Future Texas Optometry School Question
Started by eyesarecool
Incarnate Word. Soon everyone will have their own personal OD.
Support optometry and choose a public university. These new private schools are going to kill us.
I'm sorry, but having a professional school associated with that school sounds so stupid, I know if they try to start a med school, the AMA would laugh at their ass. Who the hell heard of that school other than the few people who might have actually attended it. How come big universities like UT or Rice don't start optometry schools. At least it sounds better and give more credibility. Lord help optometry, just don't try to start new schools.
San Antonio Texas
I totally agree... VA doesn't have any optometry schools even though we have VCU which has medical/dental/pharmacy/whatever else. Oh well.
Can we write anybody or do anything to show our opposition to a new school? I'm really not liking them opening all of these schools. If anybody could suggest anything I could do instead of just complaining about it, I would appreciate it.
I've sent letters several of them. There isn't really any way to stop a greedy private school. I'd encourage you to contact them though. Just send letters to the administrators of the schools.
Well, I am sorry that you guys feel the way you do about our great school. The fact is that the UIW is a small private school that is on the rise with a 125 year history. Our pharmacy school is awesome, and the optometry school is for real. I met the Dean for the school last week. Anyway, if you are familiar with San Antonio, then you would know that UIW is a great school. In comming years, as our school of pharmacy gain popularity along with the optometry school, UIW wont be a mystery. Please dont compare us to ITT tech or trade school, we have been established for decades with sister campuses in at least 7 other countries and working on a campus in Arizona. www.uiw.edu
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the problem isn't that we've never heard of your university or that we don't like it... the problem is there is no need for another optometry program.
Thats interesting. I know a former VP for Wal-mart who was in charge of Pharmacy and Optometry recruiting for ALL of the company. From what I was told, there is a shortage of optometrist almost as bad as pharmacists but the Optometry profession protects this information. There is no published information that states that there is a issue with the number of optometrist presently or in the future, and that this is intentional. Can you as a current Optometrist enlighten me on the situation. I am curious.
OMG, Walmart is ridiculous. Of course they have openings. Self respecting ODs will not work in such an unprofessional setting. Walmart loses nothing if an OD sits in their STORE and doesn't see any patients. ODs in a retail setting are there only to sell the commercial store glasses.
You need to do some research to see the oversupply problem. Some quick pointers.
1. You can get a routine exam in almost any 20 mile geographic area within a day or two. Dentists and others are almost always weeks to months booked out.
2. Low ball insurance programs are gaining speed. If there were lower supply of ODs, no one would take these plans.
3. A study showed the average optometrist is only at about 60% of possible scheduling.
4. The AOA predicted an oversupply. Even the AOA president admitted we don't need any more schools.
Please do some research before quoting walmart slime balls. Its commercial joints like walmart and luxottica (lenscrafters, pearle etc) that are pumping money into these schools. The all want to pay an OD next to nothing to help them sell frames. Over 90% of entering OD students want to be in private practice. Oversupply makes over half of them be a slave at wally et al.
I have no respect for UIW. They are in it for the money and nothing else and it WILL hurt the profession. I doubt much research will be done at the optometry program, the private schools hardly ever contribute.
Now that's what I call drinking the Kool-Aide
While I have questioned whether or not we are in a state of emergency currently, there is no evidence to support the idea that we have a shortage of OD's. With all due respect to the former VP for Wal-Mart, he or she has no idea about what is going on within optometry outside of what is happening in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has a problem keeping optometrists as well as having a problem filling the ever expanding number of stores they have. That's because working for them is not very desireable. The only way they can continue to expand the number of opticals is to find a new source of optometrists. It seems building new schools and placing Wal-Mart executives in key positions in those schools is their solution.
Wow, I certainly understand your points. As far as "Drinking the Cool-aid" I never said I believed what I was told, I simply restated what was told to me. The person that told me the info has nothing to do with the optometry school, and is actually a Pharmacist who was also a businessman. (so yes, their philosphy as pointed by many of you makes sense. Pharmacist dont want to work at WM)
I apologize for my ignorance on the subject. My curiousity caused me to ask your opinions. I am a 2nd year pharmacy student, so doing a lot of research on the topic is definitly not high on the priority list. This is the most time I have spent online outside fo pharmacology, kinetics, etc. since last summer. Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinions. I hate that the opening of a new school has cause some of you to despise our uninversity.(I love my school) Hopefully it will contribute more to your profession in terms of recerch than you think. San Antonio is really growing in terms of Medical Proffesions in general, this includes research.
