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This is my first post, but I've been reading the threads regarding OD scope of practice with interest. Lots of good opinions from both side of the fence.
My question is this. It seems that patients, legislators, and the general public have a tough time telling between optometrists and ophthalmologists. This isn't too hard to understand, considering that optometrists rarely identify themselves as ODs. Generally, their signs say "Dr. Johnson" without any initials afterwards. Personally, I don't know of any MDs or DOs that don't affix their initials to their names so they can be properly recognized by the community. In an age when the government tells me that I can't buy a bag of chips without first having the opportunity to read about every single ingredient contained within, I think our patients have the right to be able to identify their treating doctor. We need a law mandating that doctors identify themselves by degree in advertisements, letterhead, and signage. The more the public can identify which doctors provide which care, the easier it will be to define scope of practice.
My question is this. It seems that patients, legislators, and the general public have a tough time telling between optometrists and ophthalmologists. This isn't too hard to understand, considering that optometrists rarely identify themselves as ODs. Generally, their signs say "Dr. Johnson" without any initials afterwards. Personally, I don't know of any MDs or DOs that don't affix their initials to their names so they can be properly recognized by the community. In an age when the government tells me that I can't buy a bag of chips without first having the opportunity to read about every single ingredient contained within, I think our patients have the right to be able to identify their treating doctor. We need a law mandating that doctors identify themselves by degree in advertisements, letterhead, and signage. The more the public can identify which doctors provide which care, the easier it will be to define scope of practice.