Optometrist

Doctors of optometry are independent primary health care providers who examine, diagnose, treat and manage disease and disorders of the visual system. The U.S. ophthalmic market has continued to increase over the years and is currently the nation’s third largest independent health care profession and ranked as one of the top-10 income-earning professions.

Clemson University prepares students for application to optometry programs. Clemson offers all the prerequisite courses necessary for the successful optometry-program applicant. Optometry schools do not discriminate among the different disciplines from which you may choose, meaning that you can and should choose the curriculum that interests you most and excel. Be sure to accommodate prerequisite courses for your optometry schools of interest. Doctors of optometry receive four years of specialized professional education and clinical trainings at accredited schools or colleges of optometry. Currently, there are 22 schools and colleges of optometry — 21 are in the continental U.S.; one is in Puerto Rico.

What is competitive

Admissions criteria vary by institution and should be verified individually. Most students (more than 80%) admitted to optometry programs have bachelor’s degrees or three years or more undergraduate education. Applicants who do not have a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts degree should be making progress towards such degrees.

In addition to the course prerequisites, students interested in applying to optometry programs are required to take the Optometry Admissions Test which is available year-round. The OAT comprises four individual tests:

• Survey of the natural sciences.
• Reading comprehension test.
• Physics test.
• Quantitative reasoning test.

It is recommended that at least one year of collegiate education, including courses in biology, general and organic chemistry, and physics, be completed before taking the OAT. OAT scores range from 200-400.

Core Preparation Courses

Requirements vary by institution and should be verified. Students planning to pursue a degree in optometry should expect to take the following courses:

• Biology: BIOL 1030 and BIOL 1050, and BIOL 1040 and BIOL 1060 or BIOL 1100 and BIOL 1110.
• Chemistry: CH 1010 and CH 1020.
• Organic Chemistry: CH 2230 and CH 2270, and CH 2240 and CH 2280.
• Biochemistry: BCHM 3010 or BCHM 3050.
• Physics: PHYS 1220 and PHYS 1240 and PHYS 2210 and PHYS 2230; or PHYS 2070 and PHYS 2090 and PHYS 2080 and PHYS 2100.
• Anatomy and Physiology: BIOL 2220 and BIOL 2230, or BIOL 3150 and BIOL 3160.
• Microbiology: MICR 3050.
• Calculus: MATH 1020 or MATH 1060.
• Statistics: STAT 2300.
• Humanities and social sciences: Six credit hours/other highly recommended courses.