| Asking for a letter of recommendation is very time consuming. I really have to sit down and think why i want to become an optometrist. My doctor provided me with a list of questions to answer to help them write a letter of recommendation.
GPA
My GPA is not very good.
My cumulative GPA is around 2.7-2.8.
My science GPA is very very low, about 2.5. As of right now, I am going back to community
college this semester to retake my general biology and general chemistry so I
can get a higher grade. I petitioned for
two classes this Monday and Tuesday, that’s why I was late to the meeting. I think the optometry school will average in
my better grade with the rest. I know
Dr. Pham, my grades are below average. I
am very stressed out about it. Nahan and
Dr. Sea recommended that I retake the classes, so I am.
I took on average about 3-5 classes (12-15 units) per
semester. I didnt mix and match my GE
courses with science courses. I took
most of my GE courses in the beginning because I wasn’t sure what career path I
wanted. I started taking my science
classes in my second year, I took about 3-4 classes per semester and they were
usually all core science classes.
Sometimes I would register for 5 classes, but end up withdrawing because
it was an overload for me. I got a
couple Ds in the biology and chemistry classes, I had to repeat and delete all
of them. I never gave up those classes,
I re-took them and got Bs.
I want to be an
optometrist because
the career is very relaxing and not stressful. The patients mostly walk away happy with the
end result after receiving their new pair of glasses/updated glasses. This brings me to my main reason because I
want to help people enjoy better vision.
I started wearing glasses when I was in 4th grade. I remember sitting in the back of the classes
not being able to see clearly. I had to
lean over to copy my best friend’s paper.
When my mom took me to see an eye doctor for the first time, I was so
amazed with the machine in front of my face.
All these different lenses allowed me see everything so clearly. That was a great feeling because I no longer
saw fuzzy words and can see people’s faces clearly. Every year, I looked forward to going back to
my optometrist each year. That’s probably
a lame story to tell, but it’s the truth.
At first, I chose pharmacy because my mom wanted me to. But after researching about both professions,
I realized I like to associate with people one on one. When I think of pharmacy, I just think of
standing behind a counter counting pills.
With optometry, I am able to spend time with patients on a personal
level. For example, n optometrist can
ask the patient what kind of lifestyle they have, what job they have, what kind
of activities they do, so he/she can prescribe the right type of eye glasses. The conversation can build on to what can
become a friendship.
What I like about
working at an optometry office so far?
I prefer doing more clinical work than administrative.
I enjoy talking and getting to know patients. I enjoy preparing patients for their exam
from start to finish (beginning with pretesting to VA). I like educating patients about their eyes.
I like being an interpreter for non-English speaking
patients. I get to sit in the exam room
with the doctor and observe the exam.
What do I want to do
as an optometrist?
I want to provide patients with the best quality of eyecare
as possible using the knowledge and skills that I have learned. Besides prescribing glasses, I want to build
patient’s trust and respect and become their primary resource when they have
concerns about their vision. I want to
become their friend, rather than just an eye doctor.
What do I feel are my
strongest and weakest qualities?
One of my strongest qualities has got to be my ability to
work with people.
I am very helpful, thorough, patience, and caring.
I am very good at remembering faces and names. I say patient’s name as I greet them when
they come pick up their glasses or for a followup/exam. I think that makes them feel welcome and more
on a personal level.
I communicate well with all patients to better their
understanding about their eyes.
I am consistent with performing all tests, regardless of the
patient’s age.
I am very approachable.
I am constantly training to learn every bit of information
about the optometry profession as much as possible. I want to understand more about the
subject. Teach me things, I always want
to listen.
My weakest quality
is my education background. I am an average student, maybe a little below
average. My comprehension skills are
weak and I have a hard time memorizing things. But I am always trying new ways to educate
myself, like listening to recorded lectures, notecards, and constantly
re-reading materials.
I get panic attacks during exams, and everything starts
going hill.
I started to think back about my childhood. I never really studied, besides doing my
assigned homework. I was put to work at
a really young age. My dad held two jobs
and my mom was a seamiest at home. Instead
of picking up a book to read, I was sewing with my mom until bedtime. It was like that all the way until high
school, until we opened up our family business.
After school, I went straight to my store to help run the business.
During my college years, I had my own part time job, but
also made time on some weekends to help manage my store.
My studying time was very limited. | 
