The Profession of Optometry + My #1 Interview Tip

[Framecontrol]

Hey,

I know many pre-optometry students wonder how to preform well during their interviews and here is a real gem for everyone.

You need to express some interest and understanding of organized optometry. Schools need to see that you care about the profession you are going into. Of course you will care about your patients, but many students don't show that they will ensure that their profession stays strong.

So my #1 tip is go learn about organized optometry and be able to express that during your interview.

Here is a starting place for you; watch the short film and it will help. - http://optometrystudents.com/the-profession-of-optometry-a-short-film/

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[TheToothsayer]

Although I am not involved in optometry. I applaud those who take part in such legislation. I hope that one day all health professionals realize they need to stand up for themselves and their professions. Legislators and politicians do not know about health care. We know about health care.

I hope dentistry, pharmacy, and medicine see a similar wide-spread involvement.

 

[Jason K]

This video highlights exactly what is wrong with the profession of optometry right now. Its leaders are absolutely clueless with regard to what needs to be done to save the profession. Instead of fighting for things that might actually make a difference, they're out there blowing hot air up each others' tail pipes about nonsense. Yes, we're a legislative profession. We need to maintain our practice rights. We don't need a heart-warming video filled with AOA "elites" to tell us that.

Optometry is not struggling because we are being restricted in terms of practice act. Some states might have more restrictive laws than others, and I'd certainly never argue that it's not a worthy cause to advance OD rights to practice full scope, primary care optometry to the extent of their training, but this video is in a whole new league of AOA fantasy. It's written as if we're facing some sort of professional takeover due to legislative battles for practice rights. We're not. We can't sit by idle and do nothing to maintain what we have, that's for sure, but this video just about proves my point that the AOA is a lost cause. It's another piece of propaganda designed to direct attention away from the problems that really affect us; oversupply, commercial takeover, too many schools, and devaluation of OD services. It's indirectly pointing towards......you guessed it.....OD board certification. When will the AOA wake up and admit its epic failure in pushing for BC. When will the AOA finally wake up and start doing something about the real issues that affect the profession? And most importantly, when will Dori Carlson finally realize that her god-aweful haircut makes her look like a she-man?

 

[msctc2013]

This video highlights exactly what is wrong with the profession of optometry right now. Its leaders are absolutely clueless with regard to what needs to be done to save the profession. Instead of fighting for things that might actually make a difference, they're out there blowing hot air up each others' tail pipes about nonsense. Yes, we're a legislative profession. We need to maintain our practice rights. We don't need a heart-warming video filled with AOA "elites" to tell us that.

Optometry is not struggling because we are being restricted in terms of practice act. Some states might have more restrictive laws than others, and I'd certainly never argue that it's not a worthy cause to advance OD rights to practice full scope, primary care optometry to the extent of their training, but this video is in a whole new league of AOA fantasy. It's written as if we're facing some sort of professional takeover due to legislative battles for practice rights. We're not. We can't sit by idle and do nothing to maintain what we have, that's for sure, but this video just about proves my point that the AOA is a lost cause. It's another piece of propaganda designed to direct attention away from the problems that really affect us; oversupply, commercial takeover, too many schools, and devaluation of OD services. It's indirectly pointing towards......you guessed it.....OD board certification. When will the AOA wake up and admit its epic failure in pushing for BC. When will the AOA finally wake up and start doing something about the real issues that affect the profession? And most importantly, when will Dori Carlson finally realize that her god-aweful haircut makes her look like a she-man?

I'm sure you have mentioned this in one of your numerous negative posts toward optometry, but if you were to do it all over again, what profession would you choose to pursue? Just curious...

 

[Jason K]

I'm sure you have mentioned this in one of your numerous negative posts toward optometry, but if you were to do it all over again, what profession would you choose to pursue? Just curious...

Back when I graduated from college, dentistry probably would have been the best choice for me, personally. I decided against it over concern over an injury I had several years earlier. I avoided medicine because it didn't match what I thought I was after in a career. I thought optometry offered what I was looking for, and it does if you take what the AOA, the schools, and 1st year optometry students say at face value. In reality, it offers none of the job security, pay, patient treating satisfaction, or career outlook that is often associated to to it by unknowing prospective applicants. I chose optometry for reasons which I did not know at the time, were totally without a foundation in reality. This seems to be the rule for OD applicants and it's because no one is willing to reveal the truth about what has happened to the profession. It's all hidden from view until people figure it out for themselves, when it's too late.

I'm not here to advocate one medical field over any other. What I am here to do is tell you that optometry is very likely not what you think it is. If you are ok hearing that and moving forward into optometry school anyway, that's fine, but don't say someone didn't try to warn you. The future of optometry is much lower pay for new grads, more weekends, more evenings, more headaches from trying to squeeze every $40 reimbursement from your vision plans when it costs you as much to see that patient. The ship is already halfway sunk, but passengers are lining up to get on it anyway.

I can't tell you what to do as a career path. That's not why I'm here. I'm only here to tell you to make sure you know what optometry's future really is before you commit to a profession that is sinking fast.