The application package includes all the necessary documents for my application for Optometry school. Below are the application instructions, my searchable resume, a cover letter for the intended school and three letters of reference request.
The first document is the application instructions for Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Optometry program.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Admission
O.D. Overview
It takes four academic years to complete the Doctor of Optometry degree. During the first year, students are exposed to the basic sciences, and research techniques. Included are courses in optics, biomedical sciences, visual sciences and clinical procedures. First-year students receive their introduction to patient care in the campus-based University Eye Center (UEC).
The second year emphasizes clinical procedures and advanced studies in visual science. Students begin seeing patients in the UEC in the second quarter of the second year.
Third-year students spend half their time in lecture and the other half in patient care under the supervision of clinical faculty. Lecture topics include courses in contact lenses, vision therapy, diseases of the eye, ocular pharmacology, clinical optometry and public health.
The final year consists of four 3-month rotations as part of the Outreach Clinical Program. One clinical rotation is in specialty services at the UEC and the other three rotations are at various off-site clinics.
The degree Doctor of Optometry will be conferred on students who satisfactorily complete the four-year academic and professional curriculum in optometry. Satisfactory completion of the SCCO program and the NBEO examinations will qualify the graduate to apply for licensure in the U.S. or Canada.
For more information about the optometry program at the Southern California College of Optometry use the menu on the right to navigate through what you need to know.
Admissions Requirements
Academic requirements for admission to MBKU are based on standards set by the California Optometry Law, the accrediting bodies and the judgment of the Admissions Policy Committee.
A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required for admission. A student may apply during his/her senior year of college and supply documentation certifying that they will be receiving their degree prior to the start of the first-year classes in August. Alternatively, students may apply during their junior year in college for an early decision. If accepted, their enrollment will be guaranteed for the following year after the completion of their bachelor’s degree. An early decision acceptance implies a commitment on the part of the applicant to not apply to other programs during the year they are completing the bachelor’s degree. For more information about early decision, email ODadmissions@ketchum.edu.
Applicants are expected to have completed a traditional college education including a broad foundation in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities and must demonstrate facility in writing and speaking the English language. The following courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institution, in the United States or Canada, with a grade of “C-” or better prior to enrollment and are the minimum requirements for all applicants.
Prerequisites
| Semester Units | Quarter Units | |
| Calculus (Analytical Geometry/Calculus also acceptable) | 3 | 4 |
| General Biology or Zoology (the one year sequence of), no lab requirement | 6 | 9 |
| General Microbiology or Bacteriology, including laboratory (No substitutions are allowed) |
3 | 4 |
| Human Anatomy, including laboratory | 3 | 4 |
| Human Physiology, including laboratory | 3 | 4 |
| General Physics (the one year sequence of), including laboratory | 8 | 12 |
| General Chemistry (the one year sequence of), including laboratory | 8 | 12 |
| Organic Chemistry, no lab requirement | 3 | 4 |
| Biochemistry, no lab requirement | 3 | 4 |
| Psychology (Statistics will not meet this requirement) | 3 | 4 |
| English Composition or Literature | 6 | 8 |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 |
| Bachelor’s Degree |
Advanced Placement Credits
Advanced Placement (AP) credits will only be accepted for the following courses, and no other AP credits are acceptable:
- Calculus
- ONE of the two required English courses. One English course must be completed at the college or university level.
Early Decision Qualification
With more and more students deciding on careers in high school and even middle school, Early Decision is becoming a more favorable option. Being accepted as an Early Decision applicant affords many benefits. For more information about Early Decision, please see the “Early Decision Qualification” PDF located here: http://www.optometryadmissions.com/faqs.
ASCO’s Admissions Requirements Handbook
ASCO, the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, provides helpful information about all aspects of an optometric education. SCCO’s information is on page 66. ASCO’s Admissions Requirements (PDF).
Work Cited
“Admissions O.D. Overview”. Marshall B. Ketchum University Southern California College of Optometry. Marshall B. Ketchum University, n.d. Web. 15 July 2013.
“Admissions Admissions Requirements”. Marshall B. Ketchum University Southern California College of Optometry. Marshall B. Ketchum University, n.d. Web. 15 July 2013.
PDF ATTACHMENT: 301 Emily Leung Application Instructions
The second document is a cover letter for the admissions office at Marshall B. Ketchum University, which explains why I plan to apply for optometry school and showcases some of my academic skills.
