Don't even think about it as a career

[senioreye]

I would not recommend optometry with all the issues. Just check out
this website with all the **** you would meet on a daily basis.
Do you really want to deal with this ? Pick any of the optical links.
The patients complain about the Dr., the presciption, the glasses, the contacts, the staff, lab errors etc etc... all to make less than 100 K ? I am not making this up. This site below is from real patients and for once for call , yes I am a senior employed O.D. who still manages to put up with this with a smile for each patient who comes in my exam room. Why ? B/C my job puts food on the table for my family.


http://www.consumeraffairs.com/eyeglasses/index.html


Here is a non-edited example of the horrors experienced daily by eye doctors.


"purchased glasses which came to a total (with discount) of $562.00. Since that time, I went into that store at least 6 times complaining that my glasses didn't seem quite right. Each time - and always a new employee would just take my glasses, do a quick adjustment and say have a nice day and move on. I knew something was wrong and they were not giving me quality service or listening clearly to my complaints. Today, July 19 my husband and I went in and spoke with another new employee and he actually listened, pulled my file and checked my lenses. They were the WRONG PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH and also the progressives were not measured correctly. I feel I must contact my eye doctor and have my eyes checked to see if any permanent damage has been caused due to their GROSS ERROR AND NEGLIGENCE. Therefore, I feel I am entitled to reimbursement for my eye exam and possibly a new pair of glasses if required because of their error.

I am quite concerned that there may be damage to my eyes because of this wrong prescription in my glasses and also with the progressive bifocals not being the correct height. I would prefer to have this settled amicably at this level before pursuing any legal consultation. This major problem was caused by Pearle Vision employees at the Daytona Beach store and should be rectified. "" unedited of course.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Jay12]

It's looks really suspicious when a new member (seeing that this is your first post and you registered in April 2008) comes on saying that they are an optometrist (going off of your profile) and goes on a rant to tell people to avoid optometry (especially when it's your first post)......nice try..

 

[MariaMaria]

Every profession is not perfect so I really don't think an argument about some people complaining about glasses to going to convince anyone, at least me, to find a new profession.

This post seems silly to me. Thanks for trying to enlighten me though, I guess?

 

[CarltonBanks]

We should avoid responding to trolls like this. Don't give them the attention that he/she craves.

 

[gochi]

How can you guys be certain that the OP is a troll? Maybe, he/she has been browsing the forums and has decided to finally voice his/her opinion. Anyhow, the information supplied here is quite valuable for pre-health students and should be taken seriously.

 

[gochi]

double post.

 

[Jay12]

gochi.................I'm on to you buddy....you started this post didn't you?.........lol j/k

 

[gochi]

gochi.................I'm on to you buddy....you started this post didn't you?.........lol j/k

That was like my initial thought as well but it seemed to obvious so I stated an unlikely scenario.

 

[senioreye]

Well I graduated from Optometry school in the 1990's way before the internet was formed. I'm not that old (few yrs shy of 40 ) but looking at these posts makes me feel like a senior. I'm simply offering my own opinion and please do visit O.D.'s in different work settings to get their opinion of being an O.D. versus an M.D. Even pharmaceutical reps will not give you the time of day knowing that you are not an M.D. Anyhow I have been reading posts now and then. I admit I have registered before but then forgot my password repeatedly so I keep getting new "Join Date's". That is why I am a senior right ? Ha Ha Ha Anyhow feel free to sling any questions at me. I only tell the truth younglings

 

[lovelydisaster]

Younglings?? It feels like I'm being patronized >_<

 

[senioreye]

Everyone here should be happy to be so young. You are probably 17 years younger than me ! Accept the complements ! I have patients who are 75 yrs old who say I am too young to be an eye Dr. !! Really I do not mean to patronize. Shall I remove younglings ? I am not hip enough hmm ? If you do become Dr.s will you be prescribing my bifocals ? or shall the local M.D. or a trained "optician" who can refract ? or will it be an automated computerized refraction where a presciption just spits out of a machine ? Thirty years ago the banks had dozens of tellers to deposit/withdraw, now they have ATMs. All those tellers had to find some other jobs.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

What a surprise, another disgruntled OD making generalizations that the career sucks based on a few experiences that vere off the path of perfection. I swear, some of you need to just get desk jobs or be lab rats because clearly interpersonal interaction isn't right for you.

