retail stores

Zopt9 · Mar 2, 2011

I noticed that the optometry schools do not like retail optical stores. Why is that exactly?
Why do the schools particularly like independent private practitioner?

Commando303 · Mar 2, 2011

Zopt9 said:
I noticed that the optometry schools do not like retail optical stores (Costco, Walmart, etc). Why is that exactly?
Why do the schools particularly like independent private practitioner?

"Like" in what way? Were you told this during your interview?

Zopt9 · Mar 3, 2011

According to optometrists I shadowed and other sources I don't recall. Somehow in my mind, I always thought that the schools prefer you to be a private practitioner. In the interview, would the school ask what do I think about the retail optical stores ?

PBEA · Mar 3, 2011

Zopt9 said:
I noticed that the optometry schools do not like retail optical stores (Costco, Walmart, etc). Why is that exactly?
Why do the schools particularly like independent private practitioner?

corporate opticals reduce every pt encounter (regardless of entering complaint or history) to a refraction and sale of glasses/contact lenses. It's only about sales, meeting quotas, etc and has very little to do with actual healthcare (caring for a pt). Less doctoring and more business 101, and may cast optometry in a negative light. I think many private practice ODs resent being compared to the mallmarts because many ODs like acting in the pt best interest (their health, their needs, etc), and will more likely practice full-scope ethical optometry. More doctoring and less business 101, thereby elevating the profession, and reflecting postively on their colleagues.

Commando303 · Mar 3, 2011

Zopt9 said:
According to optometrists I shadowed and other sources I don't recall. Somehow in my mind, I always thought that the schools prefer you to be a private practitioner. In the interview, would the school ask what do I think about the retail optical stores ?

I asked because that's how it seemed: as if you weren't really citing any particular school or incident, but echoing some vague generality. Of course, individuals you meet will have opinions, but I much doubt any college of optometry would adopt a position on how or where you should practice. If you're genuinely concerned the school at which you're interviewed will hold against you your desire to work in a retail setting, don't be (they might ask you why you wish to do so, but they may as likely question why you wish to work privately just answer); if you were simply trying to elicit some inflamed responses in this thread, I wish you the worst of luck in doing so.

362.04 · Mar 4, 2011

In my opinion and in my view, schools prefer their students seek out private practices, because I think that they are more likely to donate back to their schools.

For example, a private practice doctor who can make it big (and it is still possible) is more inclined or may even be more able to donate back as opposed to a employed OD who has a cap on their salaries.

Commando303 · Mar 5, 2011

362.04 said:
In my opinion and in my view, schools prefer their students seek out private practices, because I think that they are more likely to donate back to their schools.

For example, a private practice doctor who can make it big (and it is still possible) is more inclined or may even be more able to donate back as opposed to a employed OD who has a cap on their salaries.

...I don't know how logical that it.

Anyway, I doubt I'd throw a dime the way of my school. Do you donate to yours?

IndianaOD · Mar 5, 2011

Commando303 said:
...I don't know how logical that it.

Anyway, I doubt I'd throw a dime the way of my school. Do you donate to yours?

Until this oversupply issue is under control (which doesn't look to happen) I told my school I would never donate.

If they want to cut enrollment a bit to help me make a decent income I'll throw them a dime.

socal2014 · Mar 6, 2011

IndianaOD said:
Until this oversupply issue is under control (which doesn't look to happen) I told my school I would never donate.

If they want to cut enrollment a bit to help me make a decent income I'll throw them a dime.

Just curious, how much would you donate if there was no oversupply?

I don't think it matters to the school if they do not receive your donation (or, the other OD's who graduated from said school), when instead, they can receive $30,000 YEARLY, from most students.

Frankly, OD's, as practitioners, cannot force schools to lower their seats.

Commando303 · Mar 6, 2011

socal2014 said:
Just curious, how much would you donate if there was no oversupply?

I don't think it matters to the school if they do not receive your donation (or, the other OD's who graduated from said school), when instead, they can receive $30,000 YEARLY, from most students.

Frankly, OD's, as practitioners, cannot force schools to lower their seats.

