8 years from now........

[AfterMath]

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I know that a lot of practicing OD's are saying that the job market is bad right now, but what does anyone thing it will look like 8 years from. I am a high school senior and i am planning on going into optometry. I have wanted to become an optometrist for about 2 years now, but i dont wanna waste time and money if the job market is still going to be terrible.

 

[cpw]

it all depends on how mobile you are. There are areas that need docs. There are areas that definitely DO NOT need more docs.

Any city with an OD school is going to be over-crowded. Almost anywhere in California is going to be over-crowded. Do some research before you graduate to find an area that's growing rapidly and you'll be fine. Be willing to move !!! I can't stress that enough.

 

[gochi]

I know that a lot of practicing OD's are saying that the job market is bad right now, but what does anyone thing it will look like 8 years from. I am a high school senior and i am planning on going into optometry. I have wanted to become an optometrist for about 2 years now, but i dont wanna waste time and money if the job market is still going to be terrible.

I think it may get worse! More schools will open, demand will increase significantly, thus salary's will be alot lower. Expect getting alot less relative to other degress which require 7-8 yrs of schooling.

 

[longlashes]

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[blazenmadison]

I know that a lot of practicing OD's are saying that the job market is bad right now, but what does anyone thing it will look like 8 years from. I am a high school senior and i am planning on going into optometry. I have wanted to become an optometrist for about 2 years now, but i dont wanna waste time and money if the job market is still going to be terrible.

Ask working ODs in your area. You're going to get a biased answer here. 🙂

 

[4Eyes]

Be willing to move !!! I can't stress that enough.

There's my problem. Unless there are some major unforeseen changes, I'm absolutely unwilling to live anywhere more than an hour outside my hometown. Even an hour is pushing it, depending which direction. Maybe that makes me an idiot, but it's of utmost importance to me to be close to family.

Oh, by the way, all the surrounding towns that would have been PERFECT to start cold filled up with ODs after I started school. 😛

Sigh. Things will be okay though. I think. One way or another.

 

[stonegoat]

4Eyes,

Don't you think it's time to stop suckling at your mother's teat? Honestly, If you limit yourself to living an hour or less from your family, you will miss out on some awesome opportunities.....professional and personal.

 

[paremyd]

There's nothing wrong with wanting to stay local within your community. Sometimes family reasons pull people back to their hometown. i.e. financial, health, etc.

I came from a big family and missed seeing 1/2 of my nephews/nieces grow up after I moved away. It was a huge adjustment and I always think about moving back. I missed all of the birthdays, Mother's Days/ Father's Days. I missed all of the holidays.

The reason I left was due to financial reasons. I couldn't pay back my student debt and live in Southern California.

 

[eyesarecool]

Some people happen to be close to their families stonegoat.

 

[eyesarecool]

4Eyes,

Don't you think it's time to stop suckling at your mother's teat? Honestly, If you limit yourself to living an hour or less from your family, you will miss out on some awesome opportunities.....professional and personal.

Some people are actually close to their families stonegoat.

 

[JAZZEYE]

4Eyes,

Don't you think it's time to stop suckling at your mother's teat? Honestly, If you limit yourself to living an hour or less from your family, you will miss out on some awesome opportunities.....professional and personal.

Personally, I don't have close family ties and would prefer living in a different area of the country that I grew up in.
But I wouldn't take stonegoats remark too seriously sounds like he may be a little jealous that you have already found the place you enjoy the most.
That being said... you may have to move away from home for awhile to get experience and into a financial situation that will make it more likely to someday practice where you prefer to live...and who knows what will happen along the way. Hows the old saying go ...." Life is what happens while your busy making other plans. "
Good Luck !

 

[docwatson]

4Eyes,

Don't you think it's time to stop suckling at your mother's teat? Honestly, If you limit yourself to living an hour or less from your family, you will miss out on some awesome opportunities.....professional and personal.

I've lived in every section of this country and I had 4 licenses at one time. I am now in CT and loving it. I own a fairly large practice and have never looked back. To find this place I did a search in 25 states. I'm telling you, it's not easy to find a good practice.

Clearly, I am not afraid to move.

If you are planning to stay in one community, you better be satisfied with a lower salary. Obviously money is not everything, but be realistic when you say that you have to stay where you are. There is a price to pay. Family life is good though isn't it?

 

[stonegoat]

I did not mean to offend with my comments (actually, I sometimes like to offend, just a little 😉).

I have to say though, I find it annoying that some ODs bitch about the opportunities they encounter, when they limit themselves to a small part of the country. I love my parents, but I'm all grown-up now, so I am happy not living in the same town, county, etc.

I live in one of the most beautiful locations in North America (Kootenay region of BC). If you've been there you would agree. I also own a great practice that is busy and growing.

If you are willing to relocate you will eventually find a great opportunity.

