An apology

[posner]

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After sending both Ben and KHE pms regarding the downward spiral of many of the threads I have started or posted, I felt I owed the SD community an apology. I apolgize for coming across boastful about my practice. Not only is it self-serving in some strange way, it really goes against the intention of this forum which I feel was to bring people together to exchange ideas in an attemtp to move the profession forward. I have gone back and read many of my posts, and I have unnecessarily made the specifics of my practice public knowledge. In doing so, I have come to learn that there are many things I need to do better. KHE and Ben have pointed out on several occasions that there are many things that make up a successful practice beyond the money you earn. While my practice may be a high grossing practice(in spite of what others think is an impossibly large patient volume), there are no doubt many of you that enjoy a much larger net and that run much more efficient operations. I hope to learn some of these things from you.

I also acknowledge that my way of running a practice is not necessarily the best way. I do however, believe that providing excellent patient care and exceeding patient expectations are the cornerstones of building any successful practice. While I will not try to make any excuses for my disapproval of corporate optometry in all forms and my strong views on many issues surrounding optometry, I will make every effort to refrain from blowing my own horn unless specifically asked.

In a strange way this forum has become some wierd type of daily affirmation for me(maybe because deep down I feel I should have continued medical school after my first year..who knows?). Nevertheless, I hope you all will accept my apology and that we can move on from here.

Posner

 

[Ben Chudner]

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread to discuss this, but I didn't feel like starting a new thread. I think the obvious pride that Posner has for his practice is very important. The numbers, inflated or accurate, are not really that important. What is important is the fact that he is able to succeed in private practice. This is the message that I want to get across to students. Unfortunately, our profession is headed for difficult times.

Before I go into that, I do not want to get accused of being anti-optometry. I am a private practice optometrist. I was very fortunate to purchase a successful practice. Because of my practice, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout the US and even to Europe to lecture to doctors, students and industry reps about contact lenses and the future of optometry. I love this profession as it has been very good to me, and I don't necessarily mean in terms of money.

The difficult times ahead have a lot to do with the number of optometrists graduating every year. I have not seen any credible data to support the idea that we will have a shortage of optometrists in the future. For that matter, I have not seen any credible data to support the idea that we have an oversupply. I can only tell you what I see, so here it is. I see a large number of optometrists graduating each year (with even more to come with the new schools) having difficulty finding full-time work in private practices. Those that can find work, have so much debt that the practice cannot afford to pay them what they believe they need to make ends meet. In my opinion, this is why doctors are headed into the corporate locations. I have no idea the type of care they provide, nor do I really think it matters to this discussion. The fact that they can provide care (competent or not) for such a small amount of money is what will eventually destroy our profession as we know it. Add to that the buy one get one free mentality of the opticals that these doctors are located next to, and we are in real trouble.

When I say we, that really does not include all of us. Practices such as mine, Posner's, and Dr. Gregory's will be just fine. We have grown to such a size that we can rely more on services than materials. Yes, we still sell glasses and contacts, but I assure you none of us believes are are in competition with the big boxes. If patients walk with their prescription, we do not get upset like a lot of our colleagues do. It's because we know that if we try to compete for those coupon patients, we cannot win. Wal-mart, Costco, Sam's CLub, etc have us beat in the discount market. We know this, unlike so many of our colleagues that feel that the only way to survive is to try to beat them. Those practices will either go bankrupt, or be pruchased by practices like mine. That's why I believe that the future of optometry will be group practices that provide complete eyecare, and corporate practices that provide refractions with a health check. There will not be solo practices in the future because they will be two small to compete with either the group practice or the corporate chain.

Will we ever have a shortage of optometrists in this country? Maybe, but by then it will be too late. More and more doctors are graduating, but not many are retiring yet. Until they do, there just is no place for these new docs to go but corporate, especially as the cost of eduction continues to increase at a much higher rate then the average gross for an optometric practice. Since these older docs will have trouble hiring a new grad because they can't afford it (unless they are already a big practice), those docs will work their practices until their patient base dwindles and their practice becomes worthless. And since they will always overestimate the worth of their practice, it will most likely just close.