That's partly why I think it doesn't makes sense that recent (say, early 21st-century) graduates of O.D. programs would turn back and donate to their schools they likely paid a hell of a lot more in tuition and fees than they ever should have been charged. Even if they go on to rake in huge heaps of cash, I don't see them feeling compelled to give more to an institution that already took well beyond what it ought to have.

Zopt9 · Mar 7, 2011

Commando303 said:
I asked because that's how it seemed: as if you weren't really citing any particular school or incident, but echoing some vague generality. Of course, individuals you meet will have opinions, but I much doubt any college of optometry would adopt a position on how or where you should practice. If you're genuinely concerned the school at which you're interviewed will hold against you your desire to work in a retail setting, don't be (they might ask you why you wish to do so, but they may as likely question why you wish to work privately — just answer); if you were simply trying to elicit some inflamed responses in this thread, I wish you the worst of luck in doing so.

I am not trying to elicit any inflamed responses. I just posted this thread, out of my curiosity according to what I have heard why is the situation the way it is. I have no intention of creating bad responses. I'm so sorry if I have caused any misunderstanding.

socal2014 · Mar 7, 2011

Zopt9 said:
I am not trying to elicit any inflamed responses. I just posted this thread, out of my curiosity according to what I have heard why is the situation the way it is. I have no intention of creating bad responses. I'm so sorry if I have caused any misunderstanding.

Greed.

Shnurek · Mar 8, 2011

socal2014 said:
Greed.

Hater.

I am beginning to dislike these forums. More than half the people just come on here to talk s**t, instead of having intellectual conversations.

blazenmadison · Mar 8, 2011

Zopt9 said:
I noticed that the optometry schools do not like retail optical stores. Why is that exactly?
Why do the schools particularly like independent private practitioner?

Not necessarily true. Schools encourage private practice but they know a soon to be majority of graduating ODs will be working corporate as fill-in/part-time or full-time. The practice mode of optometry is changing. Patients want convenience, affordability, and quality. Notice I put quality last. Private practice still is possible through preservance but the opportunities are dwindling.

Schools do not want to 'shut' out their corporate alumni. Schools also receive hefty donations from Walmart/LUX.

PBEA · Mar 8, 2011

blazenmadison said:
Patients want convenience, affordability, and quality.

roughly translated that means ODs will have to work till 9pm every weekend, doing 10 min refractive exams at $40-$50 a pop. The sole purpose of which is to stimulate or give the impression that the "patient" needs new glasses. If you don't steer them into the optical next door, be forewarned, I see some GED optician waiting to scold you. Make sure you newly minted ODs brush up on your sales tactics, you are gonna need em.

20DOC20 · Mar 21, 2011

Originally Posted by Zopt9
I noticed that the optometry schools do not like retail optical stores. Why is that exactly?
Why do the schools particularly like independent private practitioner?

I'm an expert in this area.

I've been working commercial optometry all but one year out of my 15 years of practice.

The question you should first ask yourself is this: Why is there such a high doctor-turn over rate at such places as Lenscrafters, America's best, Vista Optical, Sears optical, etc ... ???

The person who hires you is usually an optician who was once a store manager who manages a district of stores. Sometimes there's a person one rung-up in upper-mid-level management who does the recruiting. This person was probably also an optician at one time. They woo you. They smile at you. They'll bend over backward to get you to sign a lease contract. Most of these contracts have a one-year non-compete clause within a certain radius, usually 2-5 miles. This doesn't matter if you work in a city. If you work in a small town though and want to do moonlighting, you can't, or else you'll get sued. And they do enforce these clauses.

Time goes on. You're doing well. Maybe a couple years, in fact. Then, someone decides that your practice isn't growing fast enough, or, another OD has come along and has offered your lessor a better contract deal (better for the company, not the OD) and the next thing you know, you're given a pink slip. The companies cover themselves here, too. They can dismiss you without cause. Sometimes they're required to give you 30-days notice, but most of the time there is no notice required and your out on your rear.

But before they yank your lease, they light the fires. Examine more patients per hour, per their desires. Work according to the hours that they desire. They'll even cap your fees, or they'll pull your lease. They don't give a hoot about patient care. None of them do. I've worked for four major commercial companies. They're all the same.

