What Do You See Happening?

[Jason K]

Does the AOA have anything to do with whether or not this goes down?

Unfortunately, the AOA, by their actions at least, has no intention of helping to cut back numbers of OD grads. After all, the more potential members there are to shell out the cash, the better.

All they would have to do is come out and openly state that we have an oversupply of ODs. They know it, we all know it, but they want to hide it from potential applicants. Of course, every time the subject of the AOA's stance on the oversupply issue is brought up, someone invariably mentions the "anti-trust" issue, which is ridiculous. All the AOA would have to do is come out and say:

"We're good - we've got enough ODs and we don't need any more. The current demand is more than met the current supply and it will be so for the foreseeable future."

If they were to try to step in and take legal action to shut down a program, I could see how that would constitute anti-trust violation, but simply stating the truth about the oversupply is absolutely not an anti-trust violation.

But, the AOA is the AOA, and unfortunately they have been plagued by inept leaders for a while now...with no changes in sight.

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[hello07]

Regarding the AOA, anyone knows the update and the legal battle with the AOS? Is board certification here to stay definitely? I might be mistaken, very wrong indeed for what i'm about to say but I realize the AOA leaders from the time I graduated appx 20 yrs ago they were go getters- visionaries- really strengthed and elevated our wonderful profession- therapeutics, etc......These leaders today, past few years do not appear to be trust worthy and sincere. I'm not saying they are corrupt but the ethics and morale has certainly changed. Not for the better. Greed has taken over. Again, I might very well be wrong.

 

[Shnurek]

The only way oversupply is going to be stopped is by increasing accreditation standards for all graduating students by means of the NBEO. Minimum amount of patient encounters, minimum amount of procedures as others have stated before me. You can't do it directly, you have to be a lawyer and find a loophole to get around anti-trust.

As for the board certification issue, right now it is on pause at least in my state. Here is New York State's stance for example:

"After a thorough discussion at the last meeting of your New York State Optometric Association (NYSOA), we would like to reiterate where the NYSOA stands with respect to defending your right to practice the profession to its fullest scope, whether or not you ever seek to become board certified.
Please be assured that the NYSOA will continue to protect your license to practice optometry from any limitation from any third party. We will vigorously fight any effort by any managed care organization, insurer, health care system or any other third-party attempts to limit your ability to practice or to participate because you choose not to seek board certification. Just as we have battled with managed care and any other organizations that discriminate against optometry in general, we will oppose any effort that attempts to "divide and conquer" our unified profession."


Basically, he is saying it doesn't matter in any way if you are board certified or not in NYS. Don't know how other states are.

 

[q1we3]

"We're good - we've got enough ODs and we don't need any more. The current demand is more than met the current supply and it will be so for the foreseeable future."

I don't think that will stop many people, as long as there are seats to be filled someone would be willing to take it. Number of available seats need to be reduced which will never happen.

 

[Jason K]

I don't think that will stop many people, as long as there are seats to be filled someone would be willing to take it. Number of available seats need to be reduced which will never happen.

I disagree. If I had seen a statement by the AOA that indicated there were enough or too many ODs, I doubt I would have applied. What I did see was a bunch of nonsense in the BLS about how the need for ODs was going to increase exponentially through 2015 - obviously not true.

In addition, I think a statement such as the one above would deter would-be investors from deciding to drop a couple of hundred million into a new program. The idea of a new program like MCPHS or RSO or any of the other new schools is like building an expensive house on a sinkhole.

The idea that, at some point, an entire graduating class will go without licensure due to accreditation issues is not without merit. That very thing happened to someone I know who attended a law program which lost its accreditation during her time there. She graduated and waited 3 years before she could get licensed. If the greater community of ODs had its way, some of these new OD programs might never get full accreditation.

 

[Shnurek]

I don't think that will stop many people, as long as there are seats to be filled someone would be willing to take it. Number of available seats need to be reduced which will never happen.

People will realize that going to school now is just not worth it. The return on investment is horrible as the tuition like 10-15 years ago was 10% of what it is now. Why do you think the ratio of females to males is increasing so much in college and graduate school? Males can go on to do physical labor/dangerous jobs and make 50k-65k-75k with just a high school degree. They don't need to go for 8 years extra and then make 90k such as in the case of optometry. Its all supply and demand and I think things will even out. Less people will apply, average GPAs will drop and schools will have to shut down.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

O no, I'm just in first year. However, http://www.sunyopt.edu/practice/view.php I'll probably end up working in CT though as it has the best opto laws around here. KHE did the right thing. And I totally understand starting out at the bottom when you get out. Honestly, school isn't that bad. I have a good social life ongoing while passing all of my classes. Its a great way to ride out the recession

Brave, very brave. No way in hell I'd go through with it. Will you be ~$200K in total debt upon graduating?

 

[Shnurek]

Brave, very brave. No way in hell I'd go through with it. Will you be ~$200K in total debt upon graduating?

Na, nowhere close. Otherwise I wouldn't do it and I'd probably go into finance like my buddy making 65k + 10k bonus out of a CUNY college at Goldman Sachs. I'll probably be more like $50,000 in debt. Could be zero if I do 2 years of HPSP or my parents cover the costs. So anywhere from 0-50k.