Offering to give you the real truth (trying not to be dramatic here )

[senioreye]

First of all , no I am not a troll or fire starter or flamer as you all may say.
I graduated from a USA Optometry school in the 1990's way before the internet was formed. I'm not that old (few yrs shy of 40 ) but looking at these posts makes me feel like a senior. I'm simply offering my own opinion and please do visit O.D.'s in different work settings to get their opinion of being an O.D. versus an M.D. Even pharmaceutical reps will not give you the time of day knowing that you are not an M.D. Anyhow I have been reading posts now and then. I admit I have registered before but then forgot my password repeatedly so I keep getting new "Join Date's". That is why I am a senior right ? Ha Ha Ha Anyhow feel free to sling any questions at me. I only tell the truth and I will try not to sound patronizing. I feel that choosing a career is very important and you can only learn from those who are currently
deep within it and not from polished school pamphlets/ academia.

---

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[carol_J]

i was wondering what do you think of the future of optometry in your area and around the U.S. Do you think the AOA?

what is the most useful/best advice you have gotten (in general)?

what are the ups & downs of the career? do you view opt as a career or as a job?

well, just wondering... but defiently I also encourage to any other pre-opt student to talk to current opt aournd the area and not base decisions soley on what is on the internet

Thanks

 

[Bluesteel01]

Yea, those are some of the things i'm trying to figure out too.... Here are my questions:

Having been in the profession for such a long time and having noted trends in it for 10 years, what kind of trends have you seen and what do you think the future of optometry holds? My major concern right now is that i've heard that "optometry is a dying profession" and the info. i've been able to find doesn't seem to prove it either way.

If I graduate from opt school in 4 years will it really be hard for me to find a job because of the supposed oversaturation?

Will I have to work at one of those chain places like Pearl Vision?

Lastly, isn't 100K enough.. (vs. 400k if you're an MD). If not, i'm guessing equipment and insurance costs really are that insanely high...

 

[eyestrain]

Hey guys, try asking one of our more 'neutral' doctors, and not someone so biased.

So do you want a doc to blow smoke up your *** or tell you the truth? Just because someone doesn't have paint a pretty picture of optometry doesn't mean they aren't telling the truth.

 

[senioreye]

I would advise you to personally visit and interview ODs who have graduated 4 to 5 years ago. They would be giving you a more honest view than a fresh new grad. For salary 50 to 60 per hour "starting" is average. 530 per day is very good for weekdays (350 to 400 per day is low to average, it varies state to state, go see on salary dot com website) and 800 for Saturdays which are the busiest day of the week, has been known to be paid out in busy retail places. Realize retail chain places which are busy, ODs have been known to see anywhere from 25 to 40 or more patients on a Saturday, which means retail store will gross about 10 to 13K for that one day. You can see why the OD is very important to the store and being paid just the regular mon to fri rate is way way too low. Some new ODs who are naive don't realize this and don't negotiate and work their butts off. Bonus on Sat are sometimes given by retail places. Now for private clinics the salary is much different. The 50 to 60 per hour is more common for new ODs and that means Sat hours and some evenings. Retail clinics do not have personal offices for the ODs. Just a small exam room with a chair where you sit and wait for patients to arrive. Some retail places have technicians and some do not. Being employed by OMDs (ophthalmologists) are somewhat varied some make 85K to 110K even in hospital settings or VA settings (look on government job websites they do state the pay ranges ). Gov jobs do offer pensions which other jobs do not. Now if you are self-employed (which I have done before too ) insurance plans send you a check (sometimes they don't / reject your claim for your exams ) and some insurances pay 35 for exams and other plans will pay 75 for exams. For those patients who need medical work ups and have eye diseases you will get higher reimbursements in the hundreds over several visits. Working with an OMD or another OD who sees alot of pathology will give you real life experience with billing methods. Taking courses in billing does help. As for professional liability insurance, I only know of Marsh Insurance and their rates vary depending on your years of practice. Mine is for a full time working OD with all the TPA certifications but not involved with LASIK / Refractive patients. My annual premium has been around 700 to 800. The main thing is you will always be reminded that you are an OD not an OMD whether in your circle of friends, your neighborhood, CE conferences where OMDs are "presenting" , at Health Fairs, at Screenings, with pharmacies, with nurses, dentists, drug sales reps, hospitals, primary care doctors. I have worked in OMD clinics and hospitals where the sales rep bring in a huge catered lunch EVERY friday and boxes of cases of drug samples. Then when I worked at a Lenscrafters I could only manage to get a phone call from the rep and was mailed 4 wks later 3 to 4 bottles of Zylet samples (yippee). Yes, I do enjoy my work but the OMD down the street pretty much has a refracting technician give out eyeglass prescriptions and contact lens fittings while the OMD does the surgery and gives the patients all of 3 minutes of time (while billing all that they can for that medical visit). OMDs see as many patients as they can - the place I worked at they saw 40 to 50 plus per non-surgery day. I have friends who work in Canada and they say OMDs there do the same thing - have a refracting tech and spend 3 minutes with each patient. Any more questions ?