They woo you initially telling you that you'll have your own practice and that you'll be self employed and that you can set your own hours and fees. But once it looks like you're not doing as well as you should, OR if you're doing too well to attract the attention of an OD who will steal your lease, look out. You have no rights and they lord that lease over you and make a puppet out of you.

It's an illusion to believe that any part of these practices are your own. In some cases, even your patient files are owned in some respect by your lessor, depending on state law. The only thing that is yours is any equipment you buy. That's really it. Everything else is, at all times, up for sale to the highest OD bidder seeking a job.

Optometry schools are just trying to protect you.

See, once you start working commerical, it's hard to stop. Your non-compete clause stops you from starting your own practice with that same patient base, well, unless you're willing to wait until it expires. Private OD's, I believe ... though I could be amiss ... will be less likely to hire you as an associate because there is a re-adapation phase from commercial to private. I could be wrong though. And then there's the stigma of it all which you will experience at your OD meetings. All of this really traps you.

After 15 years, I've grown tired of all the politics. I'm tired of having no control over the products being sold to my patients. Tired of having no control over staff. Tired of staff whining when I ask them to do a contact lens teach. Tired of having a less educated person as my boss. I'm tired of the treachery and unethical behavior of mid-level management. I'm tired of having my lease lorded over me like a guillotine. I had all this time been searching for a commercial situation where the company was ethical and this situation doesn't exist.

I've been asked in my career to steal 2 OD leases. I refuse. I have a conscience.

I'm planning on starting my own private practice, recession or not. I've had enough and I can't stand no more.

Plus, the one thing the commercial doctor recruiters fail to disclose is how much money you can make selling glasses. Instead of grossing around 70 per patient, you could gross 175 to 200 per patient (average. Some patients will spend 400 on the glasses alone).

Private practice is more expensive initially, but it pays for itself in more ways than one. Really, you should ask yourself the value of your self-respect and autonomy in your patient care. It's taken me 15 years to figure out that both are priceless.

Learn from my mistakes, young one.

Shnurek · Mar 21, 2011

20DOC20,

That was a very good post and thank you for it. We need more financially savvy people that go into optometry and then not spend decades afterward paying off the debt. We seriously need to get rid of this commercial plague that is befalling our profession. I really hope with my life savings and my low in-state tuition I will never have to work commercial.

Student debt is really the killer and with these new "tuition mill" schools opening up with average 3.1 GPA entrance requirements, we will not see commercial go away any time soon unless we take an active role like the ADA did with the dental schools.

http://www.optometric.com/article.aspx?article=71790

DawgOD · Mar 21, 2011

Good post 20Doc20... ::thumbs up::

IndianaOD · Mar 21, 2011

DawgOD said:
Good post 20Doc20... ::thumbs up::

I wish we could sticky 20Doc's post. Stuff like this about many commercial locations is what I hear but it is nice the hear it honestly from a doc that has been there.

DILLIGAF · Mar 21, 2011

1st of all, let me say that 20doc20's post was one of the best I have seen in my short time on SDN. It was informed, balanced, and honest. I cannot replicate his experiences in my own, only to add my own, much lessened, experiences in retail.

I worked in retail for CostCo for 2 years directly out of school. I had done a residency, but was forced by a family situation to an area I would otherwise have no desire to practice in. I know that this is not normal, but at the time I had to sign a contract that stipulated a 200(!!!!) mile radius around a not-so-large NC town. Seeing as I was not planning on staying after my situation had improved, I signed it. The salary was good (83k...this was late 90's) and it was "my own store" so they said. I actually did an interview with what I later learned was a floor manager....if that doesn't seem right to you, read it three more times fast.

With that said, I was given a lot of leeway as far as what to stock, patients to see, etc. The store was opening, and I was there (this was made very clear to me) to give people another reason to come into CostCo. The first year went pretty well....by the time my new contract came due, the game had changed. I was told almost to the person the number of patients I would see, when my new hours would be (saturdays were obligatory now), and was given a new "optical director" that was a terror. She knew nothing of medicine, optometry, anything really; she was a numbers person, pure and simple.

If one would like an example, the prices for EACH FRAME were to be adjusted every month, based on "demand curves" that came from the company. This meant that I would have a patient buy a pair of glasses, pay a certain price, and come back 10 days later (during the switch) and see that the price had halved, or doubled, or usually at least changed by 20-30 dollars....this was the degree to which minutia of money was important to them.

