OAT physics section — worth the time or just survive and move on

Optometry schools report average OAT scores by section and many review sub-scores individually. A significantly below-average physics score gets noticed especially if your application otherwise signals strong science foundation. I wouldn't "just survive" — I'd allocate real time to optics specifically, since that's the section that overlaps most with actual optometry coursework.

The optics questions on the OAT are disproportionately important given the profession. Schools know this. Lenses, refraction, reflection, image formation — that content is both testable AND directly previews your first-year curriculum. Weak optics on the OAT is a flag in a way that weak thermodynamics isn't.

B- in two semesters of physics doesn't mean the content is unlearnable. It often means intro physics had too much content covered too fast. OAT prep on physics specifically, without the time pressure of a semester, can move people significantly if they put in six to eight weeks of focused work.

340+ overall with a physics drag is achievable if your other sections — natural sciences, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning — are strong. But build the plan assuming you improve physics rather than planning around a weakness.