I am a Canadian citizen who recently graduated from a U.S. school of optometry. My F-1 visa will be expiring soon, and I have the option to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). However, I still need to pass my NBEO board exams before I can begin working as an optometrist, so I likely won’t be able to use my OPT immediately.
What would be the best course of action in my situation? Should I still apply for OPT to preserve my work authorization, or should I focus on obtaining an H-1B visa instead? What would you recommend? won’t get my licence in at least the next 4 months.

So I just found out that NBEO has increased the exam fee to $1490 for exams administered beginning in August 2026, and it’s honestly very concerning. If the fee is already this high now, how much will it cost by the time current OD1s reach our 3rd and 4th years? It’s frustrating because optometry already has one of the lowest board pass rates among healthcare professions, yet our board exams are among the most expensive. I’m already facing huge financial burden from the substantial tuition and living expenses on top of it.

Is there anything students, schools, or organizations can do to advocate for this profession and address these continually rising costs? Is there even a possibility for them to reduce the cost down to ~$800-1000, which is what it was before. Literally medical school board exams are about ~$800. I’m honestly just very frustrated and anxious for the future of optometry as an incoming OD1

Thinking of filling in for a Costco doc (CA) as a new grad before starting my full time position. Feeling nervous about practicing for the first time especially as a fill-in with little to no guidance on how things flow. Any advice from people who have worked at Costco or similar? Obviously way different than school-paced exams. Trying to figure out in my head how to handle having patients come back for CL checks (new fit/re-fit), glaucoma suspects, etc. Basically just things that we had pts come back for all the time in school but not sure how it works in the real world especially in such a fast paced environment. Any advice is appreciated!