pathway into optometry (1 Viewer)

[tazzyboys]

i don't think my uai will hit the average cutoff, besides i don't think i will do too well in the umat either.

im currently looking at advanced science and major in vision..transfer?
i know advanced science has uai cutoff of 92.
what are my other options? tips, suggestions?

thanks

 

[Survivor39]

A general Bachelor of Science majoring in Vision Science, then transfer at the end of first year.

 

[TheMelissa]

Vision Science and Medical Science students get on quite well with one another-- no points for being able to guess why. Personally, I would recommend repeating year twelve if you don't meet the cut offs the first year around, as distasteful as that might sound. A high distinction WAM in any Science degree is a lot harder than you think. Alternatively, you might want to consider a DFEE option.

From my experiences, the competition amongst vision science students is fiercer than even the medical science lot. Whilst the cut offs may be lower for Optometry, there are fewer places available. (Then again, this might all be hearsay-- check it out for yourself at the UNSW udnergraduate handbook page.)

Nonetheless, if the thought of having to repeat year twelve makes you gag, Survivor has the right idea.

 

[joshuaali]

Whilst the cut offs may be lower for Optometry, there are fewer places available. (Then again, this might all be hearsay-- check it out for yourself at the UNSW udnergraduate handbook page.).

Hm, I thought it was higher.

By the way, that's the old program. The new program code is 3952.

 

[tazzyboys]

thanks for the replies -
with the science course majoring in vision, is there any differences between advance science and science in terms of workload, paths. would doing adv science increase the chances of transferring?

i'm not looking to repeat year 12. how tough is the competition amongst the vision science students? what would happen if, say i made it through to vision, but didn't get accepted to optom.

thanks

 

[ace]

thanks for the replies -
with the science course majoring in vision, is there any differences between advance science and science in terms of workload, paths. would doing adv science increase the chances of transferring?

i'm not looking to repeat year 12. how tough is the competition amongst the vision science students? what would happen if, say i made it through to vision, but didn't get accepted to optom.

thanks

Depends on the calibre of the cohort you start with. No one can make a judgement as to the competition, since the competition does not yet exist. I guess a better question is "can I beat them", of course that's quite conditional on yourself.

If you got accepted to vision but not accepted to optom, you either stick it out with vision or change degrees, or drop.

 

[tazzyboys]

Depends on the calibre of the cohort you start with. No one can make a judgement as to the competition, since the competition does not yet exist
- well of course, what im asking is, seeing as each year there are vision science students fighting for a position in optom., what the average competition is like. of course the competition will not be the same each year, im guessing it may be similar however.

 

[TheMelissa]

Depends on the calibre of the cohort you start with. No one can make a judgement as to the competition, since the competition does not yet exist.

I'd say you could make a fairly education guess, judging by the course cut off. Stereotypes don't hold well, but they usually have their basis in truth. :uhhuh:

"Work your ass off." (But I think OP knows that already!)

 

[Bobness]

Vision Science and Medical Science students get on quite well with one another-- no points for being able to guess why. Personally, I would recommend repeating year twelve if you don't meet the cut offs the first year around, as distasteful as that might sound. A high distinction WAM in any Science degree is a lot harder than you think. Alternatively, you might want to consider a DFEE option.

From my experiences, the competition amongst vision science students is fiercer than even the medical science lot. Whilst the cut offs may be lower for Optometry, there are fewer places available. (Then again, this might all be hearsay-- check it out for yourself at the UNSW udnergraduate handbook page.)

Nonetheless, if the thought of having to repeat year twelve makes you gag, Survivor has the right idea.

Well, of the friends i know (that's 3 just at UNSW, and a couple at other unis that offer med sci) ALL of them maintained a Distinction to High Distinction average in first year med sci and went on to do Medicine at UNSW.

A 6-6.5 GPA (ie Distinction, with a couple of High Distinctions) is normally enough if your uai is in the 98+ range. I assume you are in this range judging by your marks.

I'm guessing you didn't do as well as you hoped in first semester, and now blame it on the difficulty of the cut-off rather than your own efforts (or lack of it)? Or maybe you just need to have a bit more passion for the sciences: your marks normally reflect your inherent interests. If you did do well, then don't scare away future med sci-ers esp. considering you started the thread in the UNSW forums.

In any case, med sci can lead to many job opportunities in research (as survivor has spoken about previously) and that is definitely a field which can have a bright future. I may do it myself one day in one or both of my present degrees

 

[TheMelissa]

If you did do well, then don't scare away future med sci-ers esp. considering you started the thread in the UNSW forums.

I was really happy with my session one results. Science happens to be a real passion of mine. Those that do choose medical/vision science for its inherent appeal and educational integrity aren't phased by all this "transfer competitiveness" talk. It's wildly irrelevent to them and I have nothing but the utmost respect for those people.

On the other hand, those that do choose the course only because they see it as an alternative pathway into MBBS/Optometry should do so whilst being aware of the sacrifices and commitment that it entails (that is, if they're not already aware of it). It's no walk in the park and students ought to know the boundaries of their motivation. It's all about making an informed decision.