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Optometry
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College of Health Sciences, Education and Rehabilitation
Physician Assistant (PA) Studies
Question: What’s your favorite thing about Salus so far?
Answer: The people, the campus and the atmosphere! All of the staff members at Salus are amazing, helpful and make you feel so welcome. The campus is also such a beautiful place to be with great classrooms, labs and the library!
Q: What has been your favorite thing to learn about so far?
A: Anatomy! Learning about the structures of the human body is so interesting and Salus has a cadaver lab that really helps piece together everything you’re learning about in lecture!
Q: I am starting Salus in fall 2022 for OT (Occupational Therapy), any tips?
A: Although I’m not in OT, my tip would be to utilize all of the resources Salus has to offer! The students, faculty and staff here all want to see everyone succeed, so if you need any help in any aspect of grad school there is someone here to help.
Q: How can a low OAT (Optometry Admission Test) score affect the application?
A: It will vary between schools, but always research the average scores of each class and also what minimum school the schools require. If you didn’t do as good as you hoped or didn’t meet the minimum, definitely consider retaking it.
Q: If the schools take a holistic view and I have strong credentials besides test scores, how does that affect me?
A: Schools that look at applications on a holistic review usually will weigh out everything like scores, experience/shadowing, extracurriculars and recommendations. Usually if you have a lower OAT score, you should make sure your science GPA is higher or vice versa.
Q: Pros and cons of doing the Post-bacc program before optometry school?
A: Pro: Become a more competitive application, get to observe at the eye clinic (The Eye Institute), and take grad level courses before optometry school.
Con: The cost (I think of it as an investment into my future).
Q: What are some ways to stay involved on campus?
A: There are so many options! I decided to apply and join Student Ambassadors. You can also join any clubs on campus that pertain to your selected profession/passion, like SOTA (Student Occupational Therapy Association) for OT or NOSA (National Optometry Student Association) for optometry. There’s also honor societies, student council, and intramural sports. Click here for more information on Student Engagement.
Q: How’s Salus been for you in general? Academics and also the Philly area?
A: Salus has been great so far! I really like the community feel you get on campus. Academics are tough but they give us a lot of resources so I don’t feel as overwhelmed as I thought I would be. I haven’t gotten a chance to really explore Philly too much but I’m excited to soon be able to do that.
Q: What’s your favorite class so far?
A: So far, I really like my patient care course since we get to observe at the clinics and see certain topics we learn in real time.
Q: Tips on deciding between grad schools? What made Salus stand out?
A: I use a certain list to help me decide on schools:
Location/area
Diversity/inclusiveness
Academics
Resources to help students
Engagement
Come up with your own list of things that are important to you in a school and research that too. Salus pretty much checked a lot, if not all, of my boxes.
Q: Would you recommend other students complete a post-bacc prior to optometry school?
A: Only if necessary! I think a post-bacc is a great option for a student who wants to raise their science GPA, have a transition program from undergrad to grad, or took a few years off from school and needs to get back into the groove of taking classes. Even if someone is undecided on what profession to pursue. My Post-bacc class has people who are interested in OT, optometry, medical school and speech pathology, so you get to connect with them too.
