If you are considering optometry as a potential career choice, one of the best ways to get a deeper understanding of optometry and the profession is to shadow an optometrist. Directly seeing what an optometrist does on a daily basis can be an extremely valuable experience. For me personally, shadowing a couple optometrists helped confirm that optometry was the right choice for me. With winter break approaching for many people, here are some tips to on how to go about shadowing an optometrist and making the most of winter break.
1) Call your optometrist!
If you have a family optometrist you have been going to for years, give them a call. Introduce yourself and let the receptionist know you are thinking of going to optometry school and would like to speak with the doctor about coming to shadow them. It is likely the office staff will take a message and forward it on to the doctor who will get back to you. If you don’t hear back in 2-3 days, give the office another call. Avoid emailing the office – a phone call is still more professional and shows you are committed.
If you do not personally know an optometrist in your area, ask family and friends about who they see. You can even mention the relative or friend who mentioned the office when you call. Another option is to simply do a google search for optometrists in your area and locate an office or two. Most optometrists love talking about their work and will have no issue letting you come shadow even if they do not know you so just find a local optometrist and give them a call!
2) Schedule a day to shadow with the doctor.
Once you get ahold of the optometrist, be mindful they are busy people. Have a couple dates in mind that you are available and would like to come in and shadow. This helps the doctor quickly look at the schedule on those days and tell you if any of those dates work. Another option to consider is if you want to shadow a full day or a half day. Usually half day versus whole day makes little impact to the doctor and it is your preference. Shadowing for the whole day can be a great way to see everything, from open to close.
3) Ask questions!
Most optometrists are great at talking about their work but also have some questions prepared. This is your opportunity to pick the brain of someone who has been through school and can provide an insiders perspective about the profession. Center your questions about what you want to know about if that’s work life balance, getting into school, challenges of the job, etcetera. The doctor has graciously allowed you to come see what they do and understands you will likely have questions so here’s your chance to ask them!
Professional tip: take a notebook with your prepared questions and a place to jot down notes for your experience throughout the day. It looks good and allows you to remember answers and details for later reference for things like application essays.
4) Shadow more than just the optometrist.
Obviously you’re interested in becoming the doctor but seeing what the staff does can be equally important, especially if you’ve never worked in an office before. The staff can be great to learn from to figure out how an office flows. Just observing and asking questions can give you a great understanding of the profession. Besides, if you’re shadowing for a whole day, might as well see the entire operation.
5) Be respectful and thankful.
Be respectful of the time the doctor has willingly given you to come in and observe. Optometry offices are often busy so if something comes up, let the doctor or staff deal with that first without getting in the way. Feel free to ask questions about it later but recognize the doctor and staff still have a job to do. After shadowing be thankful, send a thank you card to the office or some other form of appreciation. A quick note can go a long way, especially as you will likely need a letter of recommendation from an optometrist for your school application.
Another general tip about shadowing if you’re really interesting in optometry is to shadow multiple modes of practice. Shadow a private practice doctor, a doctor that works for a company such as Walmart of LensCrafters, or an optometrist who practices with ophthalmologists. The more types of practice you see, the better understanding of the profession you will get.
Now go make that phone call and enjoy shadowing!