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I have been seeing a lot of alarming questions on this website with reagrd to optometry as a profession. "What's the pay?" "What are the hours and benefits?" "Can I get in with substandard grades and coursework?" are many of the questions I see prospective students asking. Although these are important questions, they should have absolutely no bearing on your decision to be an optometrist.
I have been an optometrist with residency training for 9 years and make a six figure income with amazing benefits. I work 4 and a half days a week in a busy Optometry/Ophthalmology department and am ABSOLUTELY disappointed with my career choice. Like many of you, I wanted to be a doctor, was burnt out after undergrad and couldn't fathom going on another 7-10 year yourney. Optometry sounded like a nice respectable profession that would allow me to be challenged and make decent money.
It is my intention to shed a little light on my experience and hopefully prevent you from making a snap decision about your future. I also hope to dispel a lot of the misinformation and flat out lies being perpetuated by the optometric community.
You must first ask yourself " Will I be okay with performing 15-20 identical eye exams each day, 5 days a week for 25 years?", because this is mainly what you will be doing. People will not be coming to you for ocular disease unless it is a relatively quick to take care of entity. The reason? Optometrists are generally not allowed on health plans. They are allowed on vision plans, but what do vision plans cover? An exam and glasses or contacts. So, do you really think a person will shell out private payment after private payment to you when their health coverage will take care of it? If they don't have health insurance, how long do you expect them to continue to pay you?
The AOA has gloified optometry, filling prospective doctors with fantastic tales of ocular disease treatment and management of all sorts of visual problems. Unless you are in a special niche practice or an optometric college, you will be: 1. Doing annual eye checkups/exams, 2. Refracting, and 3. Doing contact lens fits. Period. Do not believe you will be managing glaucoma all day, dry eye, blepharitis, diabetic retinopathy or ARMD. You will not be. If you think you will be managing amblyopia frequently, you are mistaken again. The reason? Basically anything from the iris on back, you are not permitted to treat (except glaucoma in some states). Ulcers, dry eye and blepharitis are fine, but if you think these patients are going to shell out dollar after dollar instead of letting their health insurance handle it, you are mistaken. Retail is even worse; many of these patients just don't have the money for follow up care.
Second of all is the respect issue. If you are going to optometry school to shave years off and still have "Dr." in front of your name. Don't do it. You are not considered a doctor by any physician, nurse, health insurance plan or even the federal government. You are classified as a mid level provider. Guess who else are considered mid level providers? Nurses and PA's, and guess what? They go to school less than we do and get to do as much if not more than we do. The only people who will consider you a doctor are people who don't know the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. Other than that it is snickers and disrespect behind your back. You call yourself doctor, but can't even order a FBS unless you again are in a niche practice, working under an ophthalmologist, or at a VA. This is the truth and anyone telling you any different is lying to you or trying to glorify what they do. There is much insecurity and glorification in this field and I understand why. Imagine dedicating 8-9 years of your life only to be restricted from doing a lot of what you learned in school; Imagine being on the same plane as nurses and PA's and making less money while going to school longer. But hey, you get to call yourself a doctor right?
I understand many of you are at the end of undergrad with a degree that isn't worth much without continuing your education. I was in the same boat. If your original intention was to become a physician but you don't think you will get into medical school, beef up your resume. Consider out of the country medical schools, take upper division science courses and do not quit until you are in some accredited medical school. Once you are in, you can learn as much as you are willing. Do not take the consolation prize. For those of you who will have no problem getting into medical school, go to medical school. An M.D. opens up so many more doors than an O.D. degree. Research, administration, many subspecialties, teaching, consulting, you name it. Why not have more opportunities? An O.D. allows you to do a few things: Examine eyes, and teach at one of the 16 optometry schools in the country. Chances are you will not be doing a lot of research for a major comapny, or consulting for anyone. There is nothing worse than being 15 years in as an optometrist and wishing you would have gone to medical school. By then it is realistically too late. Make the right decision now.
I am so passionate about this that if I can prevent one of you from making a bad decision that could cost you up to 200,000 in student loan debt, I'm willing. If you are planning on going to ICO, be prepared for 175,000-200,000 in debt when your starting salary will be around 85,000/ year. That corresponds to bi weekly pay after taxes of 2200-2400 each pay period and 1,000.00 of that is coming right off the top for your loans. So you are left with 3800/month and haven't paid your rent, car payment or eaten yet. If money isn't an issue, then just make sure you will like doing EYE EXAMS all day long, becuase that is what you are going to be doing.
I haven't even gone into the frustration you will endure when you see so many other older OD's with embarassing diagnoses and lack of knowledge. It's not their fault, but you will be grouped with them no matter what you think. Think about how you will like refracting an 85 year old alzheimers patient or the anxious depressed personality who can't decide the difference between the choices you give them. Think about getting 20 minutes per patient and they show up 20 minutes late in a wheelchair. Think about poorly hygienic people on Medicaid that don't show for their appointments and don't appreciate the frre glasses they are getting from taxpayers. Think about CL patient s who show up for their CL evaluation without their CL's in. Don't spend your career trying to earn respect, becuase you will not get it from the people you want it from the most. Look into careers with a little variety, like medicine, vet med or do something altogether different. You will be much happier and much more fulfilled.
Finally, do not let the pressure of not getting into medical school force you into a career that you would not do if you could get into medical school with more effort. Although you might see money and benefits as stable, the truth is, private optometric practice is being crushed by retail competition. Last year, the % of optometric private practices that closed their doors increased by 35%. Employment outside of private practice is scarce and retail is an embarassment. Do you really want to go to school for eight years (9 w/ residency) and be working in a shopping mall next to Pretzel Time?? or putting your lab coat on at WalMart? or Costco? You will feel like a loser unless you have no self respect. People will buy a hot dog and then pop in for an eye exam; please think hard if you think you will be managing their glaucoma in that setting.