 

[Jay12]

Younglings?? It feels like I'm being patronized >_<

No kidding.......

Plus, senioreye...don't PM me...If I wanted your advice, I would have asked for it.....

 

[DrRobs]

I would not recommend optometry with all the issues. Just check out
this website with all the **** you would meet on a daily basis.
Do you really want to deal with this ? Pick any of the optical links.
The patients complain about the Dr., the presciption, the glasses, the contacts, the staff, lab errors etc etc... all to make less than 100 K ? I am not making this up. This site below is from real patients and for once for call , yes I am a senior employed O.D. who still manages to put up with this with a smile for each patient who comes in my exam room. Why ? B/C my job puts food on the table for my family.


http://www.consumeraffairs.com/eyeglasses/index.html


Here is a non-edited example of the horrors experienced daily by eye doctors.


"purchased glasses which came to a total (with discount) of $562.00. Since that time, I went into that store at least 6 times complaining that my glasses didn't seem quite right. Each time - and always a new employee would just take my glasses, do a quick adjustment and say have a nice day and move on. I knew something was wrong and they were not giving me quality service or listening clearly to my complaints. Today, July 19 my husband and I went in and spoke with another new employee and he actually listened, pulled my file and checked my lenses. They were the WRONG PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH and also the progressives were not measured correctly. I feel I must contact my eye doctor and have my eyes checked to see if any permanent damage has been caused due to their GROSS ERROR AND NEGLIGENCE. Therefore, I feel I am entitled to reimbursement for my eye exam and possibly a new pair of glasses if required because of their error.

I am quite concerned that there may be damage to my eyes because of this wrong prescription in my glasses and also with the progressive bifocals not being the correct height. I would prefer to have this settled amicably at this level before pursuing any legal consultation. This major problem was caused by Pearle Vision employees at the Daytona Beach store and should be rectified. "" unedited of course.

Sure people say these things, but its up to the doctor to be involved in the lens decision. Chain practices sell what they think is "equivalent" of a varilux lens because it costs less to them and if they can make a patient wear it at a lesser cost, good for them, but those are salesmen, not opticians. They work for the chain, not the doctor. One of our patients did a research project on this subject because we did not take his vision plan. He went to the places that took his vision plan and came back to us because we were giving him "the top quality product, for the best cost and service" He knew we weren't sellilng him just "any lens" Chains do that. The doctor can't say "I want so and so in a succeed lens"

Or how about any multifocal patient who can't see properly because they went to a chain and the pds and segs weren't measured properly because the person working there may have "measured it right" when the frame was just put on the board without taking in regaurd how the frame is supposed to fit on their face, and adjusting it how they would wear it, and even comparing it to where their previous bifocals/trifocals/progressives were set?

What about those cataract patients who won't get them removed to see better, who come back and back because "they're glasses dont improve their vision" theres the doctors fault, because they didnt explain to them properly that they are correcting their vision as much as they can with glasses and need to get catracts removed to "see better" if you don't explain that to them right, or even if you do and they keep coming back, you have to keep reinforcing it.

Glasses aren't what makes optometrists, and optometrists in a chain are automatically at a loss because the chains don't offer patients the highest quality lenses in the first place. Don't discourage future optometrists with these stats, sure theres gona be people u can work with over and over again and they still won't understand why their glasses don't work. Don't rely on auto refractions and "new staff" that is hired for salesman, thats where you get people like this. Someone who is a private practice doc and knows this and takes time with their patients no matter how much they "think their glasses are wrong" please post.

