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Provides application timing considerations and describes OptomCAS, the standardized OAT structure, scoring, testing logistics, and preparation resources.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/optometry-doctor-of-optometry-od-program-and-application-guide/292592/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/optometry-doctor-of-optometry-od-program-and-application-guide/292592.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Rhys","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-09-17",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What do optometrists with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) do?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"They examine eyes, diagnose vision problems, treat vision-related issues, manage eye diseases and injuries, and prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What is the typical structure of the OAT and how is it scored?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The OAT is computer-based and includes four sections: Survey of Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension, Physics, and Quantitative Reasoning. Each section is scored on a scale of 200 to 400, with 300 representing an average score.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What is OptomCAS and how do applicants use it?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"OptomCAS is the centralized application platform for most U.S. OD programs. Applicants submit one primary application that is distributed to participating schools, and they must still verify any additional program-specific requirements and critical dates with each school.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},292592,1789653032,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":80,"read_time":96},687207024643,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","OPTOMETRY  \nDoctor of Optometry ( OD )  \nNATURE OF WORK  \nOptometrists ( OD) a re lice nsed hea lthca re p rofessio na ls with a  \nDocto r of Opto met ry deg ree . They exa mi ne eyes , diag nose a nd t reatvisio n p ro ble ms , ma nage eye diseases a nd i nju ries , a nd p resc ribe eyeglasses o r co ntact le nses .  \nLENGTH OF PROGRAM  \n School : 4-yea r Docto r of Opto met ry ( OD ) p rog ra m  \n Residency: Optio na l 1-yea r reside ncy fo r s pecia lizatio n  \n Li censure: Natio na l boa rd exa ms + state requi re me nts  \nCOURSE REQUIREMENTS  \nMost o pto met ry ( OD ) p rog ra ms have si mila r p re requisite cou rses , w hic h a re listed be low . Howeve r ,  \nrequi re me nts va ry by sc hoo l. Chec k eac h p rog ra m ’ s we bsite a nd re fe r t o the Associatio n of Schoo ls a nd  \nCo lleges of Opto met ry ( ASCO ) Di recto ry at [https : / / o p to met riceducatio n . o rg /](https : / / o p to met riceducatio n . o rg / fo r)[ fo r](https : / / o p to met riceducatio n . o rg / fo r) the most cu r re nt i nfo r matio n .  \n*It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify all prerequisite courses, requirements, and application deadlines for each school they plan to apply to  \nOne year of general biology * BIO L 1 0 1 /BIO L 1 0 2 o r BI OL 1 0 7 / 1 0 8  \nOne year of general chemistry CHEM 2 0 1 /CHEM 2 0 2 Organic chemistry CHEM 3 1 1 / 3 1 2  \nOne year of physics PH YS 1 0 1 / 1 0 2 o r PH YS 1 0 5  \nOne semester of biochemistry BIO L/CHEM 3 1 7 One semester of microbiology BIO L 3 1 4  \nIntroductory psychology PSY C 1 0 0  \nIntroductory sociology SOC 1 0 1  \nSchools may require English , cell biology , genetics , math and /or other courses such as Medical Terminology  \n*ALL first year Biology students are required to complete Biol 101/102 instead of Biol 107/108  \nKEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPETITIVE OT SCHOOL APPLICATION  \n\n|  | \u003Cbr>Ove rall a nd scie nce GPA Ext racu r ricu la r activities | | | \u003Cbr>OAT s co res\u003Cbr>Hea lth-re lated ex pe rie nces |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| | Resea rch ex pe rie nces | |  | Co m mu nity se rvice |\n| | Leade rs hip ex pe rie nces | |  | Lette rs of eva luatio n |\n| | \u003Cbr>I nte rview | |  | \u003Cbr>Pe rso nal state me nt |\n| APPLICATION TIMELINE |  |  |  |  |\n\nYou r ti me li ne fo r a pplyi ng to o pto met ry sc hoo l s hou ld reflect you r readi ness : acade mica lly , pe rso na lly , a ndp rofessio na lly. While so me stude nts a pply i n the su m me r befo re se nio r yea r to sta rt medica l sc hoo l right afte rg raduatio n , othe rs be nefit fro m a mo re flexible ti me li ne .  \nFo r stude nts w ho need additio na l ti me to build a st ro ng fou ndatio n i n the scie nces o r adjust to co llege-leve lcou rsewo r k , sta rti ng Ge ne ra l Che mist ry i n the so pho mo re yea r a nd a pplyi ng afte r se nio r yea r is a n a lte r native ti me li ne .  \nThis a pp roach may lead to st ro nge r acade mic pe rfo r ma nce a nd a mo re co nfide nt OAT p re pa ratio n .  \nTaking a ga p yea r a nd a pplyi ng i n se nio r yea r does not put stude nts at a disadva ntage . Applica nts may use that ti me to gai n c li nica l ex posu re , deve lo p p rofessio na l s kills , c la rify thei r goa ls , a nd s ho re u p wea ke r a reaso n t hei r a p p licatio n .  \nFo r mo re i nfo r matio n , visit Ma ke the Most of You r Ga p Yea r .  \nAPPLICATION SERVICE  \n\n| The Optometry Centralized Application Service ( Optom CAS) is the ce nt ra lized a pplicatio n platfo r m fo r most U . S . Docto r of Opto met ry ( OD ) p rog ra ms . Applica nts su b mit o ne p ri ma ry a pplicatio n through Opto m CAS , w hic h is the n dist ributed to pa rticipati ng sc hoo ls .\u003Cbr>Please note that so me o pto met ry p rog ra ms may have additio na l o r a lte r nate requi re me nts . Visit [www . o p to m cas . o rg](www . o p to m cas . o rg) fo r c ritica l dates a nd ve rify deadli nes with eac h p rog ra m ’ s ad missio ns office .\u003Cbr>STANDARDIZED TEST |\n| --- |\n| The Opto met ry Ad missio n Test ( OAT ) is typi","cbCailBBX40HtrhC","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailBBX40HtrhC","pdf",726267,"English","# Nature of Work\n## Length of Program\n## Course Requirements\n# Key Components of a Competitive OD School Application\n## Application Timeline\n# Application Service: OptomCAS\n## Standardized Test: OAT\n## Additional Resources","[{\"question\":\"What do optometrists with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) do?\",\"answer\":\"They examine eyes, diagnose vision problems, treat vision-related issues, manage eye diseases and injuries, and prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the typical structure of the OAT and how is it scored?\",\"answer\":\"The OAT is computer-based and includes four sections: Survey of Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension, Physics, and Quantitative Reasoning. Each section is scored on a scale of 200 to 400, with 300 representing an average score.\"},{\"question\":\"What is OptomCAS and how do applicants use it?\",\"answer\":\"OptomCAS is the centralized application platform for most U.S. OD programs. Applicants submit one primary application that is distributed to participating schools, and they must still verify any additional program-specific requirements and critical dates with each school.\"}]","OPTOMETRY - Doctor of Optometry (OD) Program and Application Guide | PDF"]