results and looking for a job, or in limbo for your state license, a job as a Medical Science Liaison may be right for you. 

So what is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) and what do they do?

Optometry school is tough! It consists of four years of jam-packed information that you need to learn in order to succeed as a clinician after graduation. However, there are skills beyond patient care that are crucial if practice ownership is the career path you’re aiming for.

I did not know a single person without some level of anxiety right before NBEO^® Part 1. In fact, the anxiety grew more and more each week, as the exam date got closer. Simply knowing that stakes were so high and the uncertainty around whether you’re doing things right can really create a struggle while studying, especially on the tail end closer to the exam date. However, I did find that so many students were not using this foolproof method of lowering test-taking anxiety.

Now, it’s important to mention that Computer-Based Testing (CBT) has been on the rise within the past few years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with so many different platforms, formats, and time limits, it’s natural to become overwhelmed and anxious about the uncertainty. I found that the best way to boost my confidence was to mimic the testing environment at home while studying. While this sounds like common sense, you’d be surprised how many students were not doing it!

Studying for big exams can be nothing but boring. Especially after a long day, sitting down and trying to retain information can be the toughest thing you have to do. Even though I don’t have many “life hacks” on how to reduce study time, I can tell you how I made my days more interesting when I was studying for boards and other exams.

I would like to begin by saying that I really put in the work with standard study materials, such as lecture notes and textbooks. However, those were not my favorite things to read when I was drained from a long day of studies and lectures. This is probably the toughest part of the board prep journey: learning how to prioritize studying specifics for class vs. reviewing for boards. Though studying for classes and boards go hand-in-hand, it’s easy to argue that they require different methods of studying.

Feeling underprepared while going through Optometry school is only natural. I remember finishing every single course feeling like I still didn’t know enough. With so many things to learn and [what seems like] so little time, you will always have questions. It took me a while to understand and come to terms with the fact that I’ll never really know everything, but I can just do my best.

The worst feeling I had in optometry school was when I felt like I had no time. The best feeling I had in optometry school was knowing that I was prepared. So how do you stay prepared when it seems like you don't have enough time? Start early!