 

[KHE]

Sure people say these things, but its up to the doctor to be involved in the lens decision. Chain practices sell what they think is "equivalent" of a varilux lens because it costs less to them and if they can make a patient wear it at a lesser cost, good for them, but those are salesmen, not opticians. They work for the chain, not the doctor. One of our patients did a research project on this subject because we did not take his vision plan. He went to the places that took his vision plan and came back to us because we were giving him "the top quality product, for the best cost and service" He knew we weren't sellilng him just "any lens" Chains do that. The doctor can't say "I want so and so in a succeed lens"

Patients like that are generally a blessing, but an incredible rarity. The vast majority of patients are NOT going to take the time to engage in the level of research that that patient has. Very very few patients come in and say "Doc....I want the BEST." Most of them come in and say "I want what my plan covers and nothing else." That's just a harsh reality, and it's worse during tough economic times.

Or how about any multifocal patient who can't see properly because they went to a chain and the pds and segs weren't measured properly because the person working there may have "measured it right" when the frame was just put on the board without taking in regaurd how the frame is supposed to fit on their face, and adjusting it how they would wear it, and even comparing it to where their previous bifocals/trifocals/progressives were set?

Don't delude yourself into thinking that most private practices are all that much better. Most of them are staffed by "opticians" or "girls" who have received little more than on-the job training.

What about those cataract patients who won't get them removed to see better, who come back and back because "they're glasses dont improve their vision" theres the doctors fault, because they didnt explain to them properly that they are correcting their vision as much as they can with glasses and need to get catracts removed to "see better" if you don't explain that to them right, or even if you do and they keep coming back, you have to keep reinforcing it.

This is a common problem in both commercial and private practices. The only real way of saying it is saying I do NOT recommend you get new glasses and be done with it.

Glasses aren't what makes optometrists, and optometrists in a chain are automatically at a loss because the chains don't offer patients the highest quality lenses in the first place. Don't discourage future optometrists with these stats, sure theres gona be people u can work with over and over again and they still won't understand why their glasses don't work. Don't rely on auto refractions and "new staff" that is hired for salesman, thats where you get people like this. Someone who is a private practice doc and knows this and takes time with their patients no matter how much they "think their glasses are wrong" please post.

Again...don't delude yourself into thinking that chains can't or don't provide quality products. Luxottica isn't a multi-billion dollar fortune 500 company because they provide crappy products produced and by using untrained staff.

But thanks for the suggestion about not relying on autorefractor results. I was wondering why I was having so many remakes lately.

 

[DrRobs]

Patients like that are generally a blessing, but an incredible rarity. The vast majority of patients are NOT going to take the time to engage in the level of research that that patient has. Very very few patients come in and say "Doc....I want the BEST." Most of them come in and say "I want what my plan covers and nothing else." That's just a harsh reality, and it's worse during tough economic times.



Don't delude yourself into thinking that most private practices are all that much better. Most of them are staffed by "opticians" or "girls" who have received little more than on-the job training.



This is a common problem in both commercial and private practices. The only real way of saying it is saying I do NOT recommend you get new glasses and be done with it.



Again...don't delude yourself into thinking that chains can't or don't provide quality products. Luxottica isn't a multi-billion dollar fortune 500 company because they provide crappy products produced and by using untrained staff.

But thanks for the suggestion about not relying on autorefractor results. I was wondering why I was having so many remakes lately.

Frames are different, frames are an entirely different category than lens types.

Yes those patients are rare, but dont delude yourself to thinking you cant work for a place where you can FIND THE RIGHT STAFF to make your practice successful. You don't have your say in a staff when it comes to a chain, not in the optical aspect anyway.

 

[panzer]

What a surprise, another disgruntled OD making generalizations that the career sucks based on a few experiences that vere off the path of perfection. I swear, some of you need to just get desk jobs or be lab rats because clearly interpersonal interaction isn't right for you.

Well he is not far off since I work at optical retain chain and business has been off.. Of course, the optometrist are paying for it since this new asian optometrist we got couple of months ago was talking about salary and bonuses and the store manager was discussing with us as to how the sales have went down since about this time last year. The other bad thing is that an ophthalmologist can do what an optometrist can do [& much more] and you will say that optometrist are doctors and people come see them but believe me, people are SHALLOW and will go to ophthalmologist because he can do everything..