On the medical side, I was told what steps must be taken to shorten my exam times. I am, just by old school, a big fan of doing BIO to every patient. It gives me details that 90D may not pickup....this was axed. It had to be in order to get under their times. I also cut gonio from non-suspects, binoc balance on all pt's, and others, all to get under the line and fight against their current to maintain even basic medical liability standards. For someone that had spent a year plus in a VA hospital residency painstaking over the care of every patient, and given nearly unlimited power for labs, tests, etc, this was soul crushing. I hated optometry more than I could ever explain.

So yes, most schools (very rightly) condemn that model for the destruction it does to our credibility, our pocketbooks, and our progression as doctors. I eventually moved away. I actually took my copy of the contract (will never forget this) to a gun range after my last day. It was that awful for me.

But looking back, I now know the enemy very well. When I started by 1st practice a year or so later (it had crashed and burned, bought it for pennies on the dollar), I had one simple model: Remember CostCo, and do the exact opposite...seems to work so far :luck:

hope this helps you understand.

socal2014 · Mar 23, 2011

20DOC20 said:
I'm an expert in this area.

I've been working commercial optometry all but one year out of my 15 years of practice.

The question you should first ask yourself is this: Why is there such a high doctor-turn over rate at such places as Lenscrafters, America's best, Vista Optical, Sears optical, etc ... ???

The person who hires you is usually an optician who was once a store manager who manages a district of stores. Sometimes there's a person one rung-up in upper-mid-level management who does the recruiting. This person was probably also an optician at one time. They woo you. They smile at you. They'll bend over backward to get you to sign a lease contract. Most of these contracts have a one-year non-compete clause within a certain radius, usually 2-5 miles. This doesn't matter if you work in a city. If you work in a small town though and want to do moonlighting, you can't, or else you'll get sued. And they do enforce these clauses.

Time goes on. You're doing well. Maybe a couple years, in fact. Then, someone decides that your practice isn't growing fast enough, or, another OD has come along and has offered your lessor a better contract deal (better for the company, not the OD) and the next thing you know, you're given a pink slip. The companies cover themselves here, too. They can dismiss you without cause. Sometimes they're required to give you 30-days notice, but most of the time there is no notice required and your out on your rear.

But before they yank your lease, they light the fires. Examine more patients per hour, per their desires. Work according to the hours that they desire. They'll even cap your fees, or they'll pull your lease. They don't give a hoot about patient care. None of them do. I've worked for four major commercial companies. They're all the same.

They woo you initially telling you that you'll have your own practice and that you'll be self employed and that you can set your own hours and fees. But once it looks like you're not doing as well as you should, OR if you're doing too well to attract the attention of an OD who will steal your lease, look out. You have no rights and they lord that lease over you and make a puppet out of you.

It's an illusion to believe that any part of these practices are your own. In some cases, even your patient files are owned in some respect by your lessor, depending on state law. The only thing that is yours is any equipment you buy. That's really it. Everything else is, at all times, up for sale to the highest OD bidder seeking a job.

Optometry schools are just trying to protect you.

See, once you start working commerical, it's hard to stop. Your non-compete clause stops you from starting your own practice with that same patient base, well, unless you're willing to wait until it expires. Private OD's, I believe ... though I could be amiss ... will be less likely to hire you as an associate because there is a re-adapation phase from commercial to private. I could be wrong though. And then there's the stigma of it all which you will experience at your OD meetings. All of this really traps you.

After 15 years, I've grown tired of all the politics. I'm tired of having no control over the products being sold to my patients. Tired of having no control over staff. Tired of staff whining when I ask them to do a contact lens teach. Tired of having a less educated person as my boss. I'm tired of the treachery and unethical behavior of mid-level management. I'm tired of having my lease lorded over me like a guillotine. I had all this time been searching for a commercial situation where the company was ethical and this situation doesn't exist.

I've been asked in my career to steal 2 OD leases. I refuse. I have a conscience.

I'm planning on starting my own private practice, recession or not. I've had enough and I can't stand no more.

