Private vs. Commercial

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I know this is a repetitive question on the forum, but I didn't want to scroll through all the threads to find it...

What are the main pros and cons of each mode of practice? For commercial settings is their any limitations as in what procedures you can actually perform?

Thanks for any input! I need all the advice on this topic as I can get! My parents keep debating with me about the two and I want to see what everyone has to say...

Please don't post the same thread in multiple forums. The one you started in the Optometry forum is enough. It doesn't belong here.

Mods?

Originally Posted by anguyen531

I know this is a repetitive question on the forum, but I didn't want to scroll through all the threads to find it...

What are the main pros and cons of each mode of practice? For commercial settings is their any limitations as in what procedures you can actually perform?

Thanks for any input! I need all the advice on this topic as I can get! My parents keep debating with me about the two and I want to see what everyone has to say...

I shadowed all private practices before I applied, so I can't say from experience what practicing in a commercial setting would be like. However, the optometrists that I shadowed had often worked at a LensCrafters, etc. before opening their own private practice. I'm not sure if there are any limitations, but they said that the type of patients is what prevents them from using the vast amount of knowledge they obtained while in optometry school. They said that people who go to commercial settings often just want their prescription updated, so they just perform refractive exams around the clock, while private practice optometrists do more dilations, treat more eye diseases, etc. Commercial exams are usually scheduled every 15 minutes as opposed to a 30 minute appointment that one usually sees in private practice settings. It's all a matter of preference, really.

Hope this helped!

I kno i'm being totally biased but from everything I hear, corporations and commercial settings don't allow you to live up to the full potential that you have as a doctor. the corporates control everything from how you examine your patients to what you can prescribe them (the types of lenses, contact lenses, etc..). i'm sure it might be a good place to get started but i think, overall, it undermines the education we've been given and the sole reasons why we went into this profession. you don't see medical physicians being told what kind of medicine to prescribe their patients or getting their time and resources limited..

cross posted in two forums... closing thread