Optometry
Duration
5 years
Entry
Biomed & Graduate
Scope of practice
NZ and AUS
Cohort size
60
Optometry
The Bachelor of Optometry will prepare you to be an optometrist in New Zealand. As an optometrist, you will be providing eye correction and managing eye diseases. Optometrists play an essential role in eye care and work closely with other health professionals.
Optometry is centred around patient care, and effective communication is crucial. You will be dealing with a diverse range of patients, so being a good listener and understanding are good skills to have. Many business opportunities are available since many optometrists run their own clinics or partner with retail chains.
Entry and Statistics
Entry into optometry is competitive, and you will be selected based on your GPA (50% weighting) and interview (50% weighting). Nailing the interview is just as important as getting good grades! Below are some entry statistics to help you better understand the GPA needed for optometry. In total, there are 60 seats for optometry, with first-year applicants taking up the majority of seats.
Want to maximise your chances? Check out our MMI Guide and receive a FREE Consultation today!
Core papers: BIOSCI107, CHEM110, POPLHLTH111, BIOSCI101, BIOSCI106, PHYSICS160, MEDSCI 142.
To be eligible for an interview, you must have an overall GPA of at least 5.0. Meeting this GPA will not guarantee you an interview offer. The interview cut-off GPA, calculated with core papers is often higher than 5.0. This means that you need to do extra well on your core papers and maintain your grades in both semesters. The interview-cutoff GPA has been relatively stable for the past three years, with an interview-cutoff GPA of 7-7.25.
Similarly, to be eligible for an interview in the graduate pathway, you must have an overall GPA of at least 5.5. The GPA of the last two years of study is used for entry. The interview-cutoff GPA fluctuates between 6-6.5 and has been relatively stable for the past three years. This pathway can benefit those who did not do well in their first year of study.
In both categories, since the semester two grades are not available when interview offers are released, the highest possible grade is assigned for semester two.
This is a highly simplified guide. We strongly encourage you to visit the UoA optometry entry guide and student centre for more information. We try to make our information as accurate as possible. Still, entry criteria are subject to change, and our information may be outdated.
For entry tips, please visit our undergraduate and graduate guide.
Made it in optom? Check out this welcome letter
Number of applicants
The number of applicants for optometry has been increasing, especially for first-year applicants.
No Data Found
Percentage of applicants invited to interviews
The percentage of first year applicants invited to interviews are similar throughout the years. For graduate entry, the percentage fluctuates. The percentage of applicants invited depends on the interview cut off GPA.
No Data Found
Programme overview & what optom students say...
Many students believe Biomed is the most challenging year, and after getting into a clinical programme, the content becomes easier. Although there is less pressure to obtain high grades, optometry is content-heavy, so manage your time wisely, so you don’t have to cram at 3am!
Anatomy & Physiology
Anatomy and physiology of the eyes and visual system
Eye pathologies
Eye pathologies and treatments/interventions
Hands on experience
Practical labs and Uni Eye Clinic
Medicine prescribing
Medicines and pharmaceutical treatments
Part II
In Part II, you will learn the basics of optometry, such as the anatomy of the eye, vision science, physics, and imaging modalities. Laboratories in part II include basic eye tests, dissections, anatomy of the eye and various physics experiments. Labs are assessed during lab tests, and the lecture content is examined in semester tests and the final exam. The final exam includes content for the whole year so make sure you revise often!
“Although a lot of this year is in lockdown, I thoroughly enjoyed Part II. I met new friends and now know most people from my cohort. The content was overwhelming at first, but group study sessions really helped.”
“In semester one, the physics paper is not too difficult. There are plenty of practice questions, and my maths/physics knowledge from high school really helped. In semester two, physics became more theory and vision-science based. It’s challenging at first, but many of the concepts are repeated, so you slowly get the hang of it. I suggest forming study groups and asking your peers if you need help!”
Part III
In Part III, you will learn more in depth about eye exams, anatomy and physics based on the foundation in Part II. You will have plenty of laboratory sessions to learn eye exams and practice techniques such as dispensing. There are also new concepts introduced in Part III of Optometry such as the pathologies of the eye, and the mechanisms of drugs used to treat it. Part III accounts for 10% of honours, so you should aim to do well!