COVER LETTER
August 10th, 2015
7360 – 137 Street
Surrey, BC
V3W 1A3
Admissions, College of Optometry
Marshall B. Ketchum University
2575 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Fullerton, CA 92831-1699
Dear Admission Officers,
Subject: Application for Doctor of Optometry
I am writing to express my interest and enthusiasm for the Doctor of Optometry program at MBKU. MBKU offers extensive clinical practice and education; I believe that my working experience and academic achievements will make me an excellent candidate for this program. Please consider my application for the graduate program in Optometry.
I will graduate from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor Degree of Sciences majoring in Food, Nutrition and Health in May of 2016. Some of my academic achievements include the successful completion of first year chemistry, biology, mathematics and organic chemistry, which are all prerequisites for Optometry Program at MBKU. I also completed an English IB (International Baccalaureate) A2 course in high school, in which I received a score of 6/7 on the IB scale.
As indicated on my resume, working with Dr. Kim’s Optometry Clinic has allowed me to gain experience in receptionist duties specific to an Optometry office, including booking appointments with I-File Cloud Optometric Software, recalls, MSP billings, and payments. I have also gained hands-on skills such as pre-testing and occasional contact lenses training. Further, I was fortunate to being learning about various eye diseases while shadowing Dr. Kim.
Although I still have long learning journey ahead, I would like to take this opportunity to attract your attention to some of the skills that I can bring to the Optometry Program: excellent organization and time management, the ability to work well both independently and within a team environment, attention to details, reliability in meeting deadlines under pressure, and willingness to take on new responsibilities.
If admitted to the Optometry Program at MKBU, I will commit myself to optimizing my time in the program as I work to further increase my education in optometry. If you wish to discuss my background or application, I can be contacted at emily.leung38@gmail.com.
I look forward to meeting you,
Emily Leung
Enclosure: resume
PDF ATTACHMENT: 301 Emily Leung Cover Letter
Below is my searchable resume highlighting all my past working and volunteering experience. Having a searchable resume allows easy access if one wanted to know more about my past working/volunteering positions.
SEARCHABLE RESUME
Emily Leung
7360 – 137 Street
Surrey, BC V3W 1A3
Objective
Doctor of Optometry, leading to full time optometrist.
Qualifications
Office Manager at Pearle Vision Eye Clinic: I-File Cloud Optometric Software, pretesting, eye health care, knowledge with contact lenses and contact lenses care, billing, MSP billing and insurance. Knowledgeable in required sciences courses: first year chemistry, mathematics, biology and organic chemistry. Trilingual: English, French and Cantonese.
Education
Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia.
B.A. expected May 2016.
Experience
Dr. Denis Kim and Associates Optometry (Pearle Vision)
2014-Present
Appointment booking with I File Optometric Software, answering phone calls and recalls, billing and payments, insurance claims, patient pre-testing, filing, sorting, maintaining charts, organizing and inventory control
Your Mobile Accountant Ltd
2008-Present
Data entry, filing, PowerPoint preparation and Reporting (Excel and Words)
University of British Columbia Bookstore
2013-Present
Rush Cashier – Provided customer service in a very fast paced environment, assisted the Textbook Department with stocking and shelving duties, sole cashier and organizer for the Clothing Department and Addressed customers’ inquiries
One Touch Wireless (Bell’s Mobility authorized dealer)
2010
Customer Services
Achievements, Awards and Activities
Certified in Standard First Aid, Certified in Level C CPR/AED, Kickboxing, Dance, Participated in Hockey Tournament, Discovering healthy recipes, traveling, reading and scenic walks.
References
Please request via email.
PDF ATTACHMENT – 301 Emily Leung Resume
The last document are three letter of reference request, in which I chose to ask one of my professors and two optometrist that I currently work with.
LETTER OF REFERENCE REQUEST 1
July 27th, 2015
7360 – 137 Street
Surrey, BC
V3W 1A3
Professor Deonarine Bishundayal
The University of British Columbia Faculty of Education
6270 University Boulevard
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Dear Professor Bishundayal,
Subject: Reference Letter Request
I hope all is well with your online courses and that you are having a good academic year. My name is Emily Leung and I took your course, Adult Higher Education (ADHE) 330, in winter of 2014. As I did quite well in your course (successfully completed with an A+), I am writing to kindly request a reference letter from you.
