My advice to College Pre-Opt. students

[Ryan_eyeball]

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I'm in my final year of Optometry school, and looking forward to graduating in about 10 months. Looking back into college what did I find most helpful.

Point 1)
I started at Kansas State University as a pre-med major, and applied to OD school also my final year of college. Taking 14 biology classes at Kstate and obtaining a biology degree was my interest. I think having a biology degree is invaluable in your success on the first part of the NBEO. I've done very well in school (college and OD schol), but if you're an english major in college the NBEO boards will be very difficult to pass. There's really not that much optometry on there (part one), a lot of biology, and some watered down optics problems. If you think about it who cares about your grades in Optometry school (except if your going into a residency), your board scores are the only thing that counts. Wait a second, grades did get me some of those scholarships.

Point 2) Don't waste all your time in college on biology classes. Take some of those business courses. Yes, its true you want to become a doctor, but let's face it you're going to become a business man or woman. Don't let them get you into a "soft" mode while in school because you see a poor population of patients. You want to provide the best possible eye care, but also want to be paid for it. Some practices are thought to lose around a $100,000 a year due to poor business tactics (i.e. billing insurance, not charging adequately, being too nice). I mean if a patient is someone that abuses their contact lenses and has corneal edema and you want to let the edema clear, is that your fault? Charge again for a second refraction, don't just say that it will be free. I know a plumber (or insert whomever) would charge twice to fix something I did. Overcharge your CL fitting fee or CL check to see patients every six months (build that second fitting fee into the first one), because you want to see them and get to know them better. And i hate the word CL check, are we really checking their CL's that much, I'm more interested in their Cornea's. So I prefer Cornea check (but don't use too many technical terms).

Point 3) Shadow, Shadow, Shadow......Does it get you into school? No way. I never shadowed anybody and I got accepted into three schools. But I highly recommend doing some because you might not like Optometry and the daily grind. I'm lucky that I do in fact love seeing patients and making them see better.

Point 4) Have a really rich uncle, aunt, price cow to sell. Its expensive so try to save a lot before you start. But why do people say they are taking a year off to save for OD school, and waste a year of practice. Make 20k a year or 80k+ a year quicker?

Point 5) Join a Pre-Opt club, and if you don't have one at your college than form one. Leadership positions are attributes that set applicants apart, and plus it lets the school know you're interest in Optometry.

Ok I'm tired lol. I'm going to bed.

Please feel free to add, argue, agree with my list so far.

Ryan

 

[KHE]

I think I'm missing something in these posts:

The first point talks about how important biology courses are, and how much they've helped you in school, yet the second point seems to downplay the importance of biology classes.

I also do not think that taking a "business" course in college will help at all. No business course is going to help you if you are undercharging. You will be much better off taking a "personal finance" type of class, and just attending as much of the practice management courses and or seminars that you can while in optometry school.

It's also hard to not "get soft" because as much as we would all like to get paid, if a patient comes in with a problem, and you don't treat it because you can't get paid, or because the patient has an inability to pay, and something goes south, you will be sooooo far up the creek you can't even imagine.

Picture the plaintiff's lawyer in a malpractice case....."So DOCTOR, do you mean to tell this jury that because the patient could not afford to pay for her follow up care for that infection that you would not see her?"

I also do not agree with the point about the NBEO. Perhaps this varies from school to school, but my experience was that everything you will need to know to pass the NBEO will be taught to you in school.

I'm in my final year of Optometry school, and looking forward to graduating in about 10 months. Looking back into college what did I find most helpful.

Point 1)
I started at Kansas State University as a pre-med major, and applied to OD school also my final year of college. Taking 14 biology classes at Kstate and obtaining a biology degree was my interest. I think having a biology degree is invaluable in your success on the first part of the NBEO. I've done very well in school (college and OD schol), but if you're an english major in college the NBEO boards will be very difficult to pass. There's really not that much optometry on there (part one), a lot of biology, and some watered down optics problems. If you think about it who cares about your grades in Optometry school (except if your going into a residency), your board scores are the only thing that counts. Wait a second, grades did get me some of those scholarships.

Point 2) Don't waste all your time in college on biology classes. Take some of those business courses. Yes, its true you want to become a doctor, but let's face it you're going to become a business man or woman. Don't let them get you into a "soft" mode while in school because you see a poor population of patients. You want to provide the best possible eye care, but also want to be paid for it. Some practices are thought to lose around a $100,000 a year due to poor business tactics (i.e. billing insurance, not charging adequately, being too nice). I mean if a patient is someone that abuses their contact lenses and has corneal edema and you want to let the edema clear, is that your fault? Charge again for a second refraction, don't just say that it will be free. I know a plumber (or insert whomever) would charge twice to fix something I did. Overcharge your CL fitting fee or CL check to see patients every six months (build that second fitting fee into the first one), because you want to see them and get to know them better. And i hate the word CL check, are we really checking their CL's that much, I'm more interested in their Cornea's. So I prefer Cornea check (but don't use too many technical terms).

Point 3) Shadow, Shadow, Shadow......Does it get you into school? No way. I never shadowed anybody and I got accepted into three schools. But I highly recommend doing some because you might not like Optometry and the daily grind. I'm lucky that I do in fact love seeing patients and making them see better.

Point 4) Have a really rich uncle, aunt, price cow to sell. Its expensive so try to save a lot before you start. But why do people say they are taking a year off to save for OD school, and waste a year of practice. Make 20k a year or 80k+ a year quicker?

Point 5) Join a Pre-Opt club, and if you don't have one at your college than form one. Leadership positions are attributes that set applicants apart, and plus it lets the school know you're interest in Optometry.

Ok I'm tired lol. I'm going to bed.

Please feel free to add, argue, agree with my list so far.

Ryan

 

[Ben Chudner]

Point 1)
I started at Kansas State University as a pre-med major, and applied to OD school also my final year of college. Taking 14 biology classes at Kstate and obtaining a biology degree was my interest. I think having a biology degree is invaluable in your success on the first part of the NBEO. I've done very well in school (college and OD schol), but if you're an english major in college the NBEO boards will be very difficult to pass. There's really not that much optometry on there (part one), a lot of biology, and some watered down optics problems. If you think about it who cares about your grades in Optometry school (except if your going into a residency), your board scores are the only thing that counts. Wait a second, grades did get me some of those scholarships.

Biology classes may help you on the NBEO, but plenty of my classmates who were not biology majors did very well on the boards. I agree with Ken, you will learn what you need for the boards in optometry school.

Point 2) Don't waste all your time in college on biology classes. Take some of those business courses. Yes, its true you want to become a doctor, but let's face it you're going to become a business man or woman. Don't let them get you into a "soft" mode while in school because you see a poor population of patients. You want to provide the best possible eye care, but also want to be paid for it. I mean if a patient is someone that abuses their contact lenses and has corneal edema and you want to let the edema clear, is that your fault? Charge again for a second refraction, don't just say that it will be free.

Actually, this is horrible advice. Business classes will not prepare you for owning a practice any more than undergrad biology classes will help you be a better optometrist. First of all, undergrad business profs have no idea about optometry practices, and second of all, you won't remember a thing by the time you complete 4 years of optometry school. The best way to learn the business of optometry is by talking to successful optometrists and consultants. Join study groups with other OD's that have practiced for a while. Get ideas from your colleagues in the trenches, not some prof who has never owned a practice. And by the way, you cannot refuse care to a patient with a medical problem simply because they cannot pay for it if you have already established the doctor-patient relationship. That's called abandonment and it is illegal.

Overcharge your CL fitting fee or CL check to see patients every six months (build that second fitting fee into the first one), because you want to see them and get to know them better. And i hate the word CL check, are we really checking their CL's that much, I'm more interested in their Cornea's. So I prefer Cornea check (but don't use too many technical terms).

What I hate is doctors that bring patients back for extra tests just to charge for them. I rarely see a successful CL patient back at 6 months unless they are trying EW lenses for the first time. All this does is fill you books with inexpensive CL checks that could have been filled by a full exam which pays more.

Some practices are thought to lose around a $100,000 a year due to poor business tactics (i.e. billing insurance, not charging adequately, being too nice).

Not too sure where you got this stat from, but being too nice is not necessarily a bad thing. Charge appropriately, yes, but being nice will help your practice more than it hurts it.

 

[Ryan_eyeball]

I think you both make really good points but if you reread my post, I never once said that I would deny a patient care due to their inability to pay for follow-up care (yes, I'm aware of the term abandonment). How much do most doctors charge for a simple refraction in a private practice? Fifteen or Twenty bucks? Why set the price of refractions so cheap is because 1) you can bill Medicare (or a Vision Plan) for the medical eye examination, and collect fees for the refraction (the 1st Refraction will probably be covered by most Vision plans + whatever out of pocket co-pay they owe), since Medicare doesn't cover this. And 2) because they can't go to Walmart and get an eye exam for $20.

Can this money be collected through collections, sure. I know I'll get the comment, but its not good PR. Then its just undervaluing your education and practice. When you go to a hospital (and a PCP) do they kick you out the door if you don't have money for service or follow-up care, no they send you a bill for whatever insurance doesn't pay (yet both instances the pt was provided medical care). I never suggested the practice needed payment beforehand to treat the patient for corneal edema on a follow-up visit. Why are we as a profession undercutting ourselves in collections, or professional fees?

What do most doctors make revenue off of, of course its glasses. The main reason why I would see patients back in six months is due to the overwhelming # of CL's abusers. I'm sorry if you feel a corneal check is bothersome or fills up your appointment book. How long does it take to assess a cornea for signs of hypoxia, edema, or neovascularization? So, I don't view this as a waste of time or a an invaluable appointment. I'm interested in their corneal health, and plus I want to know them better. Many patients today go see their local OD, and once they have the Rx shoot out the door for their local Walmart to buy glasses. Maybe its an extra visit that keeps them in my office.

I still believe some basic accounting and business courses are invaluable. I'm not suggesting a lot of them, but a few would be beneficial in my own opinion.

I just found the boards to be easier since I had a biology degree. Almost 200 out of the 435 questions i believe are based on Biology material. Do people pass it without a biology degree, all the time.

Open to criticism, suggestions, comments. I thank you both.

Thanks