So, is it all doom and gloom? I don't think so, but we need our students to re-evaluate their professional goals. It is not realistic to expect to make $100,000 a year right away in private practice. Yes, you might hit that number in a corporate location within a year or two, but if you look at the statistics, the long term potential for income is far greater in private practice. Not only in terms of salary, but eventually practice and building ownership. And if money is not what drives you, I would bet that job satisfaction is greater in private practice as well. I know there are those of you in corporate locations that are happy, but let's talk in 20 years.

What should all of you current and future students do about this? Try not to go into too much debt, and find a way to survive on $70K when you first get out. The biggest mistake I see young grads make is they go into corporate for a couple of years without a plan to get out. They get caught up in the money and then cannot afford to take a pay cut. Don't think that just because you have been practicing for 5 years in corporate that a doc will hire you for any more money than he will pay a new grad.

Optometry is a great profession. I have never regretted my decision to enter into it. I wish you all, both student and doctors, nothing but success in your future.

 

[KHE]

In my opinion, there is no need for any apology.

People who own successful practices should be encouraged to post here. It would be a shame if they stopped. I would just caution you to be diligent about the accuracy of the claims that you make or perhaps clarify them better because while students may not know the difference, to those of us who have worked in, managed, or owned a private optometric office they have sometimes been confusing and contradictory. When they get wrapped around heated rhetoric, people start to think that the claims made are being fabricated.

I agree with the vast majority of things that you have said about how a successful optometric practice should operate and on relationships with other health care providers. I think you can be a valueable resource to the students on this forum and I would encouarge you to continue postings. 👍

After sending both Ben and KHE pms regarding the downward spiral of many of the threads I have started or posted, I felt I owed the SD community an apology. I apolgize for coming across boastful about my practice. Not only is it self-serving in some strange way, it really goes against the intention of this forum which I feel was to bring people together to exchange ideas in an attemtp to move the profession forward. I have gone back and read many of my posts, and I have unnecessarily made the specifics of my practice public knowledge. In doing so, I have come to learn that there are many things I need to do better. KHE and Ben have pointed out on several occasions that there are many things that make up a successful practice beyond the money you earn. While my practice may be a high grossing practice(in spite of what others think is an impossibly large patient volume), there are no doubt many of you that enjoy a much larger net and that run much more efficient operations. I hope to learn some of these things from you.

I also acknowledge that my way of running a practice is not necessarily the best way. I do however, believe that providing excellent patient care and exceeding patient expectations are the cornerstones of building any successful practice. While I will not try to make any excuses for my disapproval of corporate optometry in all forms and my strong views on many issues surrounding optometry, I will make every effort to refrain from blowing my own horn unless specifically asked.

In a strange way this forum has become some wierd type of daily affirmation for me(maybe because deep down I feel I should have continued medical school after my first year..who knows?). Nevertheless, I hope you all will accept my apology and that we can move on from here.

Posner

 

[Ben Chudner]

In my opinion, there is no need for any apology.

People who own successful practices should be encouraged to post here. It would be a shame if they stopped. I would just caution you to be diligent about the accuracy of the claims that you make or perhaps clarify them better because while students may not know the difference, to those of us who have worked in, managed, or owned a private optometric office they have sometimes been confusing and contradictory. When they get wrapped around heated rhetoric, people start to think that the claims made are being fabricated.

I agree with the vast majority of things that you have said about how a successful optometric practice should operate and on relationships with other health care providers. I think you can be a valueable resource to the students on this forum and I would encouarge you to continue postings. 👍

I agree, and after talking to Posner on the phone today I believe he has a lot to offer this forum.

 

[drgregory]

hell, its probably my fanatic tactics that require an apology. so, im sorry.

 

[Ben Chudner]

hell, its probably my fanatic tactics that require an apology. so, im sorry.

You're fanatic? About what?

 

[posner]

Just noticed the time of your post Ben. How about some ambien or lunesta?

Posner

 

[Ben Chudner]

Just noticed the time of your post Ben. How about some ambien or lunesta?

Posner

Yeah, I was at an end of year poker tournament that a buddy and I run. It ran a little late and the hotel room had internet access.