 

[senioreye]

Please let me say that I still do love seeing that look of wonderment in children who can "see" clearly for the first time. There are dear dear patients who do complement my services, attention to details and willingness to answer their questions (unlike the OMD down the street). But the majority of patients are contact lens abusers and will tell you directly that they know they should not do xyz but they do not care. For example, wear same lenses "until they fall apart", store lenses in tap water, sleep in contacts for weeks and weeks and come see you when they are all infected and dripping. You try to tell them to do as you say, but they still return with their problems and as a Dr. you must care for these patients who beg to be seen (even if you have packed up and want to go home to your 2 year old). They come in just because they want a contact lens rx to buy contacts online and get free trials from you. They do not want to pay for their "complaint" or "problem with my red eyes" visits. Insurance claims get rejected - you basically were not paid, and the patient is refusing to pay you too. Like I said in my initial post, that link of Optical Stores with patients writing in complaints are pretty much what I deal with daily. That website is funny but serious because it is honest and from real people. Are all jobs this stressful ? Maybe, but being paid 400K sure does act like Valium at the end of the day doesn't it ? As an OD , I do the same things, bill the same vision codes, but work alot harder to prove myself and as salary dot com shows ODs do not make as much as OMDs. That is the bottom line. I am making the best of it. I spend alot of time with my family. I drive an average car and live in an average home. If you are looking for more - then I do suggest that you get the true look at the lives of ODs ( they are on every corner pretty much ) and compare with the lives of OMDs you will get the picture. (They don't have to work Saturdays or Sundays or evenings by the way ). I am lucky if I get home on time to tuck my children into bed at night or watch their school play at night in their school gymnasium.

 

[DrRobs]

I would advise you to personally visit and interview ODs who have graduated 4 to 5 years ago. They would be giving you a more honest view than a fresh new grad. For salary 50 to 60 per hour "starting" is average. 530 per day is very good for weekdays (350 to 400 per day is low to average, it varies state to state, go see on salary dot com website) and 800 for Saturdays which are the busiest day of the week, has been known to be paid out in busy retail places. Realize retail chain places which are busy, ODs have been known to see anywhere from 25 to 40 or more patients on a Saturday, which means retail store will gross about 10 to 13K for that one day. You can see why the OD is very important to the store and being paid just the regular mon to fri rate is way way too low. Some new ODs who are naive don't realize this and don't negotiate and work their butts off. Bonus on Sat are sometimes given by retail places. Now for private clinics the salary is much different. The 50 to 60 per hour is more common for new ODs and that means Sat hours and some evenings. Retail clinics do not have personal offices for the ODs. Just a small exam room with a chair where you sit and wait for patients to arrive. Some retail places have technicians and some do not. Being employed by OMDs (ophthalmologists) are somewhat varied some make 85K to 110K even in hospital settings or VA settings (look on government job websites they do state the pay ranges ). Gov jobs do offer pensions which other jobs do not. Now if you are self-employed (which I have done before too ) insurance plans send you a check (sometimes they don't / reject your claim for your exams ) and some insurances pay 35 for exams and other plans will pay 75 for exams. For those patients who need medical work ups and have eye diseases you will get higher reimbursements in the hundreds over several visits. Working with an OMD or another OD who sees alot of pathology will give you real life experience with billing methods. Taking courses in billing does help. As for professional liability insurance, I only know of Marsh Insurance and their rates vary depending on your years of practice. Mine is for a full time working OD with all the TPA certifications but not involved with LASIK / Refractive patients. My annual premium has been around 700 to 800. The main thing is you will always be reminded that you are an OD not an OMD whether in your circle of friends, your neighborhood, CE conferences where OMDs are "presenting" , at Health Fairs, at Screenings, with pharmacies, with nurses, dentists, drug sales reps, hospitals, primary care doctors. I have worked in OMD clinics and hospitals where the sales rep bring in a huge catered lunch EVERY friday and boxes of cases of drug samples. Then when I worked at a Lenscrafters I could only manage to get a phone call from the rep and was mailed 4 wks later 3 to 4 bottles of Zylet samples (yippee). Yes, I do enjoy my work but the OMD down the street pretty much has a refracting technician give out eyeglass prescriptions and contact lens fittings while the OMD does the surgery and gives the patients all of 3 minutes of time (while billing all that they can for that medical visit). OMDs see as many patients as they can - the place I worked at they saw 40 to 50 plus per non-surgery day. I have friends who work in Canada and they say OMDs there do the same thing - have a refracting tech and spend 3 minutes with each patient. Any more questions ?