 

[docwatson]

I did not mean to offend with my comments (actually, I sometimes like to offend, just a little 😉).

I have to say though, I find it annoying that some ODs bitch about the opportunities they encounter, when they limit themselves to a small part of the country. I love my parents, but I'm all grown-up now, so I am happy not living in the same town, county, etc.

I live in one of the most beautiful locations in North America (Kootenay region of BC). If you've been there you would agree. I also own a great practice that is busy and growing.

If you are willing to relocate you will eventually find a great opportunity.

Another thing to consider is that we are living in a different time. We have the internet, we have cameras, we have email--in addition to the telephone. Frankly, I left home because I didn't want to be around my family any more!!! The thought of my overbearing mom and now my overbearing mother-in-law living in the same community is frightening.

I now live 3,000 miles from my parents and 2,000 miles from my mother-in-law. 😀 Still love 'em--just don't want them "hanging around."

 

[KHE]

I know that a lot of practicing OD's are saying that the job market is bad right now, but what does anyone thing it will look like 8 years from. I am a high school senior and i am planning on going into optometry. I have wanted to become an optometrist for about 2 years now, but i dont wanna waste time and money if the job market is still going to be terrible.

A couple of things here....

Stop thinking about trying to "get a job." Start thinking about creating a career for yourself. If you just want to "get a job" you'll be working for the man forever, and that's not the position you want to be in.

Also, I don't think anyone can tell you what any profession will be like 8 years from now. Things constantly change and prognosticating is generally not a good idea.

 

[docwatson]

A couple of things here....

Stop thinking about trying to "get a job." Start thinking about creating a career for yourself. If you just want to "get a job" you'll be working for the man forever, and that's not the position you want to be in.

Also, I don't think anyone can tell you what any profession will be like 8 years from now. Things constantly change and prognosticating is generally not a good idea.

Well, you know the guy just graduated from high school. He doesn't have the foggiest clue what it means to be anything right now. To him, working is working, a job is a job.

But you have good points...

Frankly, there aren't any jobs or any careers that are truly glamorous. Everything has it's upsides and downsides. You just have to look at a profession to see if it offers you things that you couldn't get anywhere else. I'm an optometrist because I've always had this independent streak in me. I really have to be the boss or I can't stand it. Yes, I am bossy! Either my way or the highway. I've always been like this. I also like the fact that optometry offers me a decent income that I have control over and I also have control over my hours, because I am a control freak. I also like that it offers me the change to be creative. I design everything for this office. I'm even going to design our the layout of our new building in a few years. The main thing is helping people. I was an engineer in another life and sure I was helping people in sort of a backhanded way. But optometry allows me to help people directly. Each person is like a mini project.

There are downsides of course: Lots of daily documentation--you know tons of paperwork, dealing with unruly patients, dealing with employees, working long hours as a business owner (really has nothing to do with optometry).

Pick the profession that fits YOU the person, YOU the personality, not necessarily what you think you should do. You may not know what you want now and maybe after the first two years of college you will figure that out. You have time. But don't tell yourself that you are going to become something no matter what. I did that and became an engineer. I don't regret it, but it might have been better if I would have stopped after two years and reassessed my position at the time.

 

[IndianaOD]

If you want the silver spoon go dentistry all the way. They've actually lost schools while for some reason they keep making more OD schools. A recent NY Times article chronicled that dentists were raking it in.

 

[4Eyes]

While I'm not taking goat's comment too seriously, I will say this. I am not overly attached to my family, but we are close. I don't necessarily care to see them every day, but I like being able to pick up and see them when I want to without it being a major ordeal. Also, it is a personal conviction of mine to not send my kids to a babysitter someday. My grandparents were always my "babysitters," and I loved being close to my grandparents. I enjoy a very close relationship with them today. Since my parents (as well as my husband's parents) are willing and look forward to watching our kids, we will do the same with our children (when they're not in preschool). Of course I understand that there are a lot of people out there close to their families who don't prioritize proximity the way I do.

Do I understand that this will quite likely limit my options professionally and financially? Of course I do. You won't see me moaning on this site about that because I understand what I'm doing. I don't really care if I pull in a ton of cash as long as I can pay off loans and live reasonably comfortably.

 

[ODhopeful]

Just wanna give a shout out to stonegoat because he/she told 4eyes to "quit sucking ur mom's teats". I thought that was funny as hell. Back to the original question. I hope in 8 years we'll be better off than now, coz any worse, it'll be rock bottom. We need to AOA to attend ADA meetings so they can learn how to help their own, instead of allowing small ass private schools to open up optometry schools any time they feel like it.

 

[JAZZEYE]

Also, I don't think anyone can tell you what any profession will be like 8 years from now. Things constantly change and prognosticating is generally not a good idea.

tru dat

 

[file014]

you are only as far as the nearest airport.