OD and OD students, predictions

[Questionerrrrrrrrrrr]

Would you recommend Optometry to college freshman and other young scholars? Keeping in mind that if they do everything perfectly, the earliest they could practice is 2025. What do you predict the market will be by then? Will it be even more difficult to find a job? Is opening your own practice out of the question?

(not to turn this into a flamewar)
If someone has the grades to get into either OD or MD/DO school and they'd graduate from it in 2025, would you push them towards OD or MD? Will OD in the future only be for complete fanatics?
Less and less people seem to respect or understand what the OD degree is (in America), and there are gunner OD's who are dropping prices even lower which harms all OD's. Then we have OMD's and Opticians who every year try to envelop the OD's job market and patients.

The market is only getting more saturated.
Is the only option for an OD graduating in the 2020's or the 2030's to move out somewhere in the boonies and become the town OD? Not that everything medical is about salary, but how much can these rural OD's honestly expect to make?

I am not trying to be provocative.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/members/questionerrrrrrrrrrr.715895/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/members/questionerrrrrrrrrrr.715895/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/members/questionerrrrrrrrrrr.715895/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/members/questionerrrrrrrrrrr.715895/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/members/questionerrrrrrrrrrr.715895/
Questionerrrrrrrrrrr
pw: Cluegle

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

In my opinion, the real downside is cost of tuition. Take a look at that before you even consider the other factors.

 

[thisboy]

How can you say that the OD market is saturated and then not the MD market? Family doctors practically never retire as well if that's what you're afraid about. If you want job opportunities here and there right when you graduate go into computer science.

 

[Meeehai]

Would you recommend Optometry to college freshman and other young scholars? Keeping in mind that if they do everything perfectly, the earliest they could practice is 2025. What do you predict the market will be by then? Will it be even more difficult to find a job? Is opening your own practice out of the question?

(not to turn this into a flamewar)
If someone has the grades to get into either OD or MD/DO school and they'd graduate from it in 2025, would you push them towards OD or MD? Will OD in the future only be for complete fanatics?
Less and less people seem to respect or understand what the OD degree is (in America), and there are gunner OD's who are dropping prices even lower which harms all OD's. Then we have OMD's and Opticians who every year try to envelop the OD's job market and patients.

The market is only getting more saturated.
Is the only option for an OD graduating in the 2020's or the 2030's to move out somewhere in the boonies and become the town OD? Not that everything medical is about salary, but how much can these rural OD's honestly expect to make?

I am not trying to be provocative.

Questionerrrrrrrrrrr
pw: Cluegle

If you go to medical school with some illusion that you're gonna be a fancy specialized physician and have no interest in being a clinician, you're gonna have a bad time. The idea of "pushing" someone toward a healthcare profession because of lifestyle is naive.

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

Would you recommend Optometry to college freshman and other young scholars? Keeping in mind that if they do everything perfectly, the earliest they could practice is 2025. What do you predict the market will be by then? Will it be even more difficult to find a job? Is opening your own practice out of the question?

Financially, it's just not worth it.
This has been debated over and over again on ODs on Facebook.
To many of us, the burden of a 6+% student loan with $250000 plus interest cannot be justified by the salary as an optometrist.

The caveats would be:
- If you can't imagine yourself doing anything else.
- If you're able to afford the tuition and graduate taking out much less than $250K. (~$100K seems to be a much more reasonable burden)
- If you already have a set position negotiated before entering school that puts you in a comfortable financial position (inheriting a practice, partnership contracted).

I can hear the arguments about "money isn't everything" already. But when real life finally starts, it's a lot more than just that $250K. You're thinking about starting a family, purchasing a home, upgrading your car, thinking of having kids, or maybe even buying your own practice and equipment. Should you really be making these sacrifices after 8+ years of advanced schooling?

 

[OpticalBlackOut]

Less and less people seem to respect or understand what the OD degree is (in America)

On this thought, I had a long-time patient that I spent a good half hour fine-tuning her multifocal contact lens prescription and also had a lengthy discussion on age-related macular degeneration due to her father losing vision from it recently.

Upon the completion of her exam, she told me "you are like family, and I don't want to see anyone else. Have you ever considered becoming a doctor? I think you would be really good at it."

-___-

 

[Snakedoctor1]

Upon the completion of her exam, she told me "you are like family, and I don't want to see anyone else. Have you ever considered becoming a doctor? I think you would be really good at it."

-___-

But she respects you! Even if she undermines your education...

 

[Orientaddled]

I believe in everyone! We can all do it! We're all in! We're all champions!