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Optometry and Biology

I'm in Year 12 at the moment and I'm stuck between doing a biology course or an optometry course at uni. I'm not sure if optometry is what I want to do for the rest of my life but it gives me a good stable career path in the sciences. Whereas I enjoy biology but I don't think I'll have many options with a career path in the sciences other than a biologist or a teacher which I'm not interested in. Also, I am going to be a doing a work experience placement for a week at opticians soon but I just wanted to see if anyone could help or if anyone has gone through the same dilemma even though that's probably unlikely.

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hey i'm in year 12 too and want to go into a clinical career route
Don't do a bio degree the point you stated is absolutely true!

I'm considering optometry (not too sure tho, I need a foundation year), Podiatry, radiography and audiology.
Hii thanks for replying. And yeah I'm leaning more away from biology. What A levels do you take?
Original post by HumbleBee_x
hey i'm in year 12 too and want to go into a clinical career route
Don't do a bio degree the point you stated is absolutely true!

I'm considering optometry (not too sure tho, I need a foundation year), Podiatry, radiography and audiology.
Original post by HumbleBee_x
hey i'm in year 12 too and want to go into a clinical career route
Don't do a bio degree the point you stated is absolutely true!

I'm considering optometry (not too sure tho, I need a foundation year), Podiatry, radiography and audiology.


I did a foundation year and I am going to do Radiography lol
Don't do Optometry if you won't enjoy it. You'll end up dropping out. Although you're right about a career path.
Why don't you go to a stronger university, in terms of graduate prospects?
From there make sure you do the best to guarantee a job.
If you still do not get a job, why don't you do a masters or a PhD and in that sense you'll almost be guaranteed a job
Your welcome:h:
I take Bio, sociology and govt + politics hbu?
how did your AS exams go?
I achieved A*AC, scraping a C in bio :frown: considering that all the unis i'm going to be applying to require a B minimum. Its a shame how I'm dependant on only one subject for my career plans!
should've done psychology :rolleyes:

Original post by FelineGirl123
Hii thanks for replying. And yeah I'm leaning more away from biology. What A levels do you take?
My dads encouraging me to go for radiography over podiatry (which i'm leaning more towards to) since his a pod himself. What uni are you doing it at?
Original post by Beasty990
I did a foundation year and I am going to do Radiography lol
Seeing a lot of folk are interested in Radiography. I’m a student radiographer so if anyone has any questions feel free to ask :smile:
ME!!!

since i'm applying to other courses alongside radiography, how do I tailor my personal statement to sound as though i'm interested in radiography alongside writing about optometry and podiatry etc. Do I just write about healthcare generally? i'm literally stuck, i'm hoping to get my first draft done by September!

What uni do you go to?, also whats the course like? what other fields can you go into with radiography?
Original post by Fermion.
Seeing a lot of folk are interested in Radiography. I’m a student radiographer so if anyone has any questions feel free to ask :smile:
Reply 9
Avatar for epicnm
epicnm
17
Allied health professions like radiography, optometry, OD practicioner, osteopathy, podiatry,paramedic science have more job opportunities. Have you considered a physicians associate, they’re now in a lot more demand
I don’t really know about other universities but my university rejected and weren’t too fond of generic healthcare personal statements. You need to pick one and focus your personal statement on that and you’ll have a better chance of getting in. I don’t know much about podiatry but Optometry (especially if you decide to work at Specsavers etc) is actually very retail and sales orientated. So if you’re looking for something more clinical perhaps Radiography would be your best bet.

With Radiography you need a minimum of 1 years qualified experience before you can branch out into Ultrasound, MRI, or more advanced/reporting consultant positions as well and trauma and A&E. Alternatively, you could choose to specialise with a particular group of patients, such as children or stroke patients.

The course is great, but you need to be good at physics or be willing to learn and take on physics to excel and get a good grade in the course.
Original post by HumbleBee_x
ME!!!

since i'm applying to other courses alongside radiography, how do I tailor my personal statement to sound as though i'm interested in radiography alongside writing about optometry and podiatry etc. Do I just write about healthcare generally? i'm literally stuck, i'm hoping to get my first draft done by September!

What uni do you go to?, also whats the course like? what other fields can you go into with radiography?
Original post by epicnm
Allied health professions like radiography, optometry, OD practicioner, osteopathy, podiatry,paramedic science have more job opportunities. Have you considered a physicians associate, they’re now in a lot more demand


yes i'm considering PA studies after doing an allied health degree! they only offer it at UCLAN and it requires chem so I can't do that.
I took a career quiz on fast tomato and the first two career options for me were radiography and ophthalmology. I didn't realise how much physics there was in radiography tho.
Original post by Fermion.
I don’t really know about other universities but my university rejected and weren’t too fond of generic healthcare personal statements. You need to pick one and focus your personal statement on that and you’ll have a better chance of getting in. I don’t know much about podiatry but Optometry (especially if you decide to work at Specsavers etc) is actually very retail and sales orientated. So if you’re looking for something more clinical perhaps Radiography would be your best bet.

