Are you?
- Going to interview at an Optometry School, having no idea how to answer their questions?
- Experiencing anxiety, unsure how to make a great impression on the interviewing panel?
- Struggling to understand what matters in this interview, and how to get your spot in the study program?
Don’t worry, you are not alone, and I have the answers you are looking for!
Simple yet effective eBook
I wanted to write an eBook you can finish in less than four hours, and at the same time get ready for your interview. Do not expect fancy pictures or info-graphics on the pages of this eBook. Secondary content is stripped to minimum. Pictures and other flashy things may grab your attention, but they won’t help you succeed in an interview.
They would actually take your attention away from the few crucial things that matter.
The eBook has 19,000 words (definitely something you can manage in four hours, but of course you can take longer to get through it, if you prefer so), and three principal sections:
- First one deals with seven principles of success in an optometry school interview—things you simply need to know and do right if you want to secure your place in the study program.
- The second section is dedicated to conventional interview questions—a typical interview format, which is still common at many schools in the US, UK, Canada, and across Europe. You will learn how to answer the questions the interviewing panel members will ask you. You will understand the attitudes and opinions they seek in the answers of a great applicant.
- Third section discusses MMI interviews. Explaining five scenario-based questions (real questions from interviews conducted at American and Canadian universities), you will learn how to present your opinions correctly, and what the interviewers want to hear in your answers.
Check the sample below to see how this eBook can help you (sample includes one question from conventional interview and one from MMI format):
Sample from the eBook
Q: Why optometry and not ophthalmology?
Hint: Ophthalmologist, optometrist, optician—each of these career paths has some advantages, and together these professionals help people to deal with vision problems and eye disorders.
In contrast to some other career fields, the law of action and reaction works perfectly well here: the more time and money you are willing to invest into you career, the more you will eventually earn.
Ophthalmologist can easily earn above $250,000 annually, optometrists about half of that, and opticians about half of what optometrists earn in average.
You can become an optician in 1 year, but it takes 4 years to become an O.D., and 8 years (or more) to become an ophthalmologist.
You can actually refer to one of these things in your answer: you prefer to start working after four years instead of eight. At the same time, you prefer to earn 100K annually instead of 50K. This isn’t a bad answer, and it makes sense. But you can do even better.
Ensure the interviewers that you considered each career path carefully. You understand the differences, the commitment each role requires, and can imagine a typical day in work for all three professions. Considering your strengths, options (financial and other), and the fact that you enjoy the customer service part of this work (conversations with the patients, giving them advice, etc), you find the role of an Optometrist the most fitting choice of the two (or three).
Sample answers
To be honest, I prefer diagnosing ocular diseases and advising patients, to performing elaborate eye surgery. I’ve considered all careers in the field, including the career of an optician. Carefully comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each role, and matching the duties with my strengths, I came to a conclusion that optometry is the best fit for someone like me. However, I understand the role ophthalmologists and opticians play in the field, and hope to have good cooperation with them during my career.
Ophthalmology studies simply take too long. With my budget and options I have, I cannot really afford studying for another eight years. That’s out of question. But no regrets really, because I like both roles, and I can imagine doing a good job both as an Optometrist, and as an Ophthalmologist. I am aware of the astronomical salaries some ophthalmologists earn each month, but I am not in the field primarily for money, and I am not greedy either.
The most important thing for me is to start working after four years, and do a job I will enjoy doing. Optometry definitely meets the criteria.
MMI: A patient comes to your practice saying that they experience vision problems. But they say that they lost their job during the pandemic and are out of funds, and cannot pay for the examination. What will you do?
Hint: Even in this case, interviewers care mostly about your attitude. Of course, you would hardly keep your practice operational, if you treated people for free. What’s more, examining one patient without asking for a payment can easily backfire. Other patients may find out, and since so many people struggle with money nowadays, soon everyone is asking for a discount, or even for a free treatment, and your practice ends up in red numbers. Can you afford such a risk?
Try to demonstrate that you see all facets of the problem. Sure, you will not refuse to treat someone. But you will try to work out a repayment plan with them. And if they really do not have any money and likely won’t have them in the future, you will try to give them some suggestions: maybe they can ask their family for financial help, or take a medical loan, etc.
At the end of the day, you will do the examination, but you will also try your best to eventually get the payment, helping the patient to figure out a way how to get some funds.
Sample answers
Well, my attitude to work would not allow me to refuse examination of someone with severe vision problems. That’s out of question. But everything costs money, and running a optometry practice is an expensive endeavor. What’s more, I will be still repaying my student loan ten years from now. Hence I cannot just afford to do this repeatedly, treating patients and getting no compensation for my work. I think it is important to get at least some payment—maybe giving them a discount, or trying to make out a repayment calendar with them. Because while it is nice to be charitable and help people who struggle with money, we also have to pay our bills, and live from our work. That’s the way I see it.
I think it depends on several factors. First one is the seriousness of the problem they experience. Second one are the costs associated with diagnosis and treatment—now I do not mean my time, or time of an assistant, but material and medication we will use during the process. Third one is the reputation of the patient in question—is it an existing client, someone we know, someone who has always paid us before, and they struggle with money only now, due to the pandemic?
Or is it a complete stranger, perhaps someone who may just be trying to take advantage of my attitude, and of the difficult situation in the world, claiming that they have no money while it isn’t true?
I would consider all factors, and decide accordingly. But you can be sure that I would not let anyone suffer some serious pain, or a risk of losing their vision permanently, just because they do not have money at the moment. If I did that, I would be unable to live with myself…
End of the sample
These are just two questions. You will find 25 in the eBook, from both conventional interview format (one interviews in front of a panel of people from the school), and MMI format of interviewing (real questions from interviews conducted in US and Canada).
Plus the seven principles of success, things you need to understand before you can ace your interview at an optometry school. Just that-nothing more. Because I do not want to make your life difficult.
Keep it simple, learn what you really need to know, and pass your interview.
Get the eBook now for $10 only. Click the checkout button below to proceed to the payment:
(After the payment you will be directed back to our website, to a protected page, to download your eBook. You will also receive a download link and instructions to your email, just to ensure that you will get the book without waiting, even if the redirect fails.)
60 days risk-free money back guarantee
As with all other products and services we sell here on InterviewPenguin, we offer you a 60 days risk free money back guarantee. If you don’t like the Optometry School Interview Made Easy eBook for any reason, or no reason at all, just let me know within 60 days and I will give you a full refund.
Email me at matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com with your name and transaction details. No questions asked, just a full refund. There is nothing you can lose with your purchase.
Thank you for reading, and good luck in your interview!
Matthew Chulaw,
Your personal interview coach
P.S. Send me a message if you have any questions. I try my best to answer all emails within eight hours (matthew[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com). Thank you!
