Do any of you wish you had gone to med school

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I looked into med school but think I made the right choice with optometry school. I basically studied for the OAT by studying for the MCAT. I made a 27 on the MCAT first try, not great but ok. I bounced around a good bit. I was in engineering for two years of undergrad (one in chem e), then switched to biology and pondered research, med school, and optometry.
 
Nope. I always thought optometry was interesting and never thought that about any other medical field. So far, I still feel the same way.
 
i think the answers may change after people leave their school and realize there are states where medical insurances won't let you on their panels and the vision plan only gives you 20-50% of your expected exam fees. Oh, and they also say what you can charge for almost everything in your office.

Add in the most likely place you'll be working right out of school, the troubles with buying/partnering, etc.

There are shortages in other fields... occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc. and there are many many other fields to make more money, if that is what you want.
 
I've never had any desire to attend medical school. I've always wanted to do optometry. Not everyone feels so strongly about optometry, though. I think you should go with what you feel the most passion about.
 
SarahLorraine said:
I am trying to decide if I should go for med school or optometry school. I just wanted to hear any opinions on this. Thanks!
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I wanted a life, I chose optometry. 😛

like everyone else...you should choose what you're interested in. Shadow a few physicians and optometrists to help!
if you like driving your hummer and drinking a latte in the morning, you might want to choose something other than the health professions.
 
Frankly, I still think "what if I went to Med School" every now and then, but it all boils down to the lifestyle that I want (and life as an MD is not for me). I know that I will be in the military and my family will be making some sacrifices, but if I was an MD, I wouldn't want them to continue the sacrifices even after my service (many, if not most MDs work very long hours). That's why optometry would be best for me overall.

But why do I question myself now and then? Well, with any field, optometry does have its negatives (and these are nothing new): limited scope of practice, less respect/prestige as an OD vs MD, job outlook highly competitive in places that I want to practice in (i.e. California), etc. But again, these factors are overcome by the time available for family as an optometrist vs. an MD.

So ultimately, it all boils down to whether you're willing to live the lifestyle of an MD or not.
 
SarahLorraine said:
I am trying to decide if I should go for med school or optometry school. I just wanted to hear any opinions on this. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Do I wish I had gone to medical school?

After reading the "Gonioscopy Injury" thread... maybe!!!

😱 😱 😱 :scared: :scared: :scared:

😛
 
prettygreeneyes said:
Do I wish I had gone to medical school?

After reading the "Gonioscopy Injury" thread... maybe!!!

😱 😱 😱 :scared: :scared: :scared:

😛
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Ohh, i really hope the Gonioscopy Injury thread doesn't dissuade any from optometry. :laugh:

I still LOVE optometry!
 
JennyJet said:
Ohh, i really hope the Gonioscopy Injury thread doesn't dissuade any from optometry. :laugh:

I still LOVE optometry!
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and i thought being blasted with an o scope for half an hour sucked
 
oh, the irony of having a permanent corneal scar from a gonioscopy injury and then not being able to get reimbursed for it after you graduate. i'm not sure which hurts more.
 
my only reason for periodically thinking "what if i went to med school" is due to the state of the optometric profession. oversupply and overtrained for current scope. if these two were gone, id be a much happier OD.
 
drgregory said:
my only reason for periodically thinking "what if i went to med school" is due to the state of the optometric profession. oversupply and overtrained for current scope. if these two were gone, id be a much happier OD.
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Maybe there is something to the oversupply but-
With all due respect intended...I think that being overtrained for current scope is a benefit to optometry. For example, there was recently a change in scope in N.C. for injections, that was due to over training in some optometry schools and hard work by optometrists of the state. I feel that it benefits our profesion and allows Us to provide further primary eye care and makes it easier for scope of practice to improve in each state. Think back just 20+ years ago and all the changes that have taken place in optometry's favor over that time... that gives me a lot of hope for Our future.