Plus, the one thing the commercial doctor recruiters fail to disclose is how much money you can make selling glasses. Instead of grossing around 70 per patient, you could gross 175 to 200 per patient (average. Some patients will spend 400 on the glasses alone).

Private practice is more expensive initially, but it pays for itself in more ways than one. Really, you should ask yourself the value of your self-respect and autonomy in your patient care. It's taken me 15 years to figure out that both are priceless.

Learn from my mistakes, young one.

But wouldn't oversupply cause a fine graduate to go through such measures in order to pay back their excessive debt?

I don't think you made a mistake, as you point out. It was rather the optometric atmosphere which caused you to choose corporate rather than private. This will only be more of a standard, working at corporate stores, in the near future.

IndianaOD · Mar 25, 2011

DILLIGAF said:
1st of all, let me say that 20doc20's post was one of the best I have seen in my short time on SDN. It was informed, balanced, and honest. I cannot replicate his experiences in my own, only to add my own, much lessened, experiences in retail.

I worked in retail for CostCo for 2 years directly out of school. I had done a residency, but was forced by a family situation to an area I would otherwise have no desire to practice in. I know that this is not normal, but at the time I had to sign a contract that stipulated a 200(!!!!) mile radius around a not-so-large NC town. Seeing as I was not planning on staying after my situation had improved, I signed it. The salary was good (83k...this was late 90's) and it was "my own store" so they said. I actually did an interview with what I later learned was a floor manager....if that doesn't seem right to you, read it three more times fast.

With that said, I was given a lot of leeway as far as what to stock, patients to see, etc. The store was opening, and I was there (this was made very clear to me) to give people another reason to come into CostCo. The first year went pretty well....by the time my new contract came due, the game had changed. I was told almost to the person the number of patients I would see, when my new hours would be (saturdays were obligatory now), and was given a new "optical director" that was a terror. She knew nothing of medicine, optometry, anything really; she was a numbers person, pure and simple.

If one would like an example, the prices for EACH FRAME were to be adjusted every month, based on "demand curves" that came from the company. This meant that I would have a patient buy a pair of glasses, pay a certain price, and come back 10 days later (during the switch) and see that the price had halved, or doubled, or usually at least changed by 20-30 dollars....this was the degree to which minutia of money was important to them.

On the medical side, I was told what steps must be taken to shorten my exam times. I am, just by old school, a big fan of doing BIO to every patient. It gives me details that 90D may not pickup....this was axed. It had to be in order to get under their times. I also cut gonio from non-suspects, binoc balance on all pt's, and others, all to get under the line and fight against their current to maintain even basic medical liability standards. For someone that had spent a year plus in a VA hospital residency painstaking over the care of every patient, and given nearly unlimited power for labs, tests, etc, this was soul crushing. I hated optometry more than I could ever explain.

So yes, most schools (very rightly) condemn that model for the destruction it does to our credibility, our pocketbooks, and our progression as doctors. I eventually moved away. I actually took my copy of the contract (will never forget this) to a gun range after my last day. It was that awful for me.

But looking back, I now know the enemy very well. When I started by 1st practice a year or so later (it had crashed and burned, bought it for pennies on the dollar), I had one simple model: Remember CostCo, and do the exact opposite...seems to work so far hope this helps you understand.

Interesting stuff. Do you know if they still price the frames that way? Thanks for your experience.

20DOC20 · Apr 2, 2011

You all are most welcome.

I still have not gotten out of commercial optometry, actually. I'm waiting out my non-compete clause so that I can return to my chosen location and start my own private practice.

And the company I lease from now, I won't mention the name lest I be discovered, is doing everything in their power to stop me from opening a private practice. When I told the District Manager my long-term plans, there was a satisfying look of FEAR on his face. Gosh, it was a precious moment!

I haven't burnt my bridges yet though. I need to get the small-business loan approved first before I tell them to stick their offer where the sun doesn't shine!

They want to get their hands on my patient files and they know I had a 10% cut in the area at my prior commercial location in the same area.

Oh, and I have such plans as to tank at least one commercial location in that area and I DO know my enemies very well, all their dirty little tricks, all the inside info, their prices, their sales techniques and their limitations. This is the reason this particular company is doing everything they can do (all they have over me is bargaining power) to stop me.