Can we have an OD's perspective thats not from a chain practice?

 

[senioreye]

Actually I work in a private clinic with 2 ODs and 3 OMD's plus I work one day at a Retail place. Thanks Dr. for your question. Perhaps I work too much ? What is crazy is one of the OMDs actually writes letters and lobby's (sp?) to remove Glaucoma treatment by ODs. I am salaried there under the whole group practice corp. (just one of the workers) That one OMD is just two-faced but we ODs put up with it.

 

[DrRobs]

Actually I work in a private clinic with 2 ODs and 3 OMD's plus I work one day at a Retail place. Thanks Dr. for your question. Perhaps I work too much ? What is crazy is one of the OMDs actually writes letters and lobby's (sp?) to remove Glaucoma treatment by ODs. I am salaried there under the whole group practice corp. (just one of the workers) That one OMD is just two-faced but we ODs put up with it.

So find a better job where you have more say and "don't have to put up with it"

 

[senioreye]

That's the thing, when you have kids , a family, aging parents who put you through school, all to care for + mortgage and etc... It is selfish to say I want to quit and find some place better b/c of the "work environment".

 

[DrRobs]

That's the thing, when you have kids , a family, aging parents who put you through school, all to care for + mortgage and etc... It is selfish to say I want to quit and find some place better b/c of the "work environment".

So look for a job while you're still working there, then quit when u find something better.

 

[eyestrain]

No, I'd rather have an OD from South Dakota constantly throwing diarrhea out of his mouth for advice about the situation across the country . I did not say he's not trying to be honest, but when all one has is a negative mind frame, that's the only opinion you will receive.

I actually like my job. I really don't have that much bad to say. Sure there are problems that drive me nuts, but overall I like it. My point is that no one around here seems to want listen to any bad news. It's always written off as "biased" and it must be from some disgruntled doctor who's probably a crappy optometrist. That's why I asked if you just wanted someone to blow smoke up your ***, because sometimes I get the feeling that that's all anyone wants.

 

[senioreye]

They want to create 2 to 3 ? new Optometry schools. So there will be more chances for those applying to actually get accepted. There are job opportunities in rural areas where there is a serious community need for eye doctors and potential for 6 figure incomes.
I'll bet people there would really appreciate all an OD can do for them to have healthy eyesight. Stay away from inner city and suburb practices. Patients
are spoiled from too many choices knowing if they upset one or dupe one with fake insurance - they have another Dr. around the corner ? Baby boomers and the increase in the aging population will no doubt have alot
of eye diseases for you young ODs to detect -- maybe treat ? in the future ?
Treatment is limited to just topical eye meds right now. Anything that requires injection or surgery or laser will be done by OMD. Anyhow good luck with what ever you choose. The boards are really not that difficult to pass.

By the way, I don't hate my job. I just wish I'd gone to Med school is all. I do have a pretty decent life with my salary, my family, my leisure time, and above all my health. I make enough for a average middle income family. So Carpe Diem. I hope to meet you at a CE conference in the future - I will be in the back snoring away (just joking ).

 

[Monkee2008]

I work for an optometrist and work with many of the fill-in doctors on the weekends. I have never heard such comments about optometry from anyone of them. They have alot of passion for their work and have never thought about switching to become an MD. So, if you wish to pursue an MD, you still can do it. I know an optometrist who did switched to become an ophthamologist. It took him more schooling, but he became happy with his change. He just wished that he had thought more about it in the first place.

You claim that you are happy, but I feel like you lack the passion to be a doctor senioreye.

