Callie Sellner '22 (December)Optometry

Name: Callie Sellner
Graduation Year: December 2022
Major: Biology (minor in Spanish)

Story: I knew I wanted to become an eye doctor at twelve years old during my first
eye exam. I wanted to be a doctor that didn’t have to experience too much blood,
consistently upset patients, or deal with a lot of death. I have learned since then that people
take their vision for granted and many aren’t concerned about ocular health; I want
to advocate for the profession and to emphasize the importance of annual eye
exams.
I shadowed an optometrist in my hometown Shakopee when I was a junior in
high school—she really took me under her wing and showed me how important her
job is. After that, it became my dream job. However, it wasn’t until I had my J-term
Career Exploration at Family Vision in Burnsville that I learned a lot about the
profession and all of the things that go into running a successful office.
Another major contributor to my passion of pursuing optometry is my friend
and coworker Joan. I’ve known her since I was in middle school and I have seen her
struggle both emotionally and physically with dramatic vision loss caused by
retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma. Having a close relationship with someone who
has progressive blindness has revealed to me the significant limitations and
obstacles that low vision patients face daily. So, I want to specialize in working with
these patients and preserving what vision they have left.
As a first generation college student, I worked part-time positions throughout
college to pay for my tuition and living expenses instead of spending my free time participating in clubs or
volunteering. I was concerned that my application wasn’t going to be as
well-rounded as other students, but I was wrong; during my interviews, I was told it
is just as impressive to work throughout your college career as it shows your
dedication. So, there isn’t just one way to build a good application!
I am so excited to start learning about things I actually care about and to
eventually improve the quality of my patients’ lives.

Top Five Activities/Experiences: (in no particular order)
1. Optometric Technician at Carlson-Tillisch Eye Clinic in Mankato
2. January Career Exploration at Family Vision in Burnsville
3. Shadowing various optometrists in high school and college
4. Optometric Technician at Lakeside Family Eye Care in Prior Lake
5. Volunteering: teaching a Guatemalan family English through my Spanish class

Advice:
1. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Yes, optometry school is competitive and
difficult to get into, but it’s not the end of the world if you fail a few tests in
your college career. I was not an A student, especially in science courses—I 

was happy to get a B in most classes (or a C in biochem and organic). I had a
tough couple of years emotionally which made it hard to focus or care about
school. I thought my gpa (and OAT score) was too low for optometry
programs, but I made up for it in other areas of my application. Schools will
ask you in interviews why certain grades or scores are lower than their
average—just be honest, they give you some grace. Remember to give
yourself grace too and take a deep breath!

2. Start the process early! Make a plan for when you are going to take the OAT
(sign up months in advance), when you are going to fill out each section in
the OptomCas application, asking for letters of recommendation, and writing
your essays. Ask Heather for help! I scheduled appointments throughout the
process, even just to ask a couple of questions—she will help you stay on
track. I thought I had submitted my applications too late in the cycle, but I
was still admitted. I wish I would have submitted sooner because some
private schools have scholarship money they can offer you.

3. Work in the field. You don’t want to be going through this time-consuming
process if you aren’t sure you love the profession. Email local eye clinics and
ask if there are any opportunities for working or shadowing. Being a
technician throughout college and some summers helped me SO much in
interviews when I was asked why I wanted to pursue this career, also super
helpful when writing your personal statement. Doctors aren’t going to reach
out to you; you have to take it upon yourself to make connections otherwise
you will miss out on some awesome opportunities.

Future Plans:
Attending Southern College of Optometry, starting Fall 2023.