Venting

Becoming licensed to practice optometry in the state of Florida is a gigantic headache. Reasons I hate the entire process:

1) It costs something like $2400 to take the test. No other state is this expensive.
2) Their webpage is a royal mess and it's difficult to figure anything out.
3) The test is notoriously difficult to pass. They apparently like it that way. I guess it's a method to keep older optometrists from retiring down here in an already O.D. saturated state. The pass rate used to be only 10%. Thankfully it has risen dramatically since then.
4) Even if you pass the test, your license doesn't come in until August or September. Which means you can't get paid to be an optometrist until then - and we graduated in MAY!!! Thank goodness for residency... (even though the pay is crap - at least I don't have to wait until September to get paid!)
5) Registration materials packet was supposed to arrive 30 days prior to the date of the first exam. The three exams started June 27th and last until approximately July 18th. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED MY PACKET!!!!!!!!
6) They misspelled my last name. Perhaps part of the reason I have not yet received my packet. "HunDerdosse". GRRR!!!! Despite the crapload of paperwork they have indicating the proper spelling of my last name, they can't get it right. Considering that this is much more than signing up for a mailing list, this should've been triple checked! For goodness sakes, this is a license to practice medicine!! I emailed them to let them know they misspelled my last name. They emailed me to tell me their records are correct. Bullhonkey!!
7) Because they misspelled my last name, I had a difficult time registering to take 2 of the examinations at prometrics centers. As spots filled up, locations filled up, I waited, and waited... After all, they tell us NOT to register until we receive our packet. But even though I knew how to register, I couldn't because they misspelled my name!!! I was clever enough to suspect this was a problem - and upon guessing the improper spelling, was able to sign into the prometric site and sign up for the examinations.
8) When I signed up at prometric - I had to pay another $150 to take the stupid tests!!! WTF?!?!!!!!!!
9) I just found out today that they misspelled my old address, as well. "THeasure Dr" instead of "Treasure Dr". So out there in the mail world, my registration packet is trying to get to my OLD address with the WRONG last name and WRONG street.
10) Last year the center that administers the test malfunctioned and after taking the test, finding out they passed it - some people had to re-take it because they lost their answers!! This year I've already heard tell of people showing up to tests that have been delayed 2 hrs due to technical difficulties. That's so awesome. Can't wait to see what happens to me on test day.

I better pass this bleeping thing... back to studying.