I will probably get blasted some more, but its cool😎 I can take it. I am not a troll, but I enjoy open debate, especially when my understanding of a subject is enhanced in the process.
I apologize for my ignorance on the subject. My curiousity caused me to ask your opinions. I am a 2nd year pharmacy student, so doing a lot of research on the topic is definitly not high on the priority list. This is the most time I have spent online outside fo pharmacology, kinetics, etc. since last summer. Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinions. I hate that the opening of a new school has cause some of you to despise our uninversity.(I love my school) Hopefully it will contribute more to your profession in terms of recerch than you think. San Antonio is really growing in terms of Medical Proffesions in general, this includes research.
I will probably get blasted some more, but its cool😎 I can take it. I am not a troll, but I enjoy open debate, especially when my understanding of a subject is enhanced in the process.
On another thought, I am sure you all will get me on this but please be rational. In the Pharmacy proffesion, one of the things that protects the RPh salary etc. is the fact that a pharmacy cannot even be open without a pharmacist being literally in the store. Selling a prescription that is ready, and does not even require a counsel can get a pharmacy closed by the state board. My question, is there a similar requirement in your profession? How is it that these retail settings are open without an Optometrist? I realize that maybe there are not any "clinical" things being done in such settings and that the techs are just selling glasses. (i guess) I realize that it would not make sense to have an Optomestrist in these type of settings with what is being offered, but is there a way to Limit the ability for companies such as WM to open retail Optometry? Is there anything that takes place in these settings that would require a liscenced professional?
Dont hurt me too bad guys. I look forward to reading your replies...... right now I have a 1:00 tee time!!!!!!😀
Dont hurt me too bad guys. I look forward to reading your replies...... right now I have a 1:00 tee time!!!!!!😀
I didn't mean to suggest that you believed the story. I was referring to the Wal-Mart VP. Obviously, working for Wal-Mart has skewed his/her perception of the field. Even if Wal-Mart was correct, the answer would be to increase class size of the current schools to meet demand. It is a lot easier to decrease class size once demand is met than it would be to close a school. Also, you will probably get blasted, but it is nothing personal. None of us know you and most of us know nothing about your school other than the fact that it is choosing to open an unnecessary optometry program for profit. The idea of new schools has been a sore subject for a while here, and defending one of them will not be a popular position regardless of how good a pharmacy school it is.
Have a great round of golf!
It is also a given that Wal-Mart could care less if ODs are making $20,000 a year. That's the way they treat all of their vendors: Squeeze out as much as they can from every one of them until they burn out. Then go get another one who will suck up to them.
For anyone who hasn't been following our discussions on this forum...
It is up to us to protect our our profession and not be subject to everyone else's whims. It would be foolish for anyone to think that any non-optometrist thinks of our profession with only the best of intentions. What does Wal-Mart or any other corporation do? Make money for the shareholders (i.e. the owners). What does any school want to do? Make MONEY and gain prestige. Interesting that EVERY proposal we have seen so far in the last two years has been from a smaller university (or at least all the ones I've seen so far).
The problem is that we have done a very poor job of protecting our turf. Our national association won't act because they believe that just about any issue is considered anti-trust (it's a long story). As individuals it is very hard to form any kind of protest. All we can do is grip on forums like this but it certainly doesn't get us anywhere.
It is a sad reality. My only hope is that in 5-10 years we see a significant drop in income and then there will be a HUGE wake up call in this profession. Everything we have been griping about for years will have come true. I know that I for one have not been talking about now, it's all been in reference to where this profession is headed.
Isn't this really what this argument is all about? Income? Oversupply is one thing but if it leads to us all making less money then will the profession be worth joining? What is the break even point to consider going to OD school? If a doc knew he was only going to make $50,000/year for the first 5 years with today's tuition and living costs, would it be worth the investment? Maybe this is where we are headed.
