Health & Wellness

How to Survive in Optometry School

By Kirsten Ellis 08.09.22

Vaishnavi Narain, IAUPR, Class of 2024

One of the biggest challenges optometry students face is finding the time to relax and unwind. Tackling exams every week, attending lectures all day, and squeezing in as much clinic practice as we can leaves little room for much needed R&R.
Just like the developmental stages in life, the first year is the most critical. After starting my first year of optometry school, I quickly realized that there was a huge learning curve between undergrad and a doctorate program. It’s easy to get overwhelmed during the first year—the magnitude of the information you must understand is no joke! The first semester was a challenge for me because I thought I needed to spend every waking hour of my day studying or reviewing notes from the previous class. Finding time to exercise or even take a break to stretch was a seemingly impossible task at the time. Rather than feeling accomplished at the end of a long day of studying, I felt exhausted and burnt out.
Thankfully, with the support and encouragement of a friend, I began giving myself breaks between studying to take short evening walks. After just a quick 30-minute walk, I felt more energized and motivated. Adopting exercise into my daily routine drastically changed my attitude about how to succeed in optometry school. To be able to handle the rigor of an intense graduate program, you need to be able to nourish your body’s needs with exercise and good nutrition. Even replacing your third or fourth cup of coffee with water is a healthy place to start! Making conscious health decisions, no matter how small, can do wonders for your ability to succeed as a student.
Part of our journey as optometry students is learning how to balance our hectic academic lives with healthy lifestyle choices. Even though it seems like 24 hours are not enough to accomplish whatever we need to, making healthy decisions boils down to prioritization and time management. If I take a 30-minute walk before I sit down to study, will I feel better? For me, the answer was a definitive yes. On days when I can afford to break a heavier sweat, I find that I’m even more alert and motivated to work through my endless to-do list of school and non- academic-related tasks. Allowing myself to take breaks and get fresh air has done wonders for my mental health as a student. By making exercise a priority, I am a happier person overall.
Now, the question is: what healthy choices will you make?

Health & Wellness

Staying healthy (and sane) in optometry school

By Gabrielle Magee 04.06.22

Optometry school can have a huge impact on both physical and mental health. For most of us, this is the most daunting academic task we have ever taken on and our past experiences may not have prepared us for the intensity of courses, exams and labs. Personally, the beginning of my optometric career was quite overwhelming, and I found myself wondering if I had gotten in over my head.  However, I was able to eventually figure out a system that worked well for me. Once I completed my first semester, I haven’t looked back. As I approach the halfway point of my schooling, I would like to share a few strategies and tips that have helped me stay active and in a good mental state, most effectively use my day, and minimize the inevitable stress that comes with such a rigorous program. 

Setting a schedule:

Whether it’s waking up early, or 30 minutes before lecture, create a consistent schedule making sure to include times for meals, study breaks and a decent bedtime. As someone who likes a detailed schedule, I like to plan my week on Sunday evenings of how I will budget my time outside of lecture. I also make time for something that interests me, such as going to the gym or watching an episode or two on Netflix before bed.  Including scheduled breaks and hobbies helps me relax between studying and come back focused and ready to press on.

Eating healthy:

As future health care practitioners, we all know the importance of having a well-balanced diet to help us function to the best of our ability. Eating healthy, or even remembering to eat at all, can be especially difficult with the seemingly never-ending cycle of midterms and proficiencies. I suggest meal prepping the night before a busy day, or even a few days in advance when possible. I am always less inclined to order fast food when I have a fridge full of leftovers. This can also turn in to a group meal prep/study session to maximize time. Eating healthy also goes hand in hand with drinking water, so I always bring a reusable water bottle with me to campus.

Staying active:

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in optometry school is the amount of time spent in front of a screen studying. Between classes and studying, you should expect to spend at least 10 to 12 hours a day doing schoolwork. The intense workload can make it difficult to do much else. That being said, finding time for physical activity will be beneficial for physical and mental health. Some of my classmates and I get together a few weekends of every semester to play basketball at a local gym to de-stress after a tough week of exams. Even small things, such as going on a walk between classes or reviewing notes on a treadmill, can be great for breaking up the monotony of constant studying.

Develop a support system:

Mental health is just as important as physical health and getting to know your classmates better will help you realize everyone is dealing with their own stress and anxiety. Having someone to talk to and provide reassurance and a new perspective when dealing with a difficult class, or just life in general, is just as important. This has been especially true for me during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was taking classes remotely. Without the friends I made at school, I would have had no one to help me review material for exams, or vent about a difficult course or professor. I would have had no one who understood the hardships we face on a daily basis as students in such a challenging field. Having a network of like-minded people to talk to was crucial for my mental health and allowed me to get to where I am today.

Getting situated into optometry school can be very challenging and finding out what works for you is crucial for good academic performance. The sacrifices and hard work you endure now will pay off exponentially in the future. By following these tips now, you can get the most out of your day and set yourself up for success in optometry school.

