OAT
Poll: How SCCO’s Incoming Students Prepared to Take the OAT
Judging from the number of hits on blog topics related to OAT preparation, it’s a popular topic right now. I thought this information might be helpful: how SCCO’s incoming class (last season) prepared for taking the OAT.
Here are Polled results from SCCO’s incoming class for Fall 2013: OAT Preparation Questionnaire Responses
As per the information summarized near at the end of this PDF, many students had to take the OAT at least twice. Be advised when planning a timeline strategy for taking the OAT: make sure you include a plan to repeat the OAT—if necessary—and still not be too late for rolling admissions.
SCCO uses rolling admissions: the admissions cycle runs from July 1 to March 15. Interviews begin the 1st week in October. As applicants interview successfully, seats in the incoming class are gradually start filling. Because there is a 90 day mandatory wait time to retake the OAT, ideally an applicant would take the OAT the first time no later than September 15th. This would provide plenty of leeway should he or she need to retake it and STILL not be too late to be competitive in a rolling admissions cycle. If one takes the OAT later in the admissions cycle (later than December 1st) and needs to retake it, the 90 day wait would make an application late—not ideal for rolling admissions.
For more information about rolling admissions, visit the FAQs page, where in the first group of FAQs, you will find the FAQ titled “Rolling Admissions Explained.”
Any questions about the process or for the to request the FAQ “Timeline Strategy for Taking the OAT,” or “Rolling Admissions,” email your request to me at odadmissions@ketchum.edu
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Categories: OAT
Tagged as: Applying, getting into optometry school, OAT, OAT preparation, optometry, optometry admissions, optometry school, optometry school admissions, repeating OAT, retaking OAT, rolling admissions, scco., studying for OAT
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!
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