For a scary view on the future of optometry...

[SuperSara]

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You can check out this site for some negative opinions on the future of optometry...very frightening for future or current optometric students...

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/optometrysucks

😕

 

[jav316]

thanks for posting the link here! it's been referenced once or twice on this site and i have not been able to find it.

 

[ODra]

You can check out this site for some negative opinions on the future of optometry...very frightening for future or current optometric students...

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/optometrysucks

😕

Has anyone been keeping up with the optometrysucks yahoo board or seniordoc? Its extremely discouraging!

Whats your take on it?

Thanks!

 

[cpw]

there are unhappy people in every profession. NOTHING in this life is handed to you on a silver platter. Anyone who thinks they'll walk out of school and the money just rolls in.. has another think coming. Being successful in ANYTHING takes work... LOTS of work. Know what you're getting into before you go to OD school.. make sure you're passionate about it, work hard at it, and are happy. if you love what you do it shows...

 

[FutureIrishOD]

there are unhappy people in every profession. NOTHING in this life is handed to you on a silver platter. Anyone who thinks they'll walk out of school and the money just rolls in.. has another think coming. Being successful in ANYTHING takes work... LOTS of work. Know what you're getting into before you go to OD school.. make sure you're passionate about it, work hard at it, and are happy. if you love what you do it shows...

Well said cpw. I completely agree with you. 👍 👍

 

[rpames]

Stated perfectly CPW. There are people in my classes who I know could care less about optometry. They entered the field b/c they thought it was a guaranteed 6 figure income. Well, I can guarantee they will be members of the optometrysucks forum pretty soon. Unless you entered the field b/c you love what you will be doing, you will hate it, just like any job. No amount of money can make you happy while doing a job you hate.

 

[ODra]

Stated perfectly CPW. There are people in my classes who I know could care less about optometry. They entered the field b/c they thought it was a guaranteed 6 figure income. Well, I can guarantee they will be members of the optometrysucks forum pretty soon. Unless you entered the field b/c you love what you will be doing, you will hate it, just like any job. No amount of money can make you happy while doing a job you hate.

I can honestly say I'm definitely going for it because I love it. The people on optometrysucks make it seem like its a deadend career, though, so I got nervous since the people commenting were already practicing ODs.

Anyways, thanks for the input guys!

 

[rpames]

I think there are 3 people in my class, myself included, that have a parent as an OD. Plus there are several others who have other family members as ODs. If the field was so dead and doomed, as those in that forum say, would these family members allow us to enter it? We have tons of speakers come to school every year, and all of them seem to think the field is just fine. I'm going to believe those that I have looked in the eye, not someone who belongs to a web forum...I hope I'm right.

 

[Kristene9]

I can honestly say I'm definitely going for it because I love it. The people on optometrysucks make it seem like its a deadend career, though, so I got nervous since the people commenting were already practicing ODs.

Anyways, thanks for the input guys!

I totally understand were your coming from! I joined that group because I wanted to see the bad side of the optometry. I had a lot of thoughts about becoming a PA instead and just second guessing myself all together. So I talked to some of the optometrist about there practice and told them exactly what I want to do with my degree and asked them if they felt it was possible and if what they optometrist were saying on that forum was true. I think a lot of it has to do were you want to practice. I’ve talked to optometrist that practice in Oklahoma and Texas and they have a VERY different perspective about there job then the optometrysucks people.

Basically I've decided that this is really want I want to do and I truly believe that I will be happy with optometry. I realize that I might not be making as much money as I would going a different route, but I believe that I will enjoy my job anyway. I think Optometry is a great way to own your own business. I think it’s a great way to get involved in the community and offer a valuable skill. I plan on getting a residency to make myself more marketable. Even with the laws and stuff, I think it’s a good way to get involved in political stuff. You can get a PhD and do research or teach in later years if you want. Which I will probably do.

I feel like optometry is going to be what you make of it, and I'm real excited about the possibilities. 🙂

 

[Ben Chudner]

As someone who has practiced optometry for over 7 years, I can tell you that the people on optometrysucks are not the majority of our profession. Optometry can be very rewarding, personally, and even financially if you enjoy what you do and do it well.

 

[SuperSara]

As someone who has practiced optometry for over 7 years, I can tell you that the people on optometrysucks are not the majority of our profession. Optometry can be very rewarding, personally, and even financially if you enjoy what you do and do it well.

Thanks so much Ben! That is what I want to hear! I work with an optometrist who has been practicing for a couple of years and he says the same thing. I'm glad to hear there are others out there who are enjoying optometry as much as I think I will.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Tele-medicine may change the roles of optometry, ophthalmology, and family practice: http://www.eyeorbit.org/article.php?story=20050414001120920

 

[Tom_Stickel]

Tele-medicine may change the roles of optometry, ophthalmology, and family practice: http://www.eyeorbit.org/article.php?story=20050414001120920

Andrew,

I think it's already happening. I had a patient come in with a letter from his GP advising him to come in for a "retina-scan" or something similar. The GP is an internist, not a diabetic specialist or even endocrinologist. And I've heard of similar situations in which PAs are actually reading the photos.

My issue isn't necessarily with the technology, since trained readers using quality stereo photos can detect retinopathy about as well as a dilated fundus exam (the same point that your linked article makes). My question is what about the co-morbidity of these diabetic patients? Who's watching for cataracts, glaucoma, vessel occlusions, etc?

Sometimes I wonder if eye exams will be completely automated, and OMDs and ODs will end up like radiologists, reading telemedicine info in dark rooms. Even now, you could set up a mall kiosk with a wavefront autorefractor/topographer, Optos, OCT set for anterior seg, OCT of retina, GDx, non-mydriatic camera, FDT, and NCT, and make an argument that that constitutes a reasonably complete eye exam. In 10 years all the above equipment will probably be in no more than 2 or 3 machines, and the 'exam' would be even faster and more accurate.

You said you think that tele-medicine will change eye care. How far and fast do you think these changes will go?

Tom Stickel
Indiana U. 2001

 

[rpie]

Thanks so much Ben! That is what I want to hear! I work with an optometrist who has been practicing for a couple of years and he says the same thing. I'm glad to hear there are others out there who are enjoying optometry as much as I think I will.

Sara, I feel that there is always a bright future for Optometry. I also feel that there is plenty for every one to have a successful practice and it just depends on what you do. I have been out of school for 19 years. Having been in academics and now in a private group practice, I am still happy and enthused about practicing. 👍

 

[Andrew_Doan]

You said you think that tele-medicine will change eye care. How far and fast do you think these changes will go?

Tom,

I am currently in the process of writing a grant to help develop an advanced screening computer for retina diseases. In addition, one of the faculty is developing a laser scanning non-mydriatic camera that costs less than $1000 to make. This is a bargain compared to the $20,000+ cameras being sold now.

How far and fast will depend on grants and the data.

 

[SuperSara]

Sara, I feel that there is always a bright future for Optometry. I also feel that there is plenty for every one to have a successful practice and it just depends on what you do. I have been out of school for 19 years. Having been in academics and now in a private group practice, I am still happy and enthused about practicing. 👍

Thanks very much for the positive perspective...it's much appreciated! People who are happy tend to talk less than people who are unhappy, and I think that is why the negative seems to spread more efficiently...