Student Experience / Health & Wellness

Why I took a gap year and what I did to remain a competitive applicant for optometry school

By Kirsten Ellis 03.24.22

Taking a gap year was the best decision I’ve made during my application process. Instead of rushing to fit a certain timeline, I decided to take a mental break from school and spend more time expanding my patient care experience. This extra time before optometry school helped me become a better prepared and more confident applicant when completing my applications.

Before graduating college, I knew I wanted to spend my gap year before optometry school exploring different practice modalities. The idea of working in an OD/MD group practice has always intrigued me and I was lucky enough to find a job opportunity working as a medical scribe for an ophthalmology/optometry practice located in my hometown. I’ve had prior experience working in patient care, but this job expanded my knowledge of the optometry profession completely beyond an annual eye exam. I was exposed to a range of specialties in optometry such as pediatrics, low vision, ocular disease management and myopia control. The doctors of optometry and ophthalmologists worked closely as a team to handle many post- operative appointments for cataract and pterygium surgery follow-ups. This was a side of optometry I didn’t even know existed! As time progressed, I became more comfortable interacting with patients coming from different age groups and cultures. I even got to assist with in-clinic procedures, such as punctal plug insertions, laser peripheral iridotomies and medical Botox® appointments! This would not have been possible for me if I didn’t decide to take a break from academics.

Prior to this year, I was certain optometry was the right profession for me. After taking a gap year to explore my specific interests, I have a clearer vision of what kind of optometrist I strive to be. Completing applications, finishing prerequisites and taking the OAT exam is an understandably stressful timeline to meet. Optometry school will have many challenges, both mentally and physically, so ensuring that you’re in the right mental state to prepare for its challenges is crucial. A gap year can be a wonderful opportunity to further your experience, maturity and character development, and I recommend it for every pre- optometry student!

Health & Wellness

Staying healthy (and sane) in optometry school

By Kirsten Ellis 03.24.22

Optometry school can have a huge impact on both physical and mental health. For most of us, this is the most daunting academic task we have ever taken on and our past experiences may not have prepared us for the intensity of courses, exams and labs. Personally, the beginning of my optometric career was quite overwhelming, and I found myself wondering if I had gotten in over my head.  However, I was able to eventually figure out a system that worked well for me. Once I completed my first semester, I haven’t looked back. As I approach the halfway point of my schooling, I would like to share a few strategies and tips that have helped me stay active and in a good mental state, most effectively use my day, and minimize the inevitable stress that comes with such a rigorous program.

Setting a schedule:

Whether it’s waking up early, or 30 minutes before lecture, create a consistent schedule making sure to include times for meals, study breaks and a decent bedtime. As someone who likes a detailed schedule, I like to plan my week on Sunday evenings of how I will budget my time outside of lecture. I also make time for something that interests me, such as going to the gym or watching an episode or two on Netflix before bed.  Including scheduled breaks and hobbies helps me relax between studying and come back focused and ready to press on.

Eating healthy:

As future health care practitioners, we all know the importance of having a well-balanced diet to help us function to the best of our ability. Eating healthy, or even remembering to eat at all, can be especially difficult with the seemingly never-ending cycle of midterms and proficiencies. I suggest meal prepping the night before a busy day, or even a few days in advance when possible. I am always less inclined to order fast food when I have a fridge full of leftovers. This can also turn in to a group meal prep/study session to maximize time. Eating healthy also goes hand in hand with drinking water, so I always bring a reusable water bottle with me to campus.

Staying active:

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in optometry school is the amount of time spent in front of a screen studying. Between classes and studying, you should expect to spend at least 10 to 12 hours a day doing schoolwork. The intense workload can make it difficult to do much else. That being said, finding time for physical activity will be beneficial for physical and mental health. Some of my classmates and I get together a few weekends of every semester to play basketball at a local gym to de-stress after a tough week of exams. Even small things, such as going on a walk between classes or reviewing notes on a treadmill, can be great for breaking up the monotony of constant studying.

Develop a support system:

Mental health is just as important as physical health and getting to know your classmates better will help you realize everyone is dealing with their own stress and anxiety. Having someone to talk to and provide reassurance and a new perspective when dealing with a difficult class, or just life in general, is just as important. This has been especially true for me during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was taking classes remotely. Without the friends I made at school, I would have had no one to help me review material for exams, or vent about a difficult course or professor. I would have had no one who understood the hardships we face on a daily basis as students in such a challenging field. Having a network of like-minded people to talk to was crucial for my mental health and allowed me to get to where I am today.

Getting situated into optometry school can be very challenging and finding out what works for you is crucial for good academic performance. The sacrifices and hard work you endure now will pay off exponentially in the future. By following these tips now, you can get the most out of your day and set yourself up for success in optometry school.