1
165007
your pharm school is great huh?
I havent heard a lot of positive things about it.
I am from texas, and the schools most people with competitive scores apply to UT, TECH, A&M, and UH.
How do i know this? I used to be in a pharmacy association club.
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What's the point of this post?
1
165007
just wanted her input on those schools I listed VS UIW.
Can we please stick to optometry bashing on the optometry forum.
1
165007
sorry,
but I think if UT or A&M were to open an OPT. school, it would better b/c of the name the univerisities carry.
UIW isnt a well knowned university.
but I think if UT or A&M were to open an OPT. school, it would better b/c of the name the univerisities carry.
UIW isnt a well knowned university.
Sure there is published information about it. Just check the numbers at the US Department of Labor website. What you'll find out leans more towards what the VP said though. There is an expected increase in demand for optometrists. Coming from a business/finance background I can tell you that the DOL's numbers are accurate a majority of the time.
Keep in mind that everyone has their own agenda and are afraid that there will be an oversupply of OD's in the future. So I wouldn't call it intentional misrepresentation (although I really wonder reading some of the posts on here). I would call it extreme pessimism and protecting ones egg nest. I learned a long time ago to take everything someone says with a grain of salt, especially on the internet. I am not saying it isn't important to listen to what others say that have experience. But it's equally important to do your own research so you can figure out what is really going on out there.
Good Lord Everybody,
Primary Care Optometry News has a good article about this subject in its most recent issue. Both of these schools UIW and WUHS (California)---will have a Podiatric Medical School, Optometry School, and a Dental School as well, are a done deal they ARE going to be enrolling by 2009. Unlike the snaffou in North Carolina they have no need for state funding or legislation. That said, I am in support of those schools opening up and would like to see about 25 optometry schools geographically distributed throughout the country. OVERSUPPLY, OVERSUPPLY, OH MY GOD OD's are going to make 40K a year at Walmart or Lenscrafters the optometric world is coming to an end!!!!!!!!!! Nonsense---the statistics do not point to any oversupply nor will the opening of a couple more schools harm anything. Hell there are 40,000 OD's in the country now -----the more the merrier. Think of it as more dollars to support our PACS, strength in numbers, or becoming as ubiquitous as rain. The fact is everyone on here can gripe and moan all they want. I am in optometry school and there is a signifigant number of my counterparts that "just want to get through" and make some money to pay back the OH so terrible student loans. They will be the ones spinning dials all day long at Vision Works or Costco. Good for them---I wont be because I am ambitious and I already have connections. I am just sick of hearing all the bitching and complaining. Good luck to UIW and to WUHS with the new optometry schools.
Primary Care Optometry News has a good article about this subject in its most recent issue. Both of these schools UIW and WUHS (California)---will have a Podiatric Medical School, Optometry School, and a Dental School as well, are a done deal they ARE going to be enrolling by 2009. Unlike the snaffou in North Carolina they have no need for state funding or legislation. That said, I am in support of those schools opening up and would like to see about 25 optometry schools geographically distributed throughout the country. OVERSUPPLY, OVERSUPPLY, OH MY GOD OD's are going to make 40K a year at Walmart or Lenscrafters the optometric world is coming to an end!!!!!!!!!! Nonsense---the statistics do not point to any oversupply nor will the opening of a couple more schools harm anything. Hell there are 40,000 OD's in the country now -----the more the merrier. Think of it as more dollars to support our PACS, strength in numbers, or becoming as ubiquitous as rain. The fact is everyone on here can gripe and moan all they want. I am in optometry school and there is a signifigant number of my counterparts that "just want to get through" and make some money to pay back the OH so terrible student loans. They will be the ones spinning dials all day long at Vision Works or Costco. Good for them---I wont be because I am ambitious and I already have connections. I am just sick of hearing all the bitching and complaining. Good luck to UIW and to WUHS with the new optometry schools.