With Radiography you need a minimum of 1 years qualified experience before you can branch out into Ultrasound, MRI, or more advanced/reporting consultant positions as well and trauma and A&E. Alternatively, you could choose to specialise with a particular group of patients, such as children or stroke patients.

The course is great, but you need to be good at physics or be willing to learn and take on physics to excel and get a good grade in the course.
I take maths biology and chemistry, (ik very hard subjects :frown:) My end of year exams went ok i guess. I was really happy with my bio and chem but I wasn't very happy with my maths grade. But wow you did really good. well done!



Original post by HumbleBee_x
Your welcome:h:
I take Bio, sociology and govt + politics hbu?
how did your AS exams go?
I achieved A*AC, scraping a C in bio :frown: considering that all the unis i'm going to be applying to require a B minimum. Its a shame how I'm dependant on only one subject for my career plans!
should've done psychology :rolleyes:
thankyou this is was very helpful! :h:
i'll bear this in mind
I really am struggling because I can't apply to one course because they're all spread out across the UK, I want to stay in London.

Are radiographers valued? is it tiring?, you're always on your feet
Original post by Fermion.
I don’t really know about other universities but my university rejected and weren’t too fond of generic healthcare personal statements. You need to pick one and focus your personal statement on that and you’ll have a better chance of getting in. I don’t know much about podiatry but Optometry (especially if you decide to work at Specsavers etc) is actually very retail and sales orientated. So if you’re looking for something more clinical perhaps Radiography would be your best bet.

With Radiography you need a minimum of 1 years qualified experience before you can branch out into Ultrasound, MRI, or more advanced/reporting consultant positions as well and trauma and A&E. Alternatively, you could choose to specialise with a particular group of patients, such as children or stroke patients.

The course is great, but you need to be good at physics or be willing to learn and take on physics to excel and get a good grade in the course.
Original post by epicnm
Allied health professions like radiography, optometry, OD practicioner, osteopathy, podiatry,paramedic science have more job opportunities. Have you considered a physicians associate, they’re now in a lot more demand


I actually haven't heard of a physicians associate before. What do they do?
do optometry because eyes are cool
I don’t know much about optometry, but I do know quite a bit about biology career prospects. If you wanted to go down the ‘hard’ science route, I’d definitely advice going down the biochemistry/pharmacology route, simply due to the stable career you’d have , not forgetting the salaries. Doing something like biochemistry you could work in a lab for the NHS for example. Or if you like some parts of biology but not the other parts, there are degrees which focus on, for example ‘reproductive biology’, ‘immunology’, ‘infectious diseases’, ‘ecology’ and many more. However most science degrees at good universities do require a B at a level. It al depends on what you want to do.
Original post by FelineGirl123
I'm in Year 12 at the moment and I'm stuck between doing a biology course or an optometry course at uni. I'm not sure if optometry is what I want to do for the rest of my life but it gives me a good stable career path in the sciences. Whereas I enjoy biology but I don't think I'll have many options with a career path in the sciences other than a biologist or a teacher which I'm not interested in. Also, I am going to be a doing a work experience placement for a week at opticians soon but I just wanted to see if anyone could help or if anyone has gone through the same dilemma even though that's probably unlikely.
(edited 4 years ago)
Yeah I mean I’m on my feet anyway because I work in retail (part time job) so I’m constantly on my feet so it didn’t make much difference to me transitioning to long hospital hours. You’ll need to do long 12 hour shifts during your career and you will most definitely be required to do nightshifts here and there. I prefer doing three 12 hour shifts so I get more days off :smile: after a while though you get used to it. But majority of the time you’ll have good working hours.

If you want a 9-5 job I’d prob stick to optometry but it’s pretty sales focused, it’s not as clinical as they’ve made it out to be :s-smilie:

EDIT: If you’re applying for say Radiography, I’d apply to all of the choices even if you want to stay in London. If your application and work experience is good, and you meet your grades then you will get an offer in London.

I did the same for myself. I applied all over in Scotland even though I knew I wanted to stay in Edinburgh. It was good experience.
Original post by HumbleBee_x
thankyou this is was very helpful! :h:
i'll bear this in mind
I really am struggling because I can't apply to one course because they're all spread out across the UK, I want to stay in London.

Are radiographers valued? is it tiring?, you're always on your feet
(edited 4 years ago)
I see :rolleyes:
oh I thought it was only a 9-5 job.

what are the placements like?

Original post by Fermion.
Yeah I mean I’m on my feet anyway because I work in retail (part time job) so I’m constantly on my feet so it didn’t make much difference to me transitioning to long hospital hours. You’ll need to do long 12 hour shifts during your career and you will most definitely be required to do nightshifts here and there. I prefer doing three 12 hour shifts so I get more days off :smile: after a while though you get used to it. But majority of the time you’ll have good working hours.

If you want a 9-5 job I’d prob stick to optometry but it’s pretty sales focused, it’s not as clinical as they’ve made it out to be :s-smilie:

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