Having digressed- I never wished that I had went to med school, but the originator of the thread should consider it. You need to research what specialty you may want in medicine and then look into the lifestyle as well as workstyle for that specialty verses optometry. Really think what occupation and lifestyle will make you happiest in the end; for me it became and is being an optometrist.👍
 
drgregory said:
my only reason for periodically thinking "what if i went to med school" is due to the state of the optometric profession. oversupply and overtrained for current scope. if these two were gone, id be a much happier OD.
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You'd be a happier OD... but what would you have to post about? 😉 😛
 
Hello Dr. Gregory may I ask how you think location factors into the oversupply issue? It seems that in metropolitan areas, especially near Opt. schools, oversupply could be crippling, but in less desirable locales and smaller towns do you still think oversupply is an issue?
 
ZSclark said:
Hello Dr. Gregory may I ask how you think location factors into the oversupply issue? It seems that in metropolitan areas, especially near Opt. schools, oversupply could be crippling, but in less desirable locales and smaller towns do you still think oversupply is an issue?
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our group has two offices in metro areas and one in small town area (pop of about 1200). many of the persons even in the small town area drive 50 miles to get their "free eye exam with purchase of two pairs of glasses for $99". the fallout from this prostitution is nationwide. poor young OD in the back is only getting paid $19/exam so she has to churn out 5/hour without a tech just to make it. so you get poor care, devaluation of services, a large radius from corporate locales. same thing goes with "private" spectacle peddlers who scurry away at the sight of a red eye, but are more than happy to "recommend" 3 pairs of specs.
 
SarahLorraine said:
I am trying to decide if I should go for med school or optometry school. I just wanted to hear any opinions on this. Thanks!
Click to expand...

to answer the original question "do any of you wish you went to med school"

for me: heck no! i am very happy with my decision to be an optometrist. i am very interested in the field, and i couldn't imagine doing anything else. i love it! if you like the idea of going to med school and are still interested in the eyes and surgery, think about being an ophthalmologist. i was not at all interested in the idea of surgery, so of course i don't at all wish i would have went to med school!
 
drgregory said:
our group has two offices in metro areas and one in small town area (pop of about 1200). many of the persons even in the small town area drive 50 miles to get their "free eye exam with purchase of two pairs of glasses for $99". the fallout from this prostitution is nationwide. poor young OD in the back is only getting paid $19/exam so she has to churn out 5/hour without a tech just to make it. so you get poor care, devaluation of services, a large radius from corporate locales. same thing goes with "private" spectacle peddlers who scurry away at the sight of a red eye, but are more than happy to "recommend" 3 pairs of specs.
Click to expand...

it's a bait and switch tactic. a friend of mine went in for that and came out 400 dollar poorer. there were a lot of hidden fees/special addons for the lenses/frames. and the only glasses u could get for 99 were the crappy ones no normal person would buy. i told him to complain to bbb.
 
SarahLorraine said:
I am trying to decide if I should go for med school or optometry school. I just wanted to hear any opinions on this. Thanks!
Click to expand...

i wish I had gone to the school of ROCK!!
Rock Stars are way cooler than OD's...it's true.
 
I think I would have been better off as an omd. Think about it you have no limitations. Contacts, specs, lasik, primary and secondary care. Some omd's do cosmetics (making people look beautiful to quote my partner). That's not to bad. Of course I found this out after optometry school.
 
blazenmadison said:
it's a bait and switch tactic. a friend of mine went in for that and came out 400 dollar poorer. there were a lot of hidden fees/special addons for the lenses/frames. and the only glasses u could get for 99 were the crappy ones no normal person would buy. i told him to complain to bbb.
Click to expand...
I worked for a chain this summer, and we had many people come in who saw the ads, expected to get 2 for 99, and ended up paying a couple hundred dollars. The 2 for 99 deal is only for frames that are 69.95 or less and single vision plastic lenses with no extra coatings. There were very few frames actually marked 69.95 or less, but even if you pick frames more than that you just pay the additional frame cost over the promotional cost. Some of these people were rather pissed when they realized that the lenses alone for some of the progressives were actually 250. They still got a good deal though. I don't see how the private docs can compete with the prices at these places. The whole time I worked there we had a 59.95 frame sale, so as long as you paid full price for the lenses (80 for plastic, 130 for poly), you could get even $250 designer frames for $59.95.
 
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