Pre-Optometry

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View of students in a lab through a glass door that says, '242 Research'.

Featured Course:

Advanced Anatomy

Gain hands-on dissection experience in the human cadaver laboratory while exploring the ethical implications of death and dying helping to cultivate empathy, compassion, and respect for others as future healthcare professionals and citizens of the world.

Your liberal arts education will allow you to develop your leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills, which optometry schools and employers are looking for.

What is Optometry?

Optometry is the field of medicine devoted to the prevention, diagnosis and management of illnesses related to the visual system. An optometrist may examine the eyes, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment for visual-related conditions.

Why Alma?

Many schools encourage students, regardless of major, to consider strengths they could bring to the career. At Alma, students will develop strengths across different areas during their liberal arts education. Students will also have access to opportunities related to the pre-optometry field.

These include, but are not limited to:

Hands on experience with dissection in a human anatomy lab.
Courses relevant to the field, such as Neurophysiology, Physics of the Human Body, Psychopharmacology, Embryology, and Microbiology.
Courses outside of the sciences, such as Health Communication, Ethics and Medicine and Health Care Administration that build knowledge/skills applicable to the profession.

How do I become an Optometrist?

Practicing as an Optometrist requires a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree, which is a 4 year degree. Entrance into an OD program requires at least 3 years of undergraduate education and fulfillment of the program prerequisites. For those interested in pursuing a specialty (family, pediatric, ocular disease, etc.), an additional 1 year residency may be completed.