Anyone else DROPOUT of optometry school? On purpose...

[OptDropout08]

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The title is self-explanatory. Anyone? If so, why?

So, my fellow dropouts, what are your next career plans? I think I'm going to embark upon the medical school journey (if I don't win the lottery ) Also, for those who are still in optometry school (or practicing optometrists), do you feel like dropping out (or wish you did if you are practicing) to pursue another career?

Edit: Tried to edit the thread title b/c who drops out on accident? Ha..
Edit 2: Deleted unnecessary comments O🙂

 

[KHE]

The title is self-explanatory. Anyone? If so, why?

I dropped out this past semester b/c:
1. I was bored out of my mind.
2. It's repetitive and I couldn't see myself saying, "Which one is better, one or two?" for the rest of my life.
3. Optometry is a limited profession and I realized I had to refer the "good stuff" to the Ophth's

**So, my fellow dropouts, what are your next career plans? I think I'm going to embark upon the medical school journey (if I don't win the lottery ) Also, for those who are still in optometry school (or practicing optometrists), do you feel like dropping out (or wish you did if you are practicing) to pursue another career?

Edit: Tried to edit the thread title b/c who drops out on accident? Ha...

I do not regret being an optometrist. I've been at it for over 8 years now, and I enjoy going to work every day. I get paid great money to help people see better. I own my own my business now, and life is good.

Of course, anyone who knows my story knows that this wasn't always the case. I actually took some time off from practicing optometry to teach high school math and science, something that I enjoyed very much and there is a good chance I would still be doing it if the current situation I'm in had not come along.

A few things:

1) Optometry is not "one or two" for your whole life.
2) I don't know what you mean by "the good stuff" when you talk about referring out but everything that I refer out I consider to be the "NOT good stuff" so I'm more than happy to refer it out.

I do NOT regret anything that I have done. If you have decided on the path you have chosen, then all the more power to you. I can understand why you might feel that way, especially if you're only still in school but that has not been my experience.

 

[Oculomotor]

I smell a "I was failing optometry school" so I will justify it by making up this nonsense ----person. 😀

Yep OptDropout08, I knew two people like you who just couldn't make the cut. Most people in my class know coming in that optometry is much more than "one or two." You don't make any sense.

 

[OptDropout08]

I smell a "I was failing optometry school" so I will justify it by making up this nonsense ----person. 😀

Yep OptDropout08, I knew two people like you who just couldn't make the cut. Most people in my class know coming in that optometry is much more than "one or two." You don't make any sense.

Sorry, but what you think you're smelling isn't the case; my gpa was 3.8ish...I believe I could "hack it". Aced Diagnostics (both of them) and competency but was b-o-r-e-d! Sure, it's a tad more than "one or two" but for the most part, you're just updating someone's prescription.

 

[qwopty99]

I smell a "I was failing optometry school" so I will justify it by making up this nonsense ----person. 😀

Yep OptDropout08, I knew two people like you who just couldn't make the cut. Most people in my class know coming in that optometry is much more than "one or two." You don't make any sense.

People are allowed to not like optometry.

 

[eyestrain]

2. It's repetitive and I couldn't see myself saying, "Which one is better, one or two?" for the rest of my life.

You don't have to! You can also say "three or four" or "five or six" or "seven or eight" or even use letters! The day will fly by.

 

[qwopty99]

The title is self-explanatory. Anyone? If so, why?

I dropped out this past semester b/c:
1. I was bored out of my mind.
2. It's repetitive and I couldn't see myself saying, "Which one is better, one or two?" for the rest of my life.
3. Optometry is a limited profession and I realized I had to refer the "good stuff" to the Ophth's

**So, my fellow dropouts, what are your next career plans? I think I'm going to embark upon the medical school journey (if I don't win the lottery ) Also, for those who are still in optometry school (or practicing optometrists), do you feel like dropping out (or wish you did if you are practicing) to pursue another career?

Edit: Tried to edit the thread title b/c who drops out on accident? Ha...

