OAT
Physics Preparation for the OAT
This is a discussion taken from SCCO’s Facebook Group for Pre-optometry Students:
Question: I was wondering, when you said “You’ll need to memorize and understand the physics equations on the OAT outline” for the physics portion of the OAT, what outline are you referring to? I am kind of struggling with my physics preparation going into the OAT and I’m curious where I can find some of the more important equations, etc. Thanks again!
Answer: I was overwhelmed at first when I started to prepare for the physics portion of the OAT, but luckily I was able discover MCAT Physics Book by Garrett Biehle. He does a great job of explaining difficult concepts and provided excellent explanations for the logic behind each physics formula. His book contains hundreds of practice problems…just focus on the stand-alone problems at the end of each chapter, which will gauge your understanding of each topic. After completing the problems in this text, you really don’t have to memorize the formulas anymore because you will understand how, why, and when to use each formula! The physics problems are conceptually based requiring short calculations, which is what the real OAT physics test focuses on. Don’t worry about doing long, length physics calculations…you won’t see them on the real OAT. In my opinion, it’s the best OAT Physics Prep book out there.
I also used an old copy of Kaplan’s MCAT Comprehensive Review (2000) as a reference text. You can probably get an old copy on amazon.com. It does an excellent job of condensing each physics topic with its equation…but to get a better explanation and practice, I would use Biehle’s text. I used the physics outline provided by opted.org, which is similar to topics and concepts presented in the Kaplan
book to make sure I understood the topics to be tested. To effectively study physics, you have to do many practice problems and fully understand when and why to apply the formula for each situation.
On the actual OAT, I had time to spare on the physics portion of the test and still achieved a respectable score…I really disagree that the physics portion is the most difficult section of the test…you just have to be adequately prepared. I hope this clarifies some of your questions. I’m glad you’re finding this information helpful. When you get a chance, please participate in this forum by sharing some of your shadowing experiences, so that others can benefit from your perspective on optometry. Good luck!
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Published by Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO
I wanted to be an optometrist when I was only 10 years old. Why? I had some kind of geeky fascination with eyeglass frames, and was obsessed with getting a pair of my own. In my situation, having perfect eyesight was a distinct disadvantage, so I had to hatch a plan.
After repeated intense squinting while looking at the blackboard, I approached my teacher and lied with conviction, complaining that I couldn’t see. This report got me first to the school nurse and then finally on to an optometrist for an eye exam, where I tried my best Mr. Magoo impression to no avail.
I would have to wait two more long years until the gods finally smiled on me when, by some miracle, I acquired enough astigmatism to warrant my first bona fide pair of prescription eyeglasses!
Along with my love of people and wanting to take care of them, subsequent visits to the optometrist and shadowing, I sealed the deal—optometry was now officially what I wanted to do with my life.
I made first contact with the Southern California College of Optometry when I was in 8th grade. My older sister had a newly minted driver’s license and so I coerced her into driving me all the way from our home in La Mirada to Los Angeles, SCCO’s then-home. After a master planning effort to plot out our route on a paper map folded in 8 places, we arrived at SCCO where my sister quickly surmised that I didn’t have an appointment with an admissions advisor. She called me a loser, drove me all the way back home and the next day, phoned to help make the requisite appointment.
I entered high school in the late 1960’s (ouch, that hurt) when young females wanted to be anything but what I’d chosen as my newly dedicated pursuit—a science geek. I wore thick horn-rimmed black eyeglass frames (told you I was serious) and hung around chemistry lab after class. This was at a time when women just did not pursue careers in science and being the tomboy that I was, that was fine with me. This trend continued right through into undergrad, attending many classes where I was the only female--bespectacled or not--in the class. At a recent high school reunion, many of my classmates still remember me as the science geek with the blinders on—many envious of my joy and passion for my future profession.
I graduated from SCCO in 1977. Looking back with 40 years of experience as an optometrist, I am awed to know that I chose this wonderful profession way-back-when and with only my juvenile perspective to inform me. In 1977 when I graduated from optometry school, the profession began a series of major changes to its practice scope: securing the rights to use diagnostic drugs (dilating drops), securing the rights to prescribe therapeutic drugs (huge change!), being recognized as physicians by the federal government and treating glaucoma. In some US states, optometry has made even bigger strides into minor surgery, use of lasers, hospital privileges...etc. If I had the opportunity to go back and make another choice and knowing what I do today about health care and my own hardwiring, I’d make the same choice for optometry--nobody loves this profession more than I do. http://www.ketchum.edu/index.php/about/administration-directory
I grew up with optometry and now it’s your turn to inherit its future. That’s what this blog is about—getting you into optometry school and I am just the person to help you achieve this goal. We’re going to talk about the admissions process, how to prepare to take the OAT, how to be a competitive applicant, how to prepare to interview, to name a few. We’re going to talk about SCCO, student life and what it’s like to be an optometric intern. I am very persuasive, motivating and I am completely sold on optometry as the best profession in health care. I speak from experience!
Get ready to dialogue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and please, chime in on discussions. I want to know what kind of help you need. You got this!
View all posts by Jane Ann Munroe, OD, Assistant Dean of Admissions, SCCO