Hello, high school student here.

[Migliore]

Hello, I am a senior in high school currently. I have considered becoming an Optometrist. I have read many good and bad things about being an Optometrist. I am planning to attend Erie Community College in western New York, I will be enrolled in their Ophthalmic Dispencing program which teaches students to become Licensed Opticians (after passing the ABO test of course). ECC also has a 2+2 program with Canisius College (also in Western New York) in which students following this Ophthalmic Dispencing program will have 60 of their 65 credits transferd from ECC to Canisius in order to go into Pre-Optometry.After this I am going to SUNY College of Optometry for 4 years.

I estimated all my tuition expenses to be around 140K, does this seem right?

Also is Optometry being taken over by commercial companies? And why do people say that commercial companies are bad?

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[PBEA]

Hello, I am a senior in high school currently. I have considered becoming an Optometrist. I have read many good and bad things about being an Optometrist. I am planning to attend Erie Community College in western New York, I will be enrolled in their Ophthalmic Dispencing program which teaches students to become Licensed Opticians (after passing the ABO test of course). ECC also has a 2+2 program with Canisius College (also in Western New York) in which students following this Ophthalmic Dispencing program will have 60 of their 65 credits transferd from ECC to Canisius in order to go into Pre-Optometry.After this I am going to SUNY College of Optometry for 4 years.

I estimated all my tuition expenses to be around 140K, does this seem right?

Also is Optometry being taken over by commercial companies? And why do people say that commercial companies are bad?

you might as well just enter college and focus on getting the pre-reqs required for OD school. The dispensing program might be nice if you wanted to be an optician (but it is not required), and will no doubt have plenty of courses that will not count as pre reqs for OD school.

tuition is probably about right depending on the school, but dont forget living expenses, which can vary wildly.

There is a LARGE commercial influence in optometry, and unfortunately all the company cares about is selling product, and not so much about healthcare. They will pay alot of lip service to providing healthcare but that's just marketing hype for the most part, IMO. They do and will exert pressure on the de facto OD employee to deliver a "saleable" prescription, regardless of presentation. Some OD's manage to avoid or resist this illegal interference but I'd say they were the minority. Job security is a powerful motivator. The corporations employ passive and aggressive means to exert said pressure, and the brainwashing of prospective OD employees begins as early as day 1 after graduation. If you don't deliver you will likely, and unceremoniously, be shown the door.

 

[godawgs2012]

In most of the optometry schools, especially the good ones, about 99% of people have a Bachelor's degree. So going to a college with a strong science program and making the best grades you can in the Pre-optometry classes are going to increase your chances of getting into optometry school the most.

I am currently a 1st year optometry student, and in order to survive the first two years as well as pass Part I of the boards, having a strong science background is more important than knowing how to be an optician.

http://www.opted.org/files/Profile of the Entering Class 2012.pdf

 

[thiaeyemd]

From my optometry friends who talk to me about this, I think they don't like commercial because a large component of their autonomy is being eliminated and they are being treated less as a doctor and more like a salesperson.

 

[epalacios]

I am a first year optometry student who started out as a licensed optician. I worked for several years as a licensed optician before going back to school to complete the prereqs for optometry. Being an optician has helped out a little bit in theory and Methods, and ophthalmic optics, but I really struggle with the difficult sciences such as neuro, anatomy, and biochemistry since my undergraduate degree was in business management.
I think your best bet is to go to a four year school and get a biology degree, and if you want some hands on experience, get a part time job at Lenscrafters or Walmart while you're working on your bachelors. That way you'll be strong in the sciences, and will have some practical experience and patient encounters to build your confidence for the interview.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

I am a first year optometry student who started out as a licensed optician. I worked for several years as a licensed optician before going back to school to complete the prereqs for optometry. Being an optician has helped out a little bit in theory and Methods, and ophthalmic optics, but I really struggle with the difficult sciences such as neuro, anatomy, and biochemistry since my undergraduate degree was in business management.
I think your best bet is to go to a four year school and get a biology degree, and if you want some hands on experience, get a part time job at Lenscrafters or Walmart while you're working on your bachelors. That way you'll be strong in the sciences, and will have some practical experience and patient encounters to build your confidence for the interview.

Good advice

 

[Loptometriste]

Plus, if you work as an optician, you will gain experience but also make better money to avoid debt compared to flipping burgers at the food court.

 

[epalacios]

Plus, if you work as an optician, you will gain experience but also make better money to avoid debt compared to flipping burgers at the food court.

If you can get licensed, usually a three year apprenticeship, you can make around 20 bucks an hour

 

[mclem222]

I think if you go to optometry school thinking you are not going to come out and be selling glasses and contacts...you are absolutely kidding yourself. All of us, even those with a more medical practices still sell a lot of glasses and contacts...Remember...Our profession was a bunch of jewelers selling eyeglass frames not very long ago...If you go into it thinking otherwise, you are going to be really unhappy.