You're entitled to dislike optometry and state your views, but coming on here and painting an insulting caricature of the profession is somewhat tasteless.

 

[OptDropout08]

You don't have to! You can also say "three or four" or "five or six" or "seven or eight" or even use letters! The day will fly by.

Good one.

 

[OptDropout08]

You're entitled to dislike optometry and state your views, but coming on here and painting an insulting caricature of the profession is somewhat tasteless.

I'm not trying to be insulting; to each their own. I just wanted to know if anyone else felt the same way.

A new thought has come to me: what do you guys think of Ophthalmic Tech's refracting, taking pressures (Goldmann), doing keratometry, slit lamp (lids, lashes, angles, etc, ), fundoscopy and BIO? Pretty much, they're doing everything an optometrist does (I've shadowed quite a few Ophth's, after I left school, and all of their techs were doing the above) besides being able to recognize a pathology here n there and signing the prescriptions.

I'm starting to think opt schools are trying to get us for our money. I don't think it takes 4 years to learn how to become a competent optometrist. Most of the ophthalmic tech's are doing the job of an optometrist and they didn't even go to college. Huh!? A couple of online training courses and they're set. 👎

I smell a "I was failing optometry school" so I will justify it by making up this nonsense ----person. 😀

Yep OptDropout08, I knew two people like you who just couldn't make the cut. Most people in my class know coming in that optometry is much more than "one or two." You don't make any sense.

I have to respond to this post again. What's up with the "hack it" and "...people like you who just couldn't cut it"? Seriously, it's not that hard. Please don't start with the "Optometry school is soooo hard" bull. You sound like people in my class who assumed I left because I was failing Nope, no failing grades over here; I just saw the light! Kidding. To each their own, remember? 😉

 

[OptDropout08]

I do not regret being an optometrist. I've been at it for over 8 years now, and I enjoy going to work every day....I do NOT regret anything that I have done.

KHE,

I've read a couple of your posts and I got the feeling you didn't enjoy being an optometrist (don't quote me on that, it may have been someone else; I've been reading a lot of posts recently). What is the difference between your current situation vs your previous situation which lead you to take a break? Were you previously in commercial? Owning your own business is the way to go but what "recent" grad has enough money to buy a practice? Not very many. I'm sure you can join a practice but your avg salary would be around 70K...right?

Everyone seems to think ALL optometrists make 100K+/yr. I had classmates saying crazy things like, "I'm not working for anything less than 100K/yr b/c I'm a DOCTOR!!" Delusional. Very few optometrists make that much money but I can rest assured that most of my previous classmates are 100% sure they'll be making 100K+/yr (because salary.com says so ) How is everyone going to pay back their loans?

Also, you say you don't regret being an optometrist but if you could start all over again, would you choose optometry as a career (knowing what you know now)?

 

[KHE]

KHE,

I've read a couple of your posts and I got the feeling you didn't enjoy being an optometrist (don't quote me on that, it may have been someone else; I've been reading a lot of posts recently). What is the difference between your current situation vs your previous situation which lead you to take a break? Were you previously in commercial? Owning your own business is the way to go but what "recent" grad has enough money to buy a practice? Not very many. I'm sure you can join a practice but your avg salary would be around 70K...right?

Everyone seems to think ALL optometrists make 100K+/yr. I had classmates saying crazy things like, "I'm not working for anything less than 100K/yr b/c I'm a DOCTOR!!" Delusional. Very few optometrists make that much money but I can rest assured that most of my previous classmates are 100% sure they'll be making 100K+/yr (because salary.com says so ) How is everyone going to pay back their loans?

Also, you say you don't regret being an optometrist but if you could start all over again, would you choose optometry as a career (knowing what you know now)?

To answer your questions:

1) The time that I was dissatisfied with being an optometrist really stemmed from two things only...the first being the inability to get admitted onto medical insurance plans. The second was that I had a very difficult time finding a practice to purchase. I was not that interested in starting cold, and I always liked the idea of having a partner, or at the very least an associate doctor. Now that I have both of those things, I am more than satisfied being an optometrist. That is the difference between my current situation, and my previous experiences. I spent some time working commercial, and most of my time working in private practices before purchasing the practice I currently own.