Too bad a basic understanding of supply and demand isn't required for admission to optometry school. Years from now someone should make you read this post so you realize how insane it is.
without actually discussing the content of his post, this is why we should take what he says with a BIG grain of salt.
sorry, i'm "in" optometry school now (in a certain capacity) and i love it how students seem to know everything when they actually know nothing. you have 2nd years telling 1st years not to buy trial-lens kits cause "you never use them in your life anyways".
wtf does a 2nd year optom STUDENT know about the use of trial-lens kits anyways?
maybe THEY didn't use them in 1st or 2nd,
but who are they to know about whether OPTOMETRISTS actually use them?
anyways, i'm not going to criticize the content of oculo's post in this post, but given his laughably limited perspective, that's the most i can say about it.
HAHAHAHAHA.
u know when optom graduates have the highest job-satisfaction rate? its when they are still optometry students, or when they have JUST graduated.
Why?
because OD students all think they'll come out and be royalty and be paid like royalty. in some cases, this is excusable, because what do they know?
the 2nd group thinks so, because its the first time they've held a very respected position and they're being paid relatively well for the first time, but the truth is they'd be pretty much happy with any optometry job. but give it a few months, then the cracks start to show, and then u start realizing that not everyone is that well employed, that some classmates are making more money than u, that u aren't making as much as u thought u were going to, etc. i've run into some recent grads from 2007, and they're all beaming bright, thinking they're on top of the world at the best jobs. then i look at the jobs and i'm like... uh??
its not SO easy to make money in optometry. there are a lot of smart people in optometry, and if it was that easy to make money, other people would already be doing it.
don't think ur the only uniquely smart person in optometry.
connections CAN be important, but chances are the "connection" u have is simply going to use u to advance his lot in life. if u are as ambitious as u say, then why does it even matter that u have a connection? u should be able to get urself a job regadless. or do u think the connection will guarantee u a successful career? why should he leave himself with that burden? he's going to skim ur salary and u'll call him boss. if ur that ambitious, i doubt u'll be happy with that in the long run, so u'll go out and start our own gig. then u just end up like everyone else. so really, u are just like everyone else. just more arrogant.
oh - and don't think u are the only uniquely ambitious person in optometry either. let's say u are the most ambitious person in your class, but r u more ambitious than everyone in the class above u? what about the class above that? or the class before u? or the class before that? keep in mind, once u graduate, ur competing with ALL optometrists, not just the small circle of OD classmates of yours that u perceive to be dumber/lessAmbitous/lessConnected than u. ur going to compete with ODs who graduated years before u, are also intelligent/ambitious, and are WAY further along in their careers than u, who have nothing.
if u want, be specific. u are ambitious. u are connected. what will that lead to? u think u'll be in academia? or just in private practice? so u'll have a good paying job? how much will u make? what will ur job situation be like? if there's place in dire need of paying a high salary to u, why hasn't that job been filled yet? where are those patients who are just waiting to call u eye doctor and be ur patient? who are they seeing now? there's a void for YOUR services only, how did that void arise? why are all these people lined up waiting for u to graduate so they can see u? EVEN if u achieve all this, u will simply be a succeesful OD. is that something to write home about? not really if u think about it. that's the expectation. as such, ur claims and insinuations are laughable.
Oculo, tell me where u are 3 years out of graduation. then we can begin to talk about how successful u are as an OPTOMETRIST, Mr_Optometry_STUDENT.
*** Shakes head in stunned disbelief ***
With an attitude like that, in 10 years we are going to be looking back on the days of the $62.17 VSP reimbursement as the "golden years" of optometry.
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Not really wanting to single out this poster in particular, but is there any way that people can agree to post on these forums WITHOUT using text message lingo? Is it too much to expect that professionals and professional students be able to spell out the words "you" and "you are?"
Wow,
The proverbial backlash has commenced! Actually, eyestrain, I am a non-traditional student in his 30's who worked in outside sales and marketing for a number of years, ran a retail store, and worked in medical and optometric practices. I have run a business in the past so I have to shock you when I say that I understand supply and demand economics better than you. I am not going to spend 30 minutes typing to explain that the AOA, and most reputable optometric organizations that I have researched do not indicate an oversupply I tend to lean towards a source such as that versus a silly little ("student doctor forum") with ridiculous people who might be misrepresenting themselves! 🙄 I am on here for my amusement and a good argument.
