{"id":430,"date":"2014-06-05T11:26:40","date_gmt":"2014-06-05T15:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swtemp.org\/science_math_dept\/?page_id=430"},"modified":"2026-03-08T15:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T15:44:47","slug":"pre-optometry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sw.edu\/science-pre-med\/pre-optometry\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-Optometry"},"content":{"rendered":"    <div id=\"block_85725c4c0fae9e49b2fef7b590ee6cde\" class=\"container banner py-10 py-xl-20 mb-20 blue button\">\n        <div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n            <div class=\"col-12 col-md-8 mb-5 mb-md-0\">\n<h2 class=\"banner-title text-uppercase text-center text-lg-start normal\"> Kentucky College of Optometry Reserved Student Placement<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"col-12 col-md-4\">\n                <div class=\"text-center text-md-start\">\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/sw.edu\/science-pre-med\/kentucky-college-of-optometry-reserved-student-placement-available\/\" class=\"btn btn-primary w-75\">Learn More<\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Educational Pathway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After completing an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree with a major in Science Specialization: Pre-Medical, you will continue your pre-optometry study by transferring to a four-year school. Most optometry colleges prefer candidates to have a bachelor&#8217;s degree. You can declare a major in any subject at a four-year school to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree, which will require an additional two years of college. Your chosen major does not determine your success in being accepted to an optometry college. After being accepted, it typically takes four years to earn a <strong>Doctor of Optometry (O.D.).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Early in your academic career, you will need to research some of the optometry schools you are interested in attending in order to ensure you will meet all their criteria for admission. Some basic factors are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Good undergraduate grades (overall GPA of 3.0 minimum)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test scores (OAT\u00ae)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>True interest in the profession, as demonstrated by shadowing or volunteering in the field, and exceptional communication skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strong reference letters from professionals who know your character, as well as your work ethic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the OAT\u00ae?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ada.org\/en\/oat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Optometry Admission Test<\/a>.<\/strong> It is a standardized test taken by students who are applying to optometry colleges. It will be similar to the ACT\u00ae or SAT\u00ae. It is a measure of your general academic ability, quantitative reasoning skills, and scientific information\u2014 all skills developed during your two years at SWCC. It consists of four tests: Survey of the Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension, Physics, and Quantitative Reasoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Important qualities for optometrists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As in other health-related occupations, empathy, understanding, and a desire to help others are good qualities for effectively dealing with patients. They also need great communication skills, a desire to learn, and interpersonal skills. Optometrists must have manual dexterity and attentiveness to detail and accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is optometry for you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The student should shadow optometrists and ask questions about the profession. Optometrists examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and injuries of the eye. They also identify related systemic conditions affecting the eye. Optometrists improve patients&#8217; quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optometry Colleges <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <a href=\"https:\/\/optometriceducation.org\/students-future-students\/member-schools-and-colleges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">21 optometry colleges<\/a> in the United States.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"389\" src=\"https:\/\/sw.edu\/science-pre-med\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/Mitchell-Abigail.png\" alt=\"abigail mitchell\" class=\"wp-image-1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sw.edu\/science-pre-med\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/Mitchell-Abigail.png 300w, https:\/\/sw.edu\/science-pre-med\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2019\/05\/Mitchell-Abigail-231x300.png 231w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Abigail Mitchell is attending the University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Optometry.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She is the daughter of Christopher and Angela Mitchell of Pounding Mill, VA. Ms. Mitchell is the first Southwest graduate to be accepted into the University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Optometry through the reserved student placement program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learn More<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"formWrapper\">\r\n<iframe class=\"salesforceRFI\" aria-label=\"Request for information form\" id=\"myiFrame\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" style=\"border: 0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\ndocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {\r\n    \/\/ Start with base URL\r\n    var url = \"https:\/\/cloud.info.sw.edu\/EZ1qCEnk2NaD\";\r\n   \r\n    \/\/ Get current URL\r\n    var currentUrl = window.parent.location.href;\r\n   \r\n    \/\/ Add UTM parameters to the current URL\r\n    if (currentUrl.includes('?')) {\r\n        currentUrl += '&';\r\n    } else {\r\n        currentUrl += '?';\r\n    }\r\n    currentUrl += 'utm_campaign=&utm_medium=webform&utm_source=website';\r\n   \r\n    \/\/ Create the formFrame parameter with the UTM-enhanced URL\r\n    var myParams = \"\/?formFrame=\" + encodeURIComponent(currentUrl);\r\n   \r\n    \/\/ Build final iframe URL\r\n    var iframe_url = url + myParams;\r\n    document.getElementById(\"myiFrame\").src = iframe_url;\r\n});\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Educational Pathway After completing an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree with a major in Science Specialization: Pre-Medical, you will continue your pre-optometry study by transferring to a four-year school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"on","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"Optometry","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-430","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.11 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pre-Optometry - SWCC Science Pre-med Tracks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pre-Optometry An optometry degree can start at SWCC! 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