Community college programs cannot be used as a prerequisite for an OD program. You do not have to attend your undergraduate program at the University of Waterloo. Select a BSc program with the flexibility to choose elective courses as you’ll need to take certain courses as a requirement for application to an OD program.
You must have each of the following courses at the BSc level: English, Intro Ethics, Intro Psychology, Intro Biology (with lab) x 2, Intro Microbiology, Physiology x 2, Intro Chemistry (with lab), Intro Biochemistry, Intro Organic Chemistry, Calculus, Statistics, and Intro Physics (with lab) x 2. Prerequisite courses account for half the courses you take during your BSc education. While the minimum average for applying to the OD program is 75%, accepted students had averages between 79 and 95%. You do not need to complete your BSc degree to apply to an OD program.
Consider applying for a co-op placement at an optometrist’s office in high school or during your BSc. As this is an application requirement, optometrists will not be surprised to have students approach them for job shadowing purposes.
The OAT is administered by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry for OD program admissions in the US and Canada. While the test is electronic, you do need to take the test at a Prometric, Inc. test centre in person. The OAT includes questions about biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, reading comprehension, physics, and quantitative reasoning. The test is approximately 5 hours in length. The test costs $490 USD to take. In addition, you will need to pay $40 USD for each school you’d like your test results to be sent to.
Only a limited number of international students are submitted to the OD program at the University of Waterloo. Review the International Student website at https://uwaterloo. ca/international/ to determine eligibility.
For the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), you must have a score of at least 580 (for a paper-based test) or 237 (for a computer-based test). Plus, your essay rating must be at least 4. 5 and your test of spoken English must be at least 45. For the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), you must have a score of at least 7. For the MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), you must have a score of at least 85.
You will likely be starting your third year of a BSc when you submit your application. You will need to submit official transcripts of your first two years of the BSc with your application. You will be required to submit official transcripts for both the first and second terms of your third year once those terms are complete.
To take the CASPer test, you will need a computer with audio, a webcam, and a reliable internet connection. You will need to retake the CASPer test each year you submit an application for the OD program at the University of Waterloo. Test scores cannot be reused.
None of your references can be family members. These references do not need to write a letter, they only need to complete a confidential assessment form. Remember to foster and maintain meaningful connections with mentors, like your professors, so they’re likely to write glowing letters of recommendation for you.
This criminal record check is required because you’ll be working with children and vulnerable adults as part of your training. You will also be required to submit an annual self-declaration form while you’re in the OD program.
If you’re invited to attend the Meet & Greet, you will also be required to submit an updated official transcript in January. The Meet & Greet consists of a personal conversation with faculty and optometrists, a roundtable discussion with current students, and a tour of the facilities. This will be the earliest time you’ll know if you have not been admitted to the OD program. The University of Waterloo only admits 90 students per year. [20] X Research source
Option 1: A 2-year pre-university DCS in Science with the objectives 00XU (biology) and 00XV (chemistry). Option 2: A 2-year pre-university DCS in visual orthotics plus Math 103 and 203, Chemistry 101, and Physics 101 and 201. Option 3: A 2-year pre-university DSC in Science and Arts. Option 4: A 3-year vocational DCS plus Biology 301 and 401; 2 courses in human biology; Chemistry 101, 201, and 202; Math 103 and 203; and Physics 101, 201, and 301.
Non-citizens and non-permanent residents will not be accepted to the program. If you do not receive your citizenship or permanent residency status by the due date, you will have to wait to apply until the following year.
CASPer exam results are only valid for one admissions year. If you need to reapply to the OD program, you will also need to redo the CASPer exam. For 2020 admission, you must take the French exam by 10 Mar 2020 or the English exam by 5 Mar 2020.
The TFI is the International French Test; more details at https://www. ets. org/tfi. The TEF is the French Assessment Test; more details at https://www. lefrancaisdesaffaires. fr/tests-diplomes/test-evaluation-francais-tef/tef-canada/. The TCF is the General Knowledge of French Test; more details at https://www. ciep. fr/tcf-tout-public. The DELF is the Diploma of Studies in French Language; more details at https://www. ciep. fr/delf-dalf. The DALF is the Advanced Diploma in French Language; more details at https://www. ciep. fr/delf-dalf/dalf.
Use the following website to submit your application to the OD program: https://admission. umontreal. ca/admission/depot-de-la-demande/demande-dadmission/.
Your on-campus, in-person interview can eliminate you from consideration if it doesn’t go well.
Once you decide upon a province or territory, go to the website for the optometry association or optometry college for that province or territory to learn the specific requirements for that province or territory. If you obtained an OD from the University of Montreal and you plan to practice in Quebec, you do not need to write the CACO exam.
While CPR certifications are only required in 3 provinces, you can take the proper CPR course in any province.
Each province and territory will have a different set of fees. As an example, the cost to register in Ontario is over $450 CAD. In addition to the application fee, you may also be required to pay an annual membership fee for the provincial or territorial college or association. In Ontario, that cost is over $1,000 CAD per year.
In some provinces or territories, you may also need to provide a notarized copy of your OD diploma in addition to official transcripts. [32] X Research source An official transcript is one mailed from the university directly to the college or association. As a former student, you are not permitted to handle an official transcript.
Go to the Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) website to register for the CACO exam: http://www. oebc. ca/written-osce/exam-registration/. Exams can only be written in Montreal, QC or Hamilton, ON. The OEBC only offers the exam twice per year; in the spring and fall. It costs $5,100 CAD to take the exam.
In some provinces and territories, you have one year from the date you submitted an application/registration to pass the jurisprudence exam. If you graduated from the University of Waterloo and want to practice in Quebec, you will only need to attend an information session about practicing in the province of Quebec.
Do not apply for your criminal record check too far in advance, as in some provinces it needs to be dated no more than 6 months in advance of the date your registration is issued.
If you have not found a specific optometry job in one of these provinces, you will have to inquire how to submit insurance confirmation if you do not plan to open your own practice.
In most cases, you will need to contact the college or association’s office directly for more information.
Refer to the Canadian Association of Optometrists’ website at https://opto. ca/ for more information on starting your own practice.