When I say connections, I mean I have everything payed for------Optometry School--free, Office in a nice suburb---waiting for me when I am done and you guessed it PAYED FOR, equipment--money set aside for it, my family is involved in all aspects of medicine and "the family name" will get me referrals---already happening with my brother who is an MD. I am blessed to come from a wealthy family so qwopty99 I hope this gives you clarification. I have money from my own successful sales career and a substantial inheritance so I am NOT getting my OD degree for the sake of money----rather I am doing it because I want to become an Optometric Physician and work in primary eye care. Some PhD's make $50,000 per year and are in the same debt as my optometric friends and you don't hear them complaining ALL the time......
Next, all of you can just keep bitching about these new optometry schools but "newsflash" they ARE opening! There WILL be 19 US Optometry schools by 2009 so KHE, Ben chundler, and all others concerned you better enjoy the "GOLDEN AGE" of Optometry while you can! LMAO-----maybe your exodus should begin soon. (Sarcastically) I guess I am doomed when I start practicing (in the DARK AGES of Optometry I will have to pay patients a fee to come see me, VSP will give me a $6.217 remibursement, and I will be working in an optometry booth in the middle of the mall, I will give all eye exams for free, and a highly advanced autorefractor will do ALL of my refracting)-----I look forward to it. (smiling)
I ask all of you one important question, If you knew before you went to optometry school that you would make NO MORE than $50,000 to $60,000 per year would you have still followed the path of optometry?
I would.
Naive, 30-something, tons of life and business experience, optometry student who actually loves optometry. (a shocker indeed)
👍
The proverbial backlash has commenced! Actually, eyestrain, I am a non-traditional student in his 30's who worked in outside sales and marketing for a number of years, ran a retail store, and worked in medical and optometric practices. I have run a business in the past so I have to shock you when I say that I understand supply and demand economics better than you. I am not going to spend 30 minutes typing to explain that the AOA, and most reputable optometric organizations that I have researched do not indicate an oversupply I tend to lean towards a source such as that versus a silly little ("student doctor forum") with ridiculous people who might be misrepresenting themselves! 🙄 I am on here for my amusement and a good argument.
When I say connections, I mean I have everything payed for------Optometry School--free, Office in a nice suburb---waiting for me when I am done and you guessed it PAYED FOR, equipment--money set aside for it, my family is involved in all aspects of medicine and "the family name" will get me referrals---already happening with my brother who is an MD. I am blessed to come from a wealthy family so qwopty99 I hope this gives you clarification. I have money from my own successful sales career and a substantial inheritance so I am NOT getting my OD degree for the sake of money----rather I am doing it because I want to become an Optometric Physician and work in primary eye care. Some PhD's make $50,000 per year and are in the same debt as my optometric friends and you don't hear them complaining ALL the time......
Next, all of you can just keep bitching about these new optometry schools but "newsflash" they ARE opening! There WILL be 19 US Optometry schools by 2009 so KHE, Ben chundler, and all others concerned you better enjoy the "GOLDEN AGE" of Optometry while you can! LMAO-----maybe your exodus should begin soon.
(Sarcastically) I guess I am doomed when I start practicing (in the DARK AGES of Optometry I will have to pay patients a fee to come see me, VSP will give me a $6.217 remibursement, and I will be working in an optometry booth in the middle of the mall, I will give all eye exams for free, and a highly advanced autorefractor will do ALL of my refracting)-----I look forward to it. (smiling)I ask all of you one important question, If you knew before you went to optometry school that you would make NO MORE than $50,000 to $60,000 per year would you have still followed the path of optometry?
I would.
Naive, 30-something, tons of life and business experience, optometry student who actually loves optometry. (a shocker indeed)
👍
You know more about supply and demand than me? Why is that? Go back and read your first post and then tell me you understand it. Stop being an ass and posting ridiculous crap like you did if you're independantly wealthy. Not all of us have an inheritance to fall back on if the optometry ship sinks. Some optometrists would actually like to make a little money and opening up a bunch of new schools isn't going to help.
Would YOU if you weren't going to optometry school "for free" and didn't have an inheritance to fall back on? I have no problem with people who have money, even it comes from an inheritance. I do, however, have a problem with you pretending like your situation is at all comparable to the average optometry student.