I have staff already chosen, too.

And three SWEET locations.

I'm going to have fun next year, after this year of exile ends. Money's tight at the moment.

Anyway, I was going to say that already, my lessor has already lied to me twice and I've only worked for them only two months! I signed a contract with them ... required ... only had a small radius and I'm not returning there later. I signed the contract under false pretenses, which, I believe, makes the contract null and void anyway. It wouldn't stand in court because they LIED to my face. I can't believe these people. The store manager was in on it as well. He lied to me too, to my face.

Just unbelievable. This lease is easy to get out of. There is a cancellation clause, so I'm good.

I won't sign a long-term lease contract with people who lie to me. Their lies will hurt them in the long run.

Anyway, happy shopping! 🙂

Gosh, and ALWAYS read your contract! Read it a couple times. It's a good idea to have a lawyer look at it too. It'll cost you only about 175 dollars in legal fees and that's nothing for peace-of-mind.

AND ... you can get some killer deals on ophthalmic equipment on ebay.

20DOC20 · Apr 2, 2011

I also want to add that these retail locations are bad for optometry in general because they're turning optometrists against one another.

I was offered the lease to this other location if I were to give one more day than the present OD. If I gave them one more day plus a long-term contract (10 years), the store would be mine. I'm not going to do it. (This is the alternative to going solo in the same town).

And at my present location (which I'm really doing just to kill time and keep my bills paid) I was outbid for a contract by someone who hasn't even graduated from optometry school yet! It was so insulting! If I wanted the location, I was to offer 5 days a week and a ten year commitment. I laughed at the DM and told him "no way!" I then asked them if my seniority and experience had any value to them and, really, by his silence, the answer was no.

My replacement is no reflection of my performance. I have had zero glasses remakes and zero patient complaints.

And the poor stupid naive sap who they got for that location ... I feel sorry for him. The store is a 3 day a week store at best. More like 2 and 1/2. And he'll be locked into a 5-day per week contract with a larger non-compete radius than I have. I don't know how easy it is to get out of the longer-term contracts. I wouldn't imagine they'd make it easy.

The store manager keeps complaining that "we're never going to grow this store if we keep changing OD's every five minutes." And he just can't figure out why! Maybe because we find out when you lie to us??? We do talk to each other at OD meetings.

A totally different commercial company offered me the lease to a good store. The only downside was that the store was already "occupied" as this other DM put it. I asked what the other OD had done to deserve having his lease pulled and she said that his store had become "stagnant." Also, she didn't like the doctor.

I told her I knew the doctor, had seen his charts at other locations and that he had a good reputation as an OD. She didn't care. They wanted fresh blood.

I told her I was uncomfortable taking over an occupied lease and she told me that out of all the locations they were advertising on the internet for OD jobs, that only two were unoccupied. This means they have about 20 doctors slated to be fired. WOW!

And this wicked witch proceeds to tell me I'd be seeing patients every 30 minutes and that I was to squish the patients into 3 days per week and that the days couldn't be together. My days off would be split. I protested and she would not hear of it. This was in the lease agreement.

This is illegal in my state. They're not supposed to dictate to you how to run your business. You are an INDEPENDENT doctor of optometry in this state and that means all they do is provide you space. But, they're getting around the laws by incorporating these requirements into your lease agreement.

I don't know why the AOA or the Board of Optometry in each state doesn't DO SOMETHING! These retail corporations use and exploit young optometrists and when they're no longer of use or if the OD becomes wise to their ways, they find someone new to exploit.

Really, the Wal-Marts and America's Bests of this world would go under without optometrists to work in them. I think a lot of the OD's who do work for them start doing so because they are in financial dire straights. I really had no choice even this time. I also didn't want to be dishonest by taking an associateship in a private office ... because I'd be leaving to go home as soon as that lamblasted non-compete clause expires.

I'm giving my notice when the other OD starts in a few months and so there's at least light at the end of the tunnel.

20DOC20 · Apr 2, 2011

And just a warning to new grads ...

Some of these retail companies are employing OD's as doctor recruiters. Now, this job position is one rung up from a District Manager on the corporate management scale. The DM is usually an optician.

