Pre-Optometry
If you are interested in helping patients, have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind, and want a career with responsibility, the field of optometry or eye care may be your calling.
Suggested Curriculum
The term “pre-optometry” refers to a recommended set of classes and extra-curricular activities designed to prepare students for optometry school. Students interested in pre-optometry will still choose a major and complete the requirements for that degree.
Majors
So, what major should pre-optometry students choose? Typically, students interested in a “pre-health” program choose a major from the hard sciences, such as chemistry, physics or biology, however, optometry schools do not give preference to any particular major. While it is crucial for pre-optometry students to have a strong background in the hard sciences, it is equally important for them to have a strong foundation in the social sciences and humanities.
All in all, optometry schools are looking for well-educated and well-rounded individuals. Choose to major in something that you enjoy and would consider as an alternate career in the event you change your mind or are not accepted to optometry school.
Minors
Though minors are not required, many students who wish to learn more about a specific subject outside of their major will elect to complete a minor. Pre-optometry students whose chosen major is in the hard sciences are encouraged to complete the minor in Humanities or Social Sciences. Likewise, pre-optometry students who choose another major may benefit from a minor in the hard sciences.
