Interview Questions

1. How did you prepare for the OAT? When did you start this preparation and what resources did you use that you would recommend for upcoming students?

I prepared for the OAT by taking the Kaplan online course that is offered for the OAT. I took about 2 months last summer to prepare for the test, and I felt very well prepared for the test with that time and Kaplan being my primary resource.

2. What was the most difficult class that you took during your 4 years at Ohio State? What is one helpful tip for an incoming student in that class?

I think the most difficult class that I took was Organic Chemistry 2. I realized that I didn’t need it for many optometry schools, and mentally it was hard for me to justify doing well in it, and also the material was difficult for me to understand. A helpful tip is to go in to talk to the professor as soon as you start to struggle with a concept.

3. What kind of extracurricular activities do you think Optometry schools look for most / are most appealing to them?

I think optometry schools really value volunteer work. Much of the field is dedicated to expanding eye care into low income areas, and many optometry schools do vision screenings for the communities around them, so helping others is very important in their considerations. It is also important to show a variety of extracurricular activities to show your interests, and make you a well-rounded person.

4. What types of shadowing / work in the field of optometry did you do prior to applying to Optometry schools? How much do you think is necessary to be a competitive applicant?

I shadowed with my dad in his practice, and then with Dr. Melnyk in a hospital setting. I think shadowing is important, however I got much more out of being a technician than shadowing because there is much more that you can do, and you get hands on work in the field whereas shadowing you just observe. I truly felt that it was my experience as a technician that gave me a competitive edge in the application process because I was able to have full and rich conversations with my interviewers, as well as have a lot of depth to my essays that I wrote.

5. Do you feel that research is something that is needed on an Optometry school application? If you did research, explain your experience.

I did not feel research was very important to my application. I never had an interest in it, and I preferred more patient care experience than research.

6. How many Optometry schools do you recommend applying to? How many did you apply to?

I would say 5 is a good number. I applied to 6, but in retrospect I could have applied to 3 or 4 and been fine. I have talked with other optometry students, and 5 seems to be the common number of schools to apply to.

7. Who do you recommend to ask for recommendation letters? How many letters did you ask for and from who?

I would recommend that you should get letters from any teachers either in a science field such as chemistry or physics, or even neuroscience. You should also get letters from anyone that you have worked with personally and know well. I asked for 3 letters, one from a previous employer at an ophthalmology clinic, one from an optometrist that I teched for, and another from my physics professor that I spent a lot of time with.

8. Explain the interview process at various schools and how you prepared for them.

The interview process generally started with slide shows from staff about the school, then interviews with one of the professors, and then a tour of the facilities once all of the applicants have finished their interviews. I prepared for them by going on the Student Doctor Network, and going to the review of the school for interviews, and looking at the sampling of questions there. I also practiced with my Neuroscience advisor once.

9. What brought about your passion for optometry school and what drives you to work hard every day to obtain that goal?

I believe that everyone should have the ability to see, and to be able to improve someone’s quality of life is remarkable, and something that is worth striving for every day. I found my passion for optometry when I became fascinated with how the eye works. When you think of muscles, you think of skeletal muscles that you move voluntarily, but I’m fascinated with the muscles of the eye and all that it does without you even knowing or feeling it work or change.

10. What is one piece of advice that you would give to a freshman pursuing a career in the health field, specifically optometry?

I would say it is important to keep track of the things that will matter to you. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in your grades, or your friends, or your social life, and you’ll ask yourself why you are making yourself suffer through organic chemistry, and you just have to be honest with yourself that one day you will be changing peoples’ lives and literally changing the world that they live in.

“S” – Service Engagement

With help from many organizations on campus, I have been able to give back in the city of Columbus and our university several times this semester. It warms my heart to think about all the various groups that I had been able to provide my time too and how grateful they were when my fellow classmates and I offered them our skills.

Last semester, I went on a day of service called Community Commitment. This occurred during one of the first weeks I was at Ohio State and it gave me my first taste of what the Ohio State University community was all about. Myself and about 1,000 other students went to various locations in Columbus and volunteered our time. My group specifically went to a community garden just a few blocks away from campus. I was able to learn a little bit about the area of Columbus and help to clean up the garden. It was a community garden that all of the neighbors could use when they were in need of food. Being outdoors and immersed in the community itself, we were able to clean up and plant some new crops very efficiently and we were even able to meet a few of the people that use the garden regularly. It was great to be able to talk to the people that you are giving back to and feel like you are making a difference in their lives.

Other small service opportunities that I was a part of were through two small groups that I am a part of on campus. We meet up in the union two times this year and spent a few hours making cards and little trivia books for children in Nationwide hospital. Knowing I was helping make a child smile was another rewarding experience. By far, my favorite service project that I was a part of was called The Pack Shack. This organization makes healthy meals for families experiencing food insecurity. For 2 hours, my sorority sisters and I packed 15,000 meals and had a good time doing it. As music played and people danced, we helped save people in our local area from food insecurity. Another one of my favorite trips was to the Ronald McDonald House. My friends and I baked cookies for the sick children and their families. I loved seeing the smiles on the children’s faces as they ate the delicious cookies.

Service opportunities are available all over the Ohio State campus. Most of the activities that I have been a part of have been so rewarding and are always a lot of fun when with friends. I love being able to give back to this community of Columbus that offers the students of Ohio State so much. Doing these service projects have helped me to realize even more so why I want to become a doctor. I want to be able to help people in large ways. This small hint of aid and helped me realize that dream even more.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]