My Journey Into Optometry

Pre-optometry

Eight years ago, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Biology from FIU in Miami, Florida. I had already decided to apply to optometry schools, but I expected to take a gap year. I graduated in December 2017 and began studying for the OAT using Kaplan. That’s when I realized I didn’t need a gap year after all. While reviewing the material, I realized I could study for a month or two and still have time to apply during the current cycle. Thankfully, my parents were very supportive and offered to pay for the exam and application fees. Everything came out to around $1,000, not including the Kaplan course, which I paid for separately.

I scheduled my OAT for February 21, 2018—just two months after graduation—and took the exam. It was a four-hour test, the longest I had ever taken (other than the FCAT, but that doesn’t count LOL). I completely struggled with the physics section (which I failed), and I could barely keep my eyes open during the reading comprehension part. BUT I passed! I got a 300, which was honestly the bare minimum. If I had had more time to study, I probably would’ve scored higher. Full transparency: my GPA was not the best at a 2.7, but I still decided to apply because even if my chances were low, they weren’t zero.

You receive your OAT score immediately, so I started applying to optometry schools all over the country to see who would give me a chance. I began interviewing in March and was accepted into Incarnate Word and Nova Southeastern University almost immediately. SUNY emailed me saying their class was full and they were no longer conducting interviews. SALUS (now Drexel) invited me for an interview but let me know I had been waitlisted since their class was already full. Being from Miami, I chose Nova because I wanted to stay close to my family.

Optometry School

I started at Nova as an OD student in the fall of 2018. Over the years, the curriculum has changed quite a bit, and several courses have been added or removed. When I was in school, we didn’t start clinic until third year; now students begin in second year. I took Part 1 of boards in 2021—before the pass rates began to decline—and passed. For my fourth-year externships, I chose sites in Plantation, FL so I wouldn’t have to pay for housing in another state. I took Parts 2 and 3 at the end of 2021 and thankfully passed those as well.

Residency

In October 2021, I decided I wanted to apply to residency programs. I gathered my letters of recommendation and applied to several pediatric and low-vision programs. I was accepted into the Primary Care/Low Vision residency at Nova, so I stayed an extra year.

During my residency, I discovered that I loved precepting and teaching students. I hadn’t realized I could become faculty and stay in academia until I spoke with several mentors who had done the same. I always thought academia required years and years of experience, but a residency gives you much of the experience you would otherwise need to gain on your own in the “real world.”

Throughout my residency, I attended conferences, presented posters, gave lectures, wrote papers, and realized that being in academia wasn’t as intimidating as I once imagined.

Post Residency

I applied for a faculty position at Nova—and got it! It has now been a little over three years since I graduated. While working at Nova, I have also moonlighted at several corporate locations like LensCrafters and Visionworks in Miami. I briefly left Nova for about six months last year in pursuit of a higher-paying position, but it came with very high patient volume and complex cases. I decided it wasn’t for me and returned to teaching at Nova.

Anyway, that’s my story so far, and I can’t wait to update you all on what I’m working on next! I hope my journey inspires you to apply to optometry school and reminds you that you can do anything you set your mind to!

Carmen

November 19, 2025

4 min read