2) Every recent grad has the money to buy or start a practice. You can borrow money from one of the money companies out there that specialize in lending to doctors. Most of these companies will allow for 100% financing and many of them will also finance a loan of working capital so that you can at least pay yourself a living wage while you're getting off the ground.

3) If I had to do it again, I would do it all again only slightly differently. I would have been more aware of the issues surrounding medical plan accessibility and I would have spent less time dealing with losers and small time thinkers when it came to looking for a practice to join or start. In retrospect, I spent far too much time trying to make unworkable situations workable. If I had to do it again, I would have wasted less time.

 

[jefguth]

I'm not trying to be insulting; to each their own. I just wanted to know if anyone else felt the same way.

A new thought has come to me: what do you guys think of Ophthalmic Tech's refracting, taking pressures (Goldmann), doing keratometry, slit lamp (lids, lashes, angles, etc, ), fundoscopy and BIO? Pretty much, they're doing everything an optometrist does (I've shadowed quite a few Ophth's, after I left school, and all of their techs were doing the above) besides being able to recognize a pathology here n there and signing the prescriptions.

I'm sure those tech's can do what they have to do, however I doubt that they really understand much of what they do and would be up the creek without a paddle if the MD wasn't there to make the decisions. If you think that being an OD is just refracting, and handling a 20D and 90D then ya i guess the optometry schools are ripping us off. But, what those techs are really doing is collecting data for the MD that allows him/her to make the clinical decisions - and that's what being an OD is really about, not knowing how to handle a BIO.

 

[hello07]

KHE,
You stated that "I get paid great money to help people see better, now that I own my business. Life is good."

Kudos to you! Great money if you don't mind me asking means what?
80,000 net, 100,000 gross, 120,000? 150,000? 200,000? As a doctor and a business owner how much are you actually netting from your gross?
30-40%?

I know this is personal stuff and I apologize if I crossed a bit.
JUST CURIOUS.

 

[Jay12]

KHE,
You stated that "I get paid great money to help people see better, now that I own my business. Life is good."

Kudos to you! Great money if you don't mind me asking means what?
80,000 net, 100,000 gross, 120,000? 150,000? 200,000? As a doctor and a business owner how much are you actually netting from your gross?
30-40%?

I know this is personal stuff and I apologize if I crossed a bit.
JUST CURIOUS.

While your at it KHE....can you please tell me where you live and your social security number...........I think that question might be a little too personal...even for the student doctor forum.

 

[SarahNC]

The title is self-explanatory. Anyone? If so, why?

I dropped out this past semester b/c:
1. I was bored out of my mind.
2. It's repetitive and I couldn't see myself saying, "Which one is better, one or two?" for the rest of my life.
3. Optometry is a limited profession and I realized I had to refer the "good stuff" to the Ophth's

**So, my fellow dropouts, what are your next career plans? I think I'm going to embark upon the medical school journey (if I don't win the lottery ) Also, for those who are still in optometry school (or practicing optometrists), do you feel like dropping out (or wish you did if you are practicing) to pursue another career?

Edit: Tried to edit the thread title b/c who drops out on accident? Ha...

Something seems odd to me here. Did you not spend any time shadowing or working with an Optometrist before you started school? And EVERY EVERY EVERY career can be as repetetive and monotonous as you make it. You may think ophths get all the "good stuff", but after 10 thousand cataract surgeries, don't you think that would be repetitive too? Your career is what you make of it. There is not any doctor that is not limited in some way and what a waste of money to drop out of Optometry school because you think the career is boring. You should have figured that out ahead of time and went straight to med school. I'm glad you didn't become an Optometrist though since its such a horrible profession in which you only say "one or two" every day.