It tells you something that my boss who has been employed for 10+ years in this business chose pharmacy instead and is going to start school this fall.

 

[panzer]

Glasses aren't what makes optometrists, and optometrists in a chain are automatically at a loss because the chains don't offer patients the highest quality lenses in the first place.

But optometrists aren't ophthalmologists so how can they survive unless they have some sort of cheap vendor relationship to make people their glasses [very hard to do] to compete against one-hour optical retail chains?

Optometrists can never be independent unlike ophthalmologist unless the image and actual scope of optometry is seriously changed.

 

[panzer]

What about those cataract patients who won't get them removed to see better, who come back and back because "they're glasses dont improve their vision" theres the doctors fault, because they didnt explain to them properly that they are correcting their vision as much as they can with glasses and need to get catracts removed to "see better" if you don't explain that to them right, or even if you do and they keep coming back, you have to keep reinforcing it.

Do you refer those patients to a specialist?

Even if you do, there is a maturing period before the specialist removes cataracts. I know since my dad has them and the ophthalmologist he goes to has told him to wait till they reach a certain time before they will use laser to burn them off?

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Well he is not far off since I work at optical retain chain and business has been off.. Of course, the optometrist are paying for it since this new asian optometrist we got couple of months ago was talking about salary and bonuses and the store manager was discussing with us as to how the sales have went down since about this time last year. The other bad thing is that an ophthalmologist can do what an optometrist can do [& much more] and you will say that optometrist are doctors and people come see them but believe me, people are SHALLOW and will go to ophthalmologist because he can do everything..

It tells you something that my boss who has been employed for 10+ years in this business chose pharmacy instead and is going to start school this fall.

I think the keywords here are: optical retail chain. These so-called shallow people are going to the ophthalmologist for more than just the fact that "he can do everything":

1. The OD at this retail chain probably refers out nearly every patient that has nothing to do with glasses or contacts. People don't go to retail chains to get an eye health evaluation or get treated, they just want cheap glasses. This isn't necessarily a fault of the OD, the managers just like to ensure that the OD is seeing as many people for glasses/contacts because that's where they make their money. The corporation doesn't make jack for treating eye disease!

2. Somewhat related to point #1, people don't perceive a chain like Walmart or Lenscrafters as a great place to go get treated for actual eye pathology. They want to go to a place that feels like a doctors office. Pay a visit to a large vision practice that employs both MDs and ODs. You'll see that they can use both doctors interchangably for around 80% of the cases and most of the public probably can't tell the difference anyway.


You mentioned that sales have been down since last year. What does your manager think of that? Does s/he blame the optometrist?

 

[panzer]

Well, that is not always true. Plus, I wonder if the ODs that get employed by actual eye doctors get paid a lot.

 

[Jay12]

Well, that is not always true. Plus, I wonder if the ODs that get employed by actual eye doctors get paid a lot.

Buddy, how do you what is true and what isn't....just because you work (so you say) as a lab technician or whatever it is you do, you know what the optometry profession entails???? Please............

 

[WungsteR]

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/eyeglasses/index.html


Here is a non-edited example of the horrors experienced daily by eye doctors.


"purchased glasses which came to a total (with discount) of $562.00. Since that time, I went into that store at least 6 times complaining that my glasses didn't seem quite right. Each time - and always a new employee would just take my glasses, do a quick adjustment and say have a nice day and move on. I knew something was wrong and they were not giving me quality service or listening clearly to my complaints. Today, July 19 my husband and I went in and spoke with another new employee and he actually listened, pulled my file and checked my lenses. They were the WRONG PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH and also the progressives were not measured correctly. I feel I must contact my eye doctor and have my eyes checked to see if any permanent damage has been caused due to their GROSS ERROR AND NEGLIGENCE. Therefore, I feel I am entitled to reimbursement for my eye exam and possibly a new pair of glasses if required because of their error.

I am quite concerned that there may be damage to my eyes because of this wrong prescription in my glasses and also with the progressive bifocals not being the correct height. I would prefer to have this settled amicably at this level before pursuing any legal consultation. This major problem was caused by Pearle Vision employees at the Daytona Beach store and should be rectified. "" unedited of course.