I have been an optometrist with residency training for 9 years and make a six figure income with amazing benefits. I work 4 and a half days a week in a busy Optometry/Ophthalmology department and am ABSOLUTELY disappointed with my career choice. Like many of you, I wanted to be a doctor, was burnt out after undergrad and couldn't fathom going on another 7-10 year yourney. Optometry sounded like a nice respectable profession that would allow me to be challenged and make decent money.
It is my intention to shed a little light on my experience and hopefully prevent you from making a snap decision about your future. I also hope to dispel a lot of the misinformation and flat out lies being perpetuated by the optometric community.
You must first ask yourself " Will I be okay with performing 15-20 identical eye exams each day, 5 days a week for 25 years?", because this is mainly what you will be doing. People will not be coming to you for ocular disease unless it is a relatively quick to take care of entity. The reason? Optometrists are generally not allowed on health plans. They are allowed on vision plans, but what do vision plans cover? An exam and glasses or contacts. So, do you really think a person will shell out private payment after private payment to you when their health coverage will take care of it? If they don't have health insurance, how long do you expect them to continue to pay you?
The AOA has gloified optometry, filling prospective doctors with fantastic tales of ocular disease treatment and management of all sorts of visual problems. Unless you are in a special niche practice or an optometric college, you will be: 1. Doing annual eye checkups/exams, 2. Refracting, and 3. Doing contact lens fits. Period. Do not believe you will be managing glaucoma all day, dry eye, blepharitis, diabetic retinopathy or ARMD. You will not be. If you think you will be managing amblyopia frequently, you are mistaken again. The reason? Basically anything from the iris on back, you are not permitted to treat (except glaucoma in some states). Ulcers, dry eye and blepharitis are fine, but if you think these patients are going to shell out dollar after dollar instead of letting their health insurance handle it, you are mistaken. Retail is even worse; many of these patients just don't have the money for follow up care.
Second of all is the respect issue. If you are going to optometry school to shave years off and still have "Dr." in front of your name. Don't do it. You are not considered a doctor by any physician, nurse, health insurance plan or even the federal government. You are classified as a mid level provider. Guess who else are considered mid level providers? Nurses and PA's, and guess what? They go to school less than we do and get to do as much if not more than we do. The only people who will consider you a doctor are people who don't know the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. Other than that it is snickers and disrespect behind your back. You call yourself doctor, but can't even order a FBS unless you again are in a niche practice, working under an ophthalmologist, or at a VA. This is the truth and anyone telling you any different is lying to you or trying to glorify what they do. There is much insecurity and glorification in this field and I understand why. Imagine dedicating 8-9 years of your life only to be restricted from doing a lot of what you learned in school; Imagine being on the same plane as nurses and PA's and making less money while going to school longer. But hey, you get to call yourself a doctor right?
I understand many of you are at the end of undergrad with a degree that isn't worth much without continuing your education. I was in the same boat. If your original intention was to become a physician but you don't think you will get into medical school, beef up your resume. Consider out of the country medical schools, take upper division science courses and do not quit until you are in some accredited medical school. Once you are in, you can learn as much as you are willing. Do not take the consolation prize. For those of you who will have no problem getting into medical school, go to medical school. An M.D. opens up so many more doors than an O.D. degree. Research, administration, many subspecialties, teaching, consulting, you name it. Why not have more opportunities? An O.D. allows you to do a few things: Examine eyes, and teach at one of the 16 optometry schools in the country. Chances are you will not be doing a lot of research for a major comapny, or consulting for anyone. There is nothing worse than being 15 years in as an optometrist and wishing you would have gone to medical school. By then it is realistically too late. Make the right decision now.
I am so passionate about this that if I can prevent one of you from making a bad decision that could cost you up to 200,000 in student loan debt, I'm willing. If you are planning on going to ICO, be prepared for 175,000-200,000 in debt when your starting salary will be around 85,000/ year. That corresponds to bi weekly pay after taxes of 2200-2400 each pay period and 1,000.00 of that is coming right off the top for your loans. So you are left with 3800/month and haven't paid your rent, car payment or eaten yet. If money isn't an issue, then just make sure you will like doing EYE EXAMS all day long, becuase that is what you are going to be doing.
I haven't even gone into the frustration you will endure when you see so many other older OD's with embarassing diagnoses and lack of knowledge. It's not their fault, but you will be grouped with them no matter what you think. Think about how you will like refracting an 85 year old alzheimers patient or the anxious depressed personality who can't decide the difference between the choices you give them. Think about getting 20 minutes per patient and they show up 20 minutes late in a wheelchair. Think about poorly hygienic people on Medicaid that don't show for their appointments and don't appreciate the frre glasses they are getting from taxpayers. Think about CL patient s who show up for their CL evaluation without their CL's in. Don't spend your career trying to earn respect, becuase you will not get it from the people you want it from the most. Look into careers with a little variety, like medicine, vet med or do something altogether different. You will be much happier and much more fulfilled.
Finally, do not let the pressure of not getting into medical school force you into a career that you would not do if you could get into medical school with more effort. Although you might see money and benefits as stable, the truth is, private optometric practice is being crushed by retail competition. Last year, the % of optometric private practices that closed their doors increased by 35%. Employment outside of private practice is scarce and retail is an embarassment. Do you really want to go to school for eight years (9 w/ residency) and be working in a shopping mall next to Pretzel Time?? or putting your lab coat on at WalMart? or Costco? You will feel like a loser unless you have no self respect. People will buy a hot dog and then pop in for an eye exam; please think hard if you think you will be managing their glaucoma in that setting.
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