I'm a first year Optometry student, ask me anything! :)

Why eyes?

I know that there's barely any advice or resources for students who are thinking of applying for Optometry (there isn't even an optom section on TSR), so I thought that I'd create this forum. I'll try my best to help you out

how to write a personal statement for optometry?

For mine, I wrote about why I wanted to do Optometry in the first paragraph and how I came to that decision.

The main, middle section should be focusing on any work experience/volunteering you've done. If you've had work experience at an optician's, then that's amazing- talk about anything you learned about the role of an Optometrist and the skills they need. You could also mention how they communicated with their patient, the equipment you saw being used, how the staff worked well under pressure etc (this shows that you have a good knowledge of what working in Optometry is like)

If you haven't had optometry related work experience, then that's okay (especially with the covid situation right now). When I applied it wasn't compulsory to have work experience like medicine/dentistry. You should always mention skills you've gained from other experiences e.g. volunteering, part-time jobs, NCS, DofE, leadership roles in school. A few examples of transferrable skills to Optometry are: communication, logical thinking, accuracy, empathy, problem-solving, organisational. These skills can also come from your A-Levels.

You should also show that you're genuinely interested in the course. Talk about any books/articles/magazines you've read. The New Scientist website has loads of articles about the eye if you're struggling to find resources. Or talk about your interest in a specific subject related to Optom like physics or biology.

The last paragraph should be brief and include your hobbies/interests/awards, anything that makes you stand out

Hope this helps, good luck with your application!

Did you have to do interviews? How did you find them?

I know that there's barely any advice or resources for students who are thinking of applying for Optometry (there isn't even an optom section on TSR), so I thought that I'd create this forum. I'll try my best to help you out

Thank you so much. I am going to be applying for university this year because I am in year 13. I am worried because I got predicted BCC for my as level which is unfair because I couldn't actually take the exams. I want to apply to city university for optometry. Do u think I have a chance. Btw do I have to apply for the introduction to optometry course before I can apply for the BSc honours optometry course because in the entry requirements sections it says that a bachelor's degree is required. I am really confused. Which university did u go to?

Hi,
I am picking my A level subjects this year. Which subjects would you advise if you would like to study optometry in university?

How would you link studying biology and chemistry at a level in your personal statement?

Aw I'm so sorry that happened I think that the universities understand that your predicted grades aren't always accurate (especially this year) and that most people will achieve different results. You should have a chance, I know people who had really low predicted grades and got an interview!

I'm presuming you mean the entry requirements for city university? I think it's saying you need one of these bullet points:

-'A' Level: ABB (including two from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics).
-Tariff: 128 UCAS tariff points. Read more about the new UCAS tariff from September 2017.
-Bachelor Degrees: Upper second class Honours degree in other science or medically related degree
-IB: 31 points (including 6 in two Higher Level sciences and 5 in Standard Level English and Mathematics)

I'm guessing you're doing A-levels so only the first bullet point applies to you.

Hope my answer helps clear things up and I'll PM you the uni I go to

Thank you so much. This really means a lot to me. I wish there were more helpful and kind people like you in this world because it makes me soooo happy. Thanks again

I think that most universities ask for 2 A-Levels from the following: Biology, Maths, Chemistry, Physics. I'd highly recommend Biology (it will make your first term so much easier as a lot of it is A-level content). Physics and Maths would be really useful too!

Good luck

Hi thanks so much for the reply! How would I link the immune system to optometry and my interest in it as I am struggling with this.