Late 30s, 12 years clinical optometry experience + MSc Biology + university teaching - wondering about OAT validity and realistic chances for U.S. schools
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some honest perspective on my situation from people who’ve gone through optometry admissions or are currently in or completed the program.
I’m in my late 30s and have been working in clinical optometry for about 12 years total, under two different optometrists in two different clinical settings. Alongside that, I’ve also spent around 7 years teaching various biology courses part-time at the university level. During this time, I’ve stayed very interested in optometry, and have always felt this is the career I should have pursued earlier.
Academically, I have an Honours BSc and a Master’s in Biology. I’ve also done 7+ years of university-level biology teaching, so I’m comfortable explaining concepts and helping others understand material in an academic setting. That said, I wouldn’t describe myself as a strong traditional test-taker — I’ve always been better at applying concepts and understanding how things work rather than memorizing large amounts of information under pressure - a fear which has always deterred me from applying.
I’ve written the OAT and my scores are mostly in the 300 range, with a couple sections in the high 200s. Nothing disastrous overall, but not perfectly balanced either.
My main questions are:
How long are OAT scores realistically considered valid for most U.S. optometry schools?
Given a non-traditional background like mine (12 years clinical experience across two optometrists, graduate degree, university teaching experience, but average-ish standardized test performance), how do admissions committees usually view applicants like this?
Do schools tend to weigh long-term clinical exposure and experience heavily enough to offset weaker sections of the OAT?
And honestly, am I still competitive for U.S. programs, or would I likely need to significantly improve my OAT before applying?
For those already in optometry school: how heavy is the coursework overall, especially the anatomy, biochemistry, optics, and physics side of things? How math-heavy does it get compared to undergrad biology, and how manageable is it for someone who’s stronger in applied understanding than memorization?
Any insight would really help. I’m trying to figure out whether I should apply soon or take more time to improve my test performance.
Thanks in advance.