Just because an OD represents one of these companies does not mean this company is one of the "good guys." In fact, if such a company must employ an OD to recruit, it must mean they have even more to hide than its competitors.

A new company, Eye Mart Express, is recruiting ODs by telling them it's "An optometrist-owned company." But is it OD managed? I'm thinking not.

Remember, a corporate entity can have many owners. How many owners are actually OD's? I'm suspicious of this outfit because I've seen the workmanship on their glasses. Let's just say they have quality-control issues and if such a company were really OD owned and managed, then the quality of the glasses should be excellent. I've never worked for them though.

I have worked as a private contractor for Costco and what the other OD says is true. I worked for an OD leasing from Costco. I had wondered why my schedule kept getting "tinkered" with!

As a private contractor, I was not bound by the other OD's lease. I was working there on weekends. I had no staff help at all. I had to collect the money, check the patient in and out all myself. I told them I wanted 45 minutes for exams if I were doing this all myself.

Well, for about a month, it was run as I had requested. But suddenly, I'd come into work and the appointments were scheduled 30 min apart!

I asked the optical manager who changed it and he claimed the other OD did. Not them. I confronted the other OD and he had changed it. I wondered "What the heck!!" I told him to put it back to 45 min apart because I can't go that fast. Too much pressure. Had to skip lunch. Patients were getting angry because they had to wait. Others just left.

I couldn't believe it when he told me to, "Just skip tonometry." That would speed me up.

I absolutely refused. He said, "Just write down any number. The Board of optometry will never find out. They don't check." I couldn't believe him! He agreed to 45 min apart when I wouldn't obey.

Well, you know, what he was asking was wrong, but now I realize that he was under pressure from COSTCO for me to go faster. I didn't know that until I read the post from the other OD.

And the story continued.

The schedule would be 45 min apart one weekend, 30 the next. I'd grab the appointment book and circle IN INK when I wanted exams. It would be changed. The optical blamed the leasing OD. "Oh, it's not us!" That's interesting, given that the OPTICAL STAFF were the ones scheduling the appointments. I'd told THEM on at least five occasions to knock it off and schedule patients 45 minutes apart. Ultimately, the buck stopped with them because they answer the freaking phone.

No wonder! That answers some old questions for me. Thanks.

JeffChou · Apr 3, 2011

20DOC20, DILLIGAF,

Thank you for the informed posts and best of luck to the both of you in your private practice endeavors.

I have heard many sides of the corporate/private coin but these first-hand accounts really demonstrate the nature of the corporate work environment.

It seems that although the corporate lease (low overhead and cost of entry, just see patients, no staffing headaches) is the best of the corporate structures, each person's experience can vary dependent on the managers in charge.

One thing that is important for students to remember is that your license is at risk when providing substandard care, no matter where the influence to do so is coming from. These corporate powers that be are not responsible nor liable for anything that happens (or does not happen) in that exam room. Keep that in mind if someone does ask or tell you skip indicated tests, etc.

IndianaOD · Apr 4, 2011

JeffChou said:
20DOC20, DILLIGAF,

Thank you for the informed posts and best of luck to the both of you in your private practice endeavors.

I have heard many sides of the corporate/private coin but these first-hand accounts really demonstrate the nature of the corporate work environment.

It seems that although the corporate lease (low overhead and cost of entry, just see patients, no staffing headaches) is the best of the corporate structures, each person's experience can vary dependent on the managers in charge.

One thing that is important for students to remember is that your license is at risk when providing substandard care, no matter where the influence to do so is coming from. These corporate powers that be are not responsible nor liable for anything that happens (or does not happen) in that exam room. Keep that in mind if someone does ask or tell you skip indicated tests, etc.

The problem is you are still under "their" control. They can yank your lease at any time for any reason. Anyone who thinks that is not control is crazy. If you don't sell them enough glasses it will be see you later gator.

retail stores

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Senior Member

Full Member

SDN Mentor

Full Member

Full Member

Membership Revoked

Full Member

Full Member

Membership Revoked

Membership Revoked

Full Member

Senior Member

Full Member

Membership Revoked

SCO C/o 2014

Full Member

Full Member

Membership Revoked

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Full Member

Your mom goes to college

Full Member

Similar threads