I believe your course has helped me learn how to successfully interact with adults while working at an eye clinic. It has especially helped me when I needed to explain various eye diseases to patients. This is a very important skill to have because I plan to apply for the graduate program in Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University.
I will be graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor Degree of Sciences majoring in Food, Nutrition and Health in May 2016. As mentioned, I also plan to apply for the Doctor of Optometry degree at Marshall B. Ketchum University. Please consider my request for a reference letter for the graduate Optometry Program.
Although I still have many skills to learn, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your teachings because the course I took with you has helped me learn so much about how to successfully interact with others, especially with adults. As well, throughout the completion of your course, it has made me evolved into a better person.
If you accept to write this reference letter, I will be more than happy to provide you with a detailed document highlighting my educational achievements, previous volunteering positions and other strengths. If a meeting would be more convenient for you, I can do that as well and I can be reached at emily.leung38@gmail.com anytime.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Emily Leung
PDF ATTACHMENT: 301 Emily Leung Reference Letter 1
LETTER OF REFERENCE REQUEST 2
July 27th, 2015
7360 – 137 Street
Surrey, BC
V3W 1A3
Dr. Denis Kim
Pearle Vision Richmond
110-11700 Steveston Hwy
Richmond, BC V7A 1N6
Dear Dr. Kim,
Subject: Reference Letter Request
I hope all is well with your business. First and foremost, I wanted to say that it has been a pleasure working with you and a blessing for me to learn under your supervision. Lastly, I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for teaching me essential optometry skills, expanding my knowledge on eye diseases and allowing me to shadow you.
I am writing to kindly request a reference letter from you for my application to the graduate program in Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University. I believe that the experience I had at your clinic has helped me learn many things such as how to properly pre-test a patient, how to conduct a thorough eye examination, and various office skills. All of the mentioned skills are very important assets to have and will help me greatly in the future.
I will be graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor Degree of Sciences majoring in Food, Nutrition and Health in May 2016. As mentioned, I also plan to apply for the Doctor of Optometry degree at Marshall B. Ketchum University. Please consider my request for a reference letter for the graduate program of Optometry.
Although I still have many skills to learn, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your teachings because it has helped me learn so much about how to successfully interact with others, especially with adults. Not only so, but you have also taught me the importance of being a good person and doctor. Furthermore, throughout the experience at your clinic, it has made me evolved into a better person.
If you accept to write this reference letter, I will be more than happy to provide you with a detailed document highlighting my educational achievements, previous volunteering positions and other working positions. If a meeting would be more convenient for you, I can do that as well and can be reached at emily.leung38@gmail.com anytime.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Emily Leung
PDF ATTACHMENT: 301 Emily Leung Reference Letter 2
LETTER OF REFERENCE REQUEST 3
July 27th, 2015
7360 – 137 Street
Surrey, BC
V3W 1A3
Dr. Elisa Lim
Pearle Vision Langley
310A – 19705 Fraser Highway
Langley, BC V3A 7E9
Dear Dr. Lim,
Subject: Reference Letter Request
I hope all is going well with your business and that you are fully booked everyday. I wanted to thank you for teaching me all the skills that I have learned while working at your clinic as well as expanding my knowledge on eye health. It has been my pleasure to work with you, further; it has been a blessing to learn from you.
I am writing to kindly request a reference letter from you for my application to the graduate program in Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University. I believe the skills that I have acquired at your clinic have helped me become a better candidate for the Optometry program. Skills such as differentiating between common contact lenses, contact lenses care, and eye health care have all helped expand my knowledge and prepared me for graduate education. Everything that I have learned at your clinic will tremendously help me with my application for the graduate program in Optometry.
I will be graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor degree of Sciences majoring in Food, Nutrition and Health in May 2016. Please consider my request for a reference letter for the graduate program in Optometry.
Although I still have many skills to learn, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving me such an amazing learning experience because it has helped me learn so much about being an optometrist. My experience at your clinic has made me a stronger candidate.
If you accept to write this reference letter, I will be more than happy to provide you with a detailed document highlighting my educational achievements, previous volunteering positions and other strengths. If a meeting would be more convenient for you, I can do that as well and I can be reached at emily.leung38@gmail.com anytime.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Emily Leung
PDF ATTACHMENT: 301 Emily Leung Reference Letter 3