 

[bobbio]

Are you working in Canada or the US?

 

[opt]

They want to create 2 to 3 ? new Optometry schools. So there will be more chances for those applying to actually get accepted. There are job opportunities in rural areas where there is a serious community need for eye doctors and potential for 6 figure incomes.
I'll bet people there would really appreciate all an OD can do for them to have healthy eyesight. Stay away from inner city and suburb practices. Patients
are spoiled from too many choices knowing if they upset one or dupe one with fake insurance - they have another Dr. around the corner ? Baby boomers and the increase in the aging population will no doubt have alot
of eye diseases for you young ODs to detect -- maybe treat ? in the future ?
Treatment is limited to just topical eye meds right now. Anything that requires injection or surgery or laser will be done by OMD. Anyhow good luck with what ever you choose. The boards are really not that difficult to pass.

By the way, I don't hate my job. I just wish I'd gone to Med school is all. I do have a pretty decent life with my salary, my family, my leisure time, and above all my health. I make enough for a average middle income family. So Carpe Diem. I hope to meet you at a CE conference in the future - I will be in the back snoring away (just joking ).

Sounds like you're discouraged with being an OD and having to be "a subordinate" to an OMD. Well, you picked optometry for a reason. Probably to become a primary eyedoctor and help people. You only get one chance to live, so honestly, what difference does it make if you make $$more money$$ as that prestigious OMD and do surgery, etc.? All the money in the world can't buy happiness or an eternal life. It sounds like you are living a nice life and making a good living with a family. What does it really matter if you aren't an OMD or not? You sound like a nice guy, and being a decent person is worth more than any title or salary. A salary or title isn't necessarily what makes a person's life worthwhile by any means.

If you really regret not going to become an OMD because you want to treat more eye problems and do surgery, then consider going back to med. school. But don't let the OMDs you work with make you feel like less of a person. Title and salary only prevail for so long.

I suggest you start looking for a new job...find one...then quit the other one. Just sounds like you have an undesirable work schedule.

Also, maybe do some charity work if you don't already. People are happier when they give back to others (I'm just saying this in general). I could donate a few weeks pay to a charity and feel like I've accomplished something, rather than buying a new tv for instance.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

I actually like my job. I really don't have that much bad to say. Sure there are problems that drive me nuts, but overall I like it. My point is that no one around here seems to want listen to any bad news. It's always written off as "biased" and it must be from some disgruntled doctor who's probably a crappy optometrist. That's why I asked if you just wanted someone to blow smoke up your ***, because sometimes I get the feeling that that's all anyone wants.

I don't think it's that nobody wants to listen to any bad news, they're just tired of around 80% of the discussions here turning into a complaining festival. I've also noticed that around half of the things the doctors complain about really aren't optometry problems. Let's addresss some specifics:

1. "I hate commercial entities, especially Wal-Mart because they take my business and my colleagues make me look bad"

Not really an optometry problem, but an issue that comes along with running a small business in a competitive market dominated by large corporations. If you had opened pretty much any other business, Wal-Mart is still gonna be there, and they're still gonna take your business. As for the image thing, it's a valid argument, but you can't really hate on a person that's trying to put food on his table and a roof above his head. Should he have settled for half the money to work a dead-end job as an associate in a PP? You all say that corporations screw over new ODs, but I'd argue that many PP ODs screw them over just as much.

2. "I would have never gotten into this industry if I was going to have to put up with disrespectful and rude people everyday"

Not an optometry problem. Just a problem that comes along with working with the public everyday. Although it is unfortunate that people are disrespectful to a professional, it's just the way it is and you should have known this from the beginning.

So there's two big ones that I see quite a bit, but even a blind person could see that those really aren't optometry problems. There's definately more, but we can save those for another day. Just because you have an expensive education and a pretty office doesn't entitle one to be exempt from these things, but I get the feeling that a lot of you think it should

Another thing that we hear quite a bit is "ODs are discriminated against by all different types of parties relative to MDs...we are treated unequally".

Definitely an optometry problem...but the thing is, ODs are not equal to MDs, so why would you think that they would be in the eyes of these parties? It definitely sucks, i'll admit that, but you can't really think you're entitled to equality with an unequal level of education. (That isn't to say the OD education is necessarily inferior, it's just not equal to that of MD)

Sorry for ranting, but too many times we see ODs complain because optometry isn