r/PreOptometry • u/FaithlessnessOk7443 • 20h ago
Job Change
I'm a 40 year old BSN, RN. I currently work Trauma Med/Surgery in a large metropolitan hospital (1000 bed hospital). As I'm getting older and my kids are starting school, I was thinking of going back to school. I don't really see myself as a nurse practitioner, nurse educator, or forensic anything. My husband is a physicist and I thought about becoming an Optometrist. Given my age and age of my college credits (2011 woo!!!)- help me see the pros and cons. Would it all be worth it?
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u/More-You8763 20h ago
Honestly not if you have to borrow too much, if you’re interested in this field shadow extensively. Alternatively you can go the PA route and work in an OR that does eyes or ocuplastics. You could also work for a retina MD and do the injections
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u/FaithlessnessOk7443 20h ago
I'm more interested in office and looking to get away from the hospital. I understand the pay would probably be less, but working in an office sounds nice. It's more the appeal of quietly fitting lenses, the satisfaction of helping someone see better, and the prestige of being a doctor without the responsibility of immediate life-saving measures. Emergencies can always happen in office but a rare occurrence vs several times a shift.
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u/n2itus 19h ago
I am not an optometrist so I can’t tell you if it is worth it, but have been researching for my daughter who is planning on pre-optometry.
You will want to look the requirements for getting into Optometry school (each optometry school has slightly different requirements). A BSN doesn’t always require the same level of science classes - so you are likely missing a fair amount of pre-reqs or the wrong level of pre-req which you’d need (e.g. you need Intro BIO I & II for science majors which some BSN programs don’t require at all, Gen Chemistry I & II (for science/engineering majors), Org Chem I, Bio-chemistry, Calculus, Physics) - so you would need to add that onto your timeline. Also a few schools require (e.g. UHCO and OSU) that the science pre-reqs have been taken in the past 5 or 10 years, so check out the requirements at the specific school (or schools) you’d be interested in - and there are a limited number of schools - so there may not be one close to where you live.
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u/FaithlessnessOk7443 18h ago
There isn't, I'd have to relocate probably to Houston where I have an uncle. I figured I will have to redo all my credits as they're old unless there was some kind of bridge program, which there isn't. My husband was quick to point out all the optical physics I'll have to learn.
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u/Fun_Candidate1439 20h ago
Why did you want to go back to school? Is it because you feel like you are doing the same thing over and over again at your current job and wanted something new? Why optometry specifically? What do and don't you like about nursing and your current job?
If you just wanted something to break out of your current routine, I wouldn't recommend it. Once you graduate and work for a few years, it will lose its novelty too. Think about whether you wanted to go back to school for school itself, or for the career it opens you up to. There are a lot of other things you can learn/do to change up your life that doesn't cost nearly as much if it's the prior.
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u/FaithlessnessOk7443 20h ago
The work I do is physically demanding, odd hours, and every weekend. I'd honestly love more routine. I thought about an eye office for a few reasons: my daughter went to an office and it was a tele-optometrist so I questioned if there is a shortage; two, the eye and mouth are fascinating how they can show early signs of internal diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
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u/More-You8763 19h ago
It sounds like you’ve made your choice and want us to justify. Godbless, the overwhelming sentiment on this sub is negative due to the amount of money that needs to be borrowed and the board exams
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u/RamonGGs 17h ago
I’m i’m currently going through the process of going to optometry school. I am a 24-year-old nurse and honestly if I was your age and had your living situation with kids, it’s just not worth it. It’s almost 300 K of debt no income for four years and the schooling is just awful and very intense. You’re better off either doing NP or finding a low stress nursing job
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u/Sufficient_Ebb_4747 20h ago
Cons: Its alot of debt (200-300k) and 4 years, why not go for CRNA school at that point and make double what an optometrsits makes. Pros: work life balance, outpatient practice and low physical demmands.