Look,
I am not saying that oversupply is a good thing. I just have not found any reputable information consistently supporting it. If I had no money at all I would ABSOLUTELY become an OD if 50K was all I made. I know several PhD's that I respect sooo much who drive home in a honda civic or accord but love what they do........
I am not saying that oversupply is a good thing. I just have not found any reputable information consistently supporting it. If I had no money at all I would ABSOLUTELY become an OD if 50K was all I made. I know several PhD's that I respect sooo much who drive home in a honda civic or accord but love what they do........
Can someone come up with reputable data regarding this optometric oversupply? We can argue about this until the "cows come home" but we need FACTS.
From what I understand, the AOA is working on it, but in the most recent letter from the President, he stated that there may not really be a future undersupply as was previously predicted. The AOA's unofficial position is that if more OD's are needed, and that's a big if, then the answer is to increase the class size of the existing schools and not to increase the number of schools.
What you don't seem to understand is that Ken and I are already in successful practices. This issue most likely will never affect us. It's the smaller practices that will suffer as well the new grads. In fact, with the large influx of OD's into the marketplace every year, Ken and I should be able to pick up an associate cheap. I guess if we didn't care about the profession this would make us happy.Next, all of you can just keep bitching about these new optometry schools but "newsflash" they ARE opening! There WILL be 19 US Optometry schools by 2009 so KHE, Ben chundler, and all others concerned you better enjoy the "GOLDEN AGE" of Optometry while you can! LMAO-----maybe your exodus should begin soon.
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Wow, you need to do some research. You have no clue.
I'd say other things, but then I'd get a warning from some forum nanny.
If you are loaded from an inheritance you have no idea what the average student feels. Most now have over $150k in debt.
I'd like to see you pay your loans and provide for a family on $50k a year. Forget vacations and any decent retirement. Professionals who spend 8+ years in school deserve to be paid well. I'm not money hungry, but I do want some nice things and security for my family.
After taxes you're making around $38k to be generous.
Loans $1200/mo 14,400/yr
Mortgate on the cheap $1400/mo 16800/yr
cheap car + insurance $300/mo 3600/yr
health ins $500/mo 6000/yr
Utilites $200/mo 2400/yr
Food $400/mo 4800/yr
That is $48K per year and you're in the hole 10k/yr. This is with no other expenses, no retirement, no savings.
Welcome to the real world.
Well, if you are independently wealthy and already have a prime situation to walk into when you are done, then more power to you....
But if you think that the AOA is the most "reputable" optometric organization out there. and still think that there is NOT an oversupply of practicing eye doctors, then you are so far into la la land, there is simply no hope for you.
Like all big organizations, the AOA looks out for the interests of the AOA, not the individual members.
1) The RAND study showed an oversupply of eye care providers...
2) http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/102272807.html
3) The AOA itself published a study in the 1990s showing that an oversupply of ODs would exist at least until the year 2020 if demand did not rise. Lo and behold, demand has not risen.....despite the AOAs best efforts at creating demand through programs like InfantSee (essentially, lets try to generate demand by GIVING IT AWAY FOR NOTHING) Even with this, supply continues to outpace demand.
If I knew I would make only $50k as an OD, I would not do it. At the very least, I would not have invested the time and money and energy into the training.
But if you think that the AOA is the most "reputable" optometric organization out there. and still think that there is NOT an oversupply of practicing eye doctors, then you are so far into la la land, there is simply no hope for you.
Like all big organizations, the AOA looks out for the interests of the AOA, not the individual members.
1) The RAND study showed an oversupply of eye care providers...
2) http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/102272807.html
3) The AOA itself published a study in the 1990s showing that an oversupply of ODs would exist at least until the year 2020 if demand did not rise. Lo and behold, demand has not risen.....despite the AOAs best efforts at creating demand through programs like InfantSee (essentially, lets try to generate demand by GIVING IT AWAY FOR NOTHING) Even with this, supply continues to outpace demand.
If I knew I would make only $50k as an OD, I would not do it. At the very least, I would not have invested the time and money and energy into the training.