Seems to me like it's the optician's fault. As an optician, I do see many mistakes especially at corporate optical chains. They hire people for their sales experience rather than their optical experiences.

 

[Habitual Rx]

senior eye, where do you practice and what school did you attend?

 

[panzer]

Buddy, how do you what is true and what isn't....just because you work (so you say) as a lab technician or whatever it is you do, you know what the optometry profession entails???? Please............

Better than someone who is just "pre-optometry"...

 

[Jay12]

Better than someone who is just "pre-optometry"...

Whatever panzie, I mean pantie....oops...I mean panzer

 

[panzer]

^ That is all you had? NAME CALLING!?!???

I wouldn't dwell too much on your fetish for women's underthings since this is not such kind of forum nor am I really that kind of person.

 

[Jay12]

^ That is all you had? NAME CALLING!?!???

I wouldn't dwell too much on your fetish for women's underthings since this is not such kind of forum nor am I really that kind of person.

Say whatever makes you feel better panzie .....plus, from looking at your past posts...why are you even in the optometry forum trying to give advice...your a pre-pharmacy student?

 

[gochi]

Calm down folks.

I think we can agree on one thing- the profession of Optometry is a struggle, which is the message the OP is trying to convey.

Nevertheless, these immature attacks were quite amusing

 

[panzer]

Say whatever makes you feel better panzie .....plus, from looking at your past posts...why are you even in the optometry forum trying to give advice...your a pre-pharmacy student?

At least I had something of substance to add on the debate in this thread unlike you with your name calling.

 

[panzer]

Calm down folks.

I think we can agree on one thing- the profession of Optometry is a struggle, which is the message the OP is trying to convey.

Nevertheless, these immature attacks were quite amusing

Are u still pre-opt considering your relative indifference to optometry by some of your posts?

 

[Habitual Rx]

Still awaiting a reply from senioreye about where he graduated from and where he is practicing.

I know you're out there.

 

[jc812]

This thread has lost it's substance. It never really had any to begin with!

 

[panzer]

It is a pre optometry forum. what did you expect?

 

[gochi]

Are u still pre-opt considering your relative indifference to optometry by some of your posts?

Yea ?

The only reason why I tend to talk about Optometry's negative aspects is due to the saturation of negative comments on this forum.

 

[gochi]

I would not recommend optometry with all the issues. Just check out
this website with all the **** you would meet on a daily basis.
Do you really want to deal with this ? Pick any of the optical links.
The patients complain about the Dr., the presciption, the glasses, the contacts, the staff, lab errors etc etc... all to make less than 100 K ? I am not making this up. This site below is from real patients and for once for call , yes I am a senior employed O.D. who still manages to put up with this with a smile for each patient who comes in my exam room. Why ? B/C my job puts food on the table for my family.


http://www.consumeraffairs.com/eyeglasses/index.html


Here is a non-edited example of the horrors experienced daily by eye doctors.


"purchased glasses which came to a total (with discount) of $562.00. Since that time, I went into that store at least 6 times complaining that my glasses didn't seem quite right. Each time - and always a new employee would just take my glasses, do a quick adjustment and say have a nice day and move on. I knew something was wrong and they were not giving me quality service or listening clearly to my complaints. Today, July 19 my husband and I went in and spoke with another new employee and he actually listened, pulled my file and checked my lenses. They were the WRONG PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH and also the progressives were not measured correctly. I feel I must contact my eye doctor and have my eyes checked to see if any permanent damage has been caused due to their GROSS ERROR AND NEGLIGENCE. Therefore, I feel I am entitled to reimbursement for my eye exam and possibly a new pair of glasses if required because of their error.

I am quite concerned that there may be damage to my eyes because of this wrong prescription in my glasses and also with the progressive bifocals not being the correct height. I would prefer to have this settled amicably at this level before pursuing any legal consultation. This major problem was caused by Pearle Vision employees at the Daytona Beach store and should be rectified. "" unedited of course.

Unarguable.