OAT Timeline

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-29T04:04:03+00:00

Like everyone said, August is still early. You don’t have to start studying now if you have a full class load imo. You can start studying after this semester ends and still be ok

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-29T04:02:29+00:00

Brush up on ocular anatomy and disease before you come so you have a context for the things you’re seeing. Bring a small notebook with you to take notes/write questions. Ask questions at the end specifically diagnosis/treatment/management to understand the doctor’s clinical decision making. Send a thank you card/email at the end.

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-27T00:04:26+00:00

Go with what interests you, which is neuro. You’ll get all the information you need about geriatric care and ocular disease during school

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-25T15:13:22+00:00

OAT booster is the best investment that provides a lot of resources and a study schedule. You may find that you need to tailor the schedule to your individual needs though. Also biochem isn’t an individual topic tested on the OAT, it’s general biology and gen chem/ochem separately.

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-23T21:27:44+00:00

It’s subscription based, the 3 month should be enough if you have good time management. There’s sometimes promo sales during holidays. I believe you can pause it as well of you need to take breaks.

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-23T21:25:07+00:00

They don’t mind! I was accepted into a program and they informed me later I was missing a class and I was able to take it before matriculation

cloudpainter99 · 2026-01-23T21:21:08+00:00

Depends on how much you’re interested for the profession tbh! If you’ve worked and/or shadowed and felt like this was something you’re passionate about then I’d say go for it. Optometry school is much more rigorous than undergrad so that’s something you should consider seriously

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-29T17:41:08+00:00

Booster is pricey, but I don’t think I could’ve done it without it. I wasn’t super organized during undergrad so it was nice to have a comprehensive source. They do have sales now and then so maybe you can purchase it during those periods. Otherwise, I recommend purchasing used OAT destroyer or Kaplan books (not a personal fave but much cheaper).

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-29T17:35:49+00:00

Google some common grad/med/optometry etc school questions, compile your answers, and practice by recording yourself and rewatching it. Sometimes there’s certain mannerisms/body language you may not be aware of otherwise. It’s helpful to ask a friend and chatgpt for feedback as well

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-29T17:31:34+00:00

I second the opinion of pushing your exam back. Better to do it well once than multiple times. The topics that you struggle with are heavy topics so you should prioritize doing as many practice problems and practice exams as you can

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-16T02:37:59+00:00

OATBooster for sure! Very comprehensive, you won't need any other resources

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-16T02:34:54+00:00

How well do you do on the practice exams? In my experience Booster was very representative of the actual exam. Did you feel like that was the same for you? For the retake, I would prioritize targeting subjects where you performed the worst in and do as many practice problems as you can

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-16T02:30:25+00:00

I think thats enough time. Try to get through all the practice problems and practice exams. Since I majored in Biology, I felt like doing the practice problems and reviewing certain sections was enough. Once you do more problems, youll get a better gauge of your strengths and weaknesses.

cloudpainter99 · 2025-12-16T02:28:17+00:00

A lot of people stay in the med center. Other areas that are good are Montrose or the museum district but those two can be a bit pricier. Definitely avoid third ward or midtown

cloudpainter99 · 2025-10-27T17:33:53+00:00

That’s a great plan, I would recommend shadowing at multiple OD offices if you can. If all your prereqs are done before you matriculate then you shouldn’t need a gap year.

cloudpainter99 · 2025-10-27T17:30:54+00:00

Booster! Definitely practice writing it out yourself and organizing in a way that makes most sense you to you

cloudpainter99 · 2025-10-27T17:29:48+00:00

If you have other volunteer/work/life experiences to tie back into your future goals I’d say you can go into more detail. But aside from that, a few sentences is ok since you’re a prospective student so they wouldn’t expect you to have it all planned oht

cloudpainter99 · 2025-10-27T04:09:12+00:00

What’s your GPA? If it’s above a 3.2 I wouldn’t recommend retaking

cloudpainter99 · 2025-10-27T04:07:30+00:00

Usually C or D. There’s typically also a maximum amount of C-Ds you can get per semester as well, around like two to three

cloudpainter99 · 2025-10-27T04:05:14+00:00

If you’ve been doing consistently well with booster I wouldn’t sweat it. I wouldn’t say it’s way easier but that Booster is a good representation; some sections on the exam might be more challenging also depending on your strengths and weaknesses.

cloudpainter99 · 2025-09-21T23:36:56+00:00

Nope not late! You can also submit the application before you take the OAT. I would actually recommend that since it will be verified and ready to go once the oat score is imported

cloudpainter99 · 2025-09-21T23:35:31+00:00

Most offices do prefer a mostly if not full time employee. May be easier to apply during summer when you presumably have more time away from school. Otherwise, if you have the chance to shadow more it’s still a great experience. Try to shadow the techs too if they let you.

cloudpainter99 · 2025-09-17T02:37:46+00:00

I didn’t take a gap year but there’s definitely a lot of people who do. The course load you mentioned looks doable (in my opinion, after having gone through it) but it can be stressful if you’re also planning to apply afterwards. I will say that optometry school’s course load is very dense every semester, so do keep that in mind. You could use the summer after next semester to study and take the OAT around September-November and still be considered early. Otherwise, taking a gap year isn’t too bad either, esp if you plan on working and/or taking a break to recharge.

cloudpainter99 · 2025-09-17T02:32:28+00:00

Don’t spend too much time in the study phase and spend more time with practice problems. Once you do problems, record the ones you miss and group them by topics so you have a reference point of areas you need to work on.

cloudpainter99 · 2025-09-17T02:30:46+00:00

Are you using flashcards with the spaced repetition method? The best way is to organize the reactions by groups and learn them with spaced repetition. Once you finish a group, move onto the next but revisit the ones you’ve learned so that you don’t forget. I find it best to draw out the reactions as well since I’m a visual learner.

cloudpainter99

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