“Learn to actually understand the concepts and not memorise because there are a lot of important concepts in Optom.”
“You should get along with your peers and attend social events with friends. Aim to have a social life although Part III can be busy!”
Part IV
In Part IV, you will learn in-depth about topics such as contact lenses, binocular vision, and pathologies. You will be seeing a few patients and going to low decile schools to perform basic eye tests to detect problems such as ametropia. There is also a research project where you will conduct research and present your report to staff and students. You will be returning to school early in December/January for a 6-week course to prepare you to be a Part V!
“Part IV is pretty stressful, there are lots of practical assessments and the research project can be time consuming. You learn everything you need to be an optometrist so there is a lot of content. Be sure to manage your time well!”
“Practice the MMI with friends often. When giving answers on personal experience, don’t dive too deep into the story but focus more on what you have learnt from it.”
Part V
Part V is where you will put all of your knowledge into practice! You will have fewer lectures and more practical work where you will examine patients under the supervision of qualified and highly-skilled optometrists in the University Eye Clinic. There is also an external placement where you will work under supervision at ophthalmology and private clinics outside the University. This is where you will have exposure to various specialist cases that you would not usually see in the University Eye Clinic, widening your scope. Upon graduation, you will be fully ready to work as an optometrist! Part V accounts for 60% of honours.
Made it into Optom? Congrats! Check out this welcome letter from Gabriel, Optom class of 2021.
What do Optometrists say?
There are a wide range of opportunities available for optometrists with flexibility in what they can do. You will be talking a lot with patients, so it’s important that you have good communication skills!
Regular work hours
Business opportunities
Opportunities to specialise in areas of interest
Eye exams
Wheres what an Optometrist says about the role:
What does your job involve?
Standard practice:
You see patients for routine eye tests daily. Occasionally, you will see acute referrals from local GPs and pharmacists. Patients also come in for prescription rechecks and get a certificate for their driver’s license. You will also order trial contact lenses, fit them, and teach patients how to use them. Quite often, you’ll need to write referrals and reports to GPs and ophthalmologists.
There is also a lot of admin work that goes with testing, such as ordering equipment and forms, often taking a long time to complete. If you are fully booked for testing, you may need to stay back to complete admin tasks.
The most enjoyable moments are usually when short-sighted patients get their glasses or contact lenses for the first time.
Locum:
Being a locum, you are essentially a contractor. You will be paid a premium, and you are expected to travel between stores. There is also a lot of admin, such as recording your business expenses and doing your own tax. However, you don’t have to order equipment for the stores.
Ophthalmology practice:
In an ophthalmology practice, you will see many interesting cases that you won’t usually see. You’re essentially working as a doctors assistant, and a lot of what you do will depend on your doctor’s subspecialty. There is a huge variety in what you will be doing, and you will also work with a team. However, the pay is less competitive compared to corporate practices.
“For me, it was managing the whole optometry side of the practice as a graduate since I was the only optometrist in my store for quite a while, which may not be the case for everyone. There was a lot of self-learning after I graduated.”
“It’s okay to not know all the answers. The field is constantly changing, so there is always a lot of new knowledge.”
There are also business opportunities for optometrists to partner with retail stores or start their own private practice. Optometrists in retail and private clinics often have regular hours. Some work as a locum and travel between stores with flexible hours and workdays. There are also opportunities in rural clinics.
For more information, CareersNZ has a good guide of what optometrists do.
Pros and Cons
Like any clinical programme, Optometry has several pros and cons. Just know that everyone has different perspectives. A pro for you might be a con for others!
Pros
– Opportunity for business partnerships. You can partner with corporate stores or even start your own practice!
– Regular work hours in private practices. However, you can opt for hospital work instead. Good work life balance.
– Good job security with relatively high starting pay. It is easy for new grads to find jobs due to high demand for the role.
– Option to work in Australia without further exams.
Cons
– Treatment and diagnosis are mainly limited to the eyes only and cannot do surgical procedures. However, optometrists are often first to pick up diseases such as diabetes, and cancers.
– Majority of clinics make profits from sales, some are put off by the sales aspect of optometry.
– Metro areas are more competitive especially for new grads but there are plenty of opportunities in rural areas with higher pay.