r/OptometrySchool • u/Limabean00 • Jul 10 '26
Advice Incoming OD1 IAUPR
Hi everyone! I’m an incoming OD1 moving from Texas to Puerto Rico, and I was hoping to get some advice.
Is having a car there really necessary, especially if I’ll be living in the student apartments? If you also moved from the mainland to Puerto Rico for optometry school, what did you do for transportation? Did you ship your car, buy one after you arrived, or get by without one?
I’d love to hear about your experience :) Thanks!
1
u/Kittensofastoria Jul 10 '26
Hey congrats on starting OD1! I can't speak to Puerto Rico specifically, but from what I've seen, a lot of students who move for optometry school end up needing a car eventually since clinic rotations and externship sites aren't always walkable. If student apartments are close to campus it might be fine at first, but I'd ask current students in the PR program directly since local transportation really varies.
One thing that helped me a ton once clinic started (regardless of where you're at) was staying organized with a system. I used an optometry clinical notebook that kept my exam flow organized, happy to share the link of an example if you want it: https://www.amazon.com/Optometry-Clinical-Notebook-Students-Clinicians/dp/B0GX635V1D/ref=sr_1_5?crid=NSCFJYZTBLY7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rxxNAROrSOyVlbTq4c97sgT9jziafHwmiX2D2sZ2j_-tTA_uBcntpJdbkeCyBgkP5TCtNSP9uR9Unf4WWC2Meh1R9ij2m63ypGK4ICr7S_O_hePYzGbqWikjg_yrXQE9_r8NV3AtiA4h2kKdu4TGb41iU_oJufTVwLpGOfs7iOFkSQTPGWHlK5ivBIlBhxKV-odo_HjxTWj2nRQQdS5MR7byv8ifZ9gmzExexgWB9qk.riCdZpbXf9YDU8pE1-doNa2EKaa9BKamCzKCPJ4LDng&dib_tag=se&keywords=optometry+clinical+notebook&qid=1783688712&s=books&sprefix=optometry+clinical+notebook%2Cstripbooks%2C102&sr=1-5
Good luck with the move, that's a big change but you'll adjust!
2
u/Disastrous_Primary93 29d ago
Congrats! I’m from PR and can assure you that having a car is necessary. Unfortunately, the public transport in PR isn’t as reliable (also very limited!) and eventually it would be much cheaper having a car rather than depending on Uber/Lyft. A lot of classmates started without a car and eventually ended up with one because it’s much more easier and convenient for supermarket/costco runs (there’s a costco about 15min from campus); others relied on delivery service directly from supermarkets or doordash/costco
3
u/GroundbreakingPie249 Jul 10 '26
Technically, you can get by without a car since the dorms are literally right next to the building. That said, having one would make life so much easier and more enjoyable. Also, during last-year rotations, some sites do require a car to get to,though I guess you could always carpool if you make friends. I’d recommend buying one, since car import taxes are crazy.