 

[OptDropout08]

Something seems odd to me here. Did you not spend any time shadowing or working with an Optometrist before you started school? And EVERY EVERY EVERY career can be as repetetive and monotonous as you make it. You may think ophths get all the "good stuff", but after 10 thousand cataract surgeries, don't you think that would be repetitive too? Your career is what you make of it. There is not any doctor that is not limited in some way and what a waste of money to drop out of Optometry school because you think the career is boring. You should have figured that out ahead of time and went straight to med school. I'm glad you didn't become an Optometrist though since its such a horrible profession in which you only say "one or two" every day.

Wow. Sensitive much!? Someone needs to calm down. I've never understood why people seem to get extremely offended when someone doesn't like optometry. I just signed up for SDN but I've read quite a few threads; people who diss optometry end up being attacked and that seems ridiculous, to me. Relax. Anyway, like I said before, to each their own. It's not a big deal. Be confident in your chosen profession and don't let people, who think otherwise, get to you.

To answer your question, I shadowed opts, worked in a commercial practice and private practice. Now that I look back, my feelings towards optometry, as a tech, were similar to my feelings as a future optometrist. I thought things would change once I was in charge of the exam but that never happened. My fault? Yes. Waste of money? Definitely but whatever, it's not the end of the world.

Also, I agree with you. Every profession will consist of repetition but it boils down to your scope of practice. To me, optometry is pretty limited but that's only my opinion. Pretty much, the problem "probably" had something to do with me originally wanting to be an ophthalmologist Did I leave that part out? Ooppss. Like KHE said in a previous thread:

Let me state this as clearly as I possibly can:

DO NOT GO INTO OPTOMETRY SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR OF SOME KIND AND YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL SO BEING AN OPTOMETRIST IS "GOOD ENOUGH."

I can say with near certainty that that is going to be a recipe for personal and professional suicide!!!

If you pursue optometry, you must be certain that you are interested in optometry and you want to be an optometrist. Don't do it because it's "close enough" or "good enough." You will regret it. The people that I know who did this are almost universally miserable.

You must know and understand what you're getting into, and you must be comfortable and CONTENT with that notion. If you are doing optometry because you are "settling" you are going to be miserable.

BE CAREFUL!

So I wasted a couple of years. Whatever. I'll just tell myself medical school will give me credit for some of my classes

 

[qwopty99]

So I wasted a couple of years.

I still don't get the point of this thread.

And you come here laughing at us?

 

[KHE]

KHE,
You stated that "I get paid great money to help people see better, now that I own my business. Life is good."

Kudos to you! Great money if you don't mind me asking means what?
80,000 net, 100,000 gross, 120,000? 150,000? 200,000? As a doctor and a business owner how much are you actually netting from your gross?
30-40%?

I know this is personal stuff and I apologize if I crossed a bit.
JUST CURIOUS.

Well, it's somewhat personal but I will say that it is a lot more than the numbers you listed and that doesn't include expenses that are run through the business. A word of advice.....get a good accountant. 😉

 

[OptDropout08]

I still don't get the point of this thread.

And you come here laughing at us?

Check out the thread title again. If sensitive people would stop trying to defend optometry, and just get on with it, this thread wouldn't be confusing. I was simply looking to see if there was anyone else who left optometry school. Based on the replies, I'm assuming no. Most of the replies I got were from people who seemed a bit offended...by a STRANGER on a silly forum. Anyway, according to my thread title, that's not what I was looking for. Thanks for your $0.02 though.

Who is laughing at you guys? Sensitive Drama Queen! 🙄 I'm only interested in replies from people who left optometry school. By the looks of things, I won't be getting any. That's fine. To those who are easily offended b/c I didn't like optometry, get over it. A lot of people aren't interested in certain careers; it's not the end of the world. Take your insecurities elsewhere. You like optometry? More power to you! It's a good career, if you like it. Optdropout08...signing out! 😉

 

[qwopty99]

Good day.

 

[OptDropout08]

I don't care for podiatry.

Nor do I care for pharmacy.

Add to that list, dentistry and medicine.

I don't go to their forums and put down their professions.


Good day.

Perhaps there is some truth to this; original post edited. 😀 My apologies...

 

[sportvision]

optdropout08...
did you get accepted into other professional schools before dropping out of opt school? you sure have a lot of time and money to spare👍

 

[OptDropout08]

optdropout08...
did you get accepted into other professional schools before dropping out of opt school? you sure have a lot of time and money to spare👍

No. I'm carefully comparing careers but, in the meantime, I figured I'd do a little traveling (while I'm young) until it's time to buckle down again. 😉

 

[qwopty99]

Well that's good.

Nothing wrong with travelling when you still have that flexibility.

 

[CanadaODhopeful]

Congrats OptDropout08. Really, I mean it. A lot of people don't recognize until it is too late that they are on a career path that is not for them. If you are not happy with your career choice, I think it would be hard to be happy in life.

It is unfortunate that you had to shell out the money for opt school to realize it isn't for you but losing $30,000 or $40,000 isn't that bad if you are going to find a direction that makes you happier.

I think our career does not define who we are, but is one of many things we do. It seems some people on this forum are so close to optometry they feel it is who they are, and therefore may not be as receptive to situations like yours.

 

[OptDropout08]

Congrats OptDropout08. Really, I mean it. A lot of people don't recognize until it is too late that they are on a career path that is not for them. If you are not happy with your career choice, I think it would be hard to be happy in life.

It is unfortunate that you had to shell out the money for opt school to realize it isn't for you but losing $30,000 or $40,000 isn't that bad if you are going to find a direction that makes you happier.

I think our career does not define who we are, but is one of many things we do. It seems some people on this forum are so close to optometry they feel it is who they are, and therefore may not be as receptive to situations like yours.

👍👍👍

We're definitely on the same page. I can't tell you how many people advised me to stay b/c, "...you're not failing, you're good at it and, you'd make a decent salary." A career isn't about how well you can perform (well, to an extent. I've met a lot of people who could "do the job" but it wasn't for them so it would be a bad decision to continue) and your coming paycheck.

Point blank; if you're not somewhat interested/passionate about your chosen career, it'll take it's toll on you (fyi: 90% of Americans hate their job ). There are hundreds of careers to choose from and, our careers take up most of our lives; we might as well find something we enjoy. 😀

For the record: I wish like hell I loved optometry; it would have made my life much, much easier. Trust mePerhaps I should just head to Hollywood!

 

[KHE]

Point blank; if you're not somewhat interested/passionate about your chosen career, it'll take it's toll on you (fyi: 90% of Americans hate their job ). There are hundreds of careers to choose from and, our careers take up most of our lives; we might as well find something we enjoy. 😀

For the record: I wish like hell I loved optometry; it would have made my life much, much easier. Trust mePerhaps I should just head to Hollywood!

Yet at the same time I think that it is unwise to make a decision on your career based on how your first year of two of optometry school went, or is going. In other words, the practice of optometry is quite different from the 1st or 2nd year of optometry school. Don't make any hasty decisions.

 

[IndianaOD]

Yet at the same time I think that it is unwise to make a decision on your career based on how your first year of two of optometry school went, or is going. In other words, the practice of optometry is quite different from the 1st or 2nd year of optometry school. Don't make any hasty decisions.

Agreed,

I don't know how anyone survives being a refraction jockey. Today I had some VT cases, a preseptal cellulitis, a couple glaucoma follow-ups, and a headache case along with my routine exams.

Personally, I think neuro/BV stuff has to be more mentally challenging and diverse than cataracts and lasik all day. "Vision" is MUCH more than an image properly focused on the macula.

 

[qwopty99]

Yet at the same time I think that it is unwise to make a decision on your career based on how your first year of two of optometry school went, or is going. In other words, the practice of optometry is quite different from the 1st or 2nd year of optometry school. Don't make any hasty decisions.

I don't know. I think 1 or 2 years in an optometry curriculum is pretty much "both feet in".

What is the alternative? Leave after graduation?


The other alternatives, is to not study it altogether cause you have no interest in the field. Otherwise, leave in the first week of school (which I've seen happen). But those two situations, you've experienced optometry even LESS than what this student has done.