Wow,
The proverbial backlash has commenced! Actually, eyestrain, I am a non-traditional student in his 30's who worked in outside sales and marketing for a number of years, ran a retail store, and worked in medical and optometric practices. I have run a business in the past so I have to shock you when I say that I understand supply and demand economics better than you. I am not going to spend 30 minutes typing to explain that the AOA, and most reputable optometric organizations that I have researched do not indicate an oversupply I tend to lean towards a source such as that versus a silly little ("student doctor forum") with ridiculous people who might be misrepresenting themselves! 🙄 I am on here for my amusement and a good argument.
When I say connections, I mean I have everything payed for------Optometry School--free, Office in a nice suburb---waiting for me when I am done and you guessed it PAYED FOR, equipment--money set aside for it, my family is involved in all aspects of medicine and "the family name" will get me referrals---already happening with my brother who is an MD. I am blessed to come from a wealthy family so qwopty99 I hope this gives you clarification. I have money from my own successful sales career and a substantial inheritance so I am NOT getting my OD degree for the sake of money----rather I am doing it because I want to become an Optometric Physician and work in primary eye care. Some PhD's make $50,000 per year and are in the same debt as my optometric friends and you don't hear them complaining ALL the time......
Next, all of you can just keep bitching about these new optometry schools but "newsflash" they ARE opening! There WILL be 19 US Optometry schools by 2009 so KHE, Ben chundler, and all others concerned you better enjoy the "GOLDEN AGE" of Optometry while you can! LMAO-----maybe your exodus should begin soon.
I ask all of you one important question, If you knew before you went to optometry school that you would make NO MORE than $50,000 to $60,000 per year would you have still followed the path of optometry?
I would.
Naive, 30-something, tons of life and business experience, optometry student who actually loves optometry. (a shocker indeed)
👍
Again...
The RAND study (accessible on pubmed) showed an excess of eye care providers for the foreseeable futre
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/102272807.html also shows an excess of providers
The AOA itself published a study in the 1990s showing an oversupply for the next 30 years
jefguth has posted a link to yet another study showing the same thing......
This in addition to all the "anecdotal" evidence you love to discount.....
I'm not sure what else can be put before you......
I have yet to see a study showing an UNDERsupply of ODs. If you want to argue that there may be an undersupply of ODs to meet some theoretical "need" (that is to say, every single soul in the USA getting a comprehensive eye exam each and every year and getting it from an OD) then MAYBE you could make the argument for a POSSIBLE undersupply, but try to understand the difference between "need" and "demand" That shouldn't be hard for you if you have as much business sense as you claim to have.
All that u have shown is that u love yourself and the situation u have.
u have also shown u don't care the least bit about the profession.
qwopty99,
I am the BIGGEST optometry advocate you would EVER know. I am already politically involved in my home state and donate to that PAC. I am going to be a politically involved doc not one that rides coat tails of those who worked hard to build the current scope of practice. I am one of the few people that will remind people to support their PAC or even educate fellow students of mine of how important it is to be INVOLVED. Even as a student I am constantly in touch with my state organization regarding our LEGISLATED profession. You should know someone better ( a.k.a. me) before you make a comment like that.😀
I am the BIGGEST optometry advocate you would EVER know. I am already politically involved in my home state and donate to that PAC. I am going to be a politically involved doc not one that rides coat tails of those who worked hard to build the current scope of practice. I am one of the few people that will remind people to support their PAC or even educate fellow students of mine of how important it is to be INVOLVED. Even as a student I am constantly in touch with my state organization regarding our LEGISLATED profession. You should know someone better ( a.k.a. me) before you make a comment like that.😀
IndianaOD
So if everything you are saying is true and these new school in Cali and Texas ARE opening, what (realistically) can you and your cohorts do? Seriously....
So if everything you are saying is true and these new school in Cali and Texas ARE opening, what (realistically) can you and your cohorts do? Seriously....
What's the big deal if another Optometry school or two open up within the next year or two? Give more applicants a chance to become Optometrists in their own state or so. I really don't understand what all this fuss is about. Please, please, do not tell me about supply and demand again. I don't buy this argument.
I can't help it if you don't understand how capitalism works.
We need to have a real manpower survery done. We need to get the AOA to state that we don't need more OD schools.
We need to keep the domino affect from happening.
We are at 17 schools now. The new schools are going to increase graduates over 10%. That is significant!
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