Od, pa

[nc2tarheels]

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The OD that I currently work for has OD, PA after her name. What's the point and purpose? All info appreciated 🙂

 

[optsuker]

PA: professional association
PC: professional corporation
LLC: Limited liability company

All different ways to organize for tax/liability reasons.
Usually depends on the state you live in or the advice of your accountant as to which you pick.

 

[gochi]

WOW 😱

Why don't you just ask her...

 

[zyg0te]

WOW 😱

Why don't you just ask her...

😕 I was thinking the same thing.

 

[nc2tarheels]

Because there are about 6 OD's there and I hardly ever run into her. So quit being a douche and save yourself the time of responding.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

The OD that I currently work for has OD, PA after her name. What's the point and purpose? All info appreciated 🙂

I'd just assume she also has a PA degree. Sometimes optometrists will go back to get a PA degree because it opens up their scope of practice a bit in some states. Or optometry could just be her 2nd career.

 

[thanotoriousfob]

Because there are about 6 OD's there and I hardly ever run into her. So quit being a douche and save yourself the time of responding.

Maybe ask any OD you run into at your office and see what they have to say?😕

 

[gochi]

I'd just assume she also has a PA degree. Sometimes optometrists will go back to get a PA degree because it opens up their scope of practice a bit in some states. Or optometry could just be her 2nd career.

exactly why op should ask directly. Op's question, while valid, is a waste of time.

 

[KHE]

I'd just assume she also has a PA degree. Sometimes optometrists will go back to get a PA degree because it opens up their scope of practice a bit in some states. Or optometry could just be her 2nd career.

I have never in my life seen or heard of any OD getting a PA degree. Who do you know who was done this?

 

[gochi]

I have never in my life seen or heard of any OD getting a PA degree. Who do you know who was done this?

An OD who hates optometry perhaps?

 

[Oculomotor]

I have to agree with KHE on this one.....In the state of florida the PA is a "professional moniker" next to the names of Health care professionals, lawyers, optometrists or whoever. I have never heard of an OD or any other doctorate level provider going back to school to get a "supervised allied health license" such as PA. You would be functioning under the auspice of a physician for the things outside of optometric license! LOL That is ridiculous. Remember everything a PA does in under the jurisdiction of the supervising physician--in concept they do not function independently. (This is true of all the PA laws in 50 states). So that does not make any sense at all.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

I'd just assume she also has a PA degree. Sometimes optometrists will go back to get a PA degree because it opens up their scope of practice a bit in some states. Or optometry could just be her 2nd career.

Open up their scope of practice? Maybe in some states to prescribe orals but many states now have oral/narcotic rights. That wouldn't be a good use of 3 years post-grad....👎

 

[Dwight Schrute]

I don't think an OD/PA is really as far fetched as some of you think. I've never met an OD who also went to PA school, but a couple message boards have posts stating that having both degrees allowed injections, Rxing that otherwise would not be allowed, and access to medical insurance plans that otherwise would be denied by "only" having an OD degree.

Also, from what I understand (and this surely differs by state), a PA's scope of practice is determined by the supervising physician and what the PA feels comfortable with. So, from a legal standpoint a PA can do ocular injections and could even perform cataract surgery assuming the MD is crazy enough to allow it. There's your ticket to being an optometric physician surgeon, oculomotor: a PA degree.

Wasn't there a rumor last year that PCO was considering a joint OD/PA program?

 

[Tippytoe]

Almost without a doubt, the PA behind an OD's name stands for "Professional Association". It's added when the OD ( or any professional) forms a corporation (usually for tax purposes). Sometimes you will see LLC instead of P.A.

I do know one OD that is a physician assistant (PA-C = Physician Assistant-Certified) but he was a PA before becoming an OD.

I can see the reason an OD might want to go back to school for 2 years (a master's program) to become a PA-C.

In theory, he could set up a primary care medical office and do optometry and primary care medical provided he has an MD to sign off and supervise. It would be a weird situation though. You could Rx Augmentin for a lid infection on your own but have to get a supervisor's approval to Rx the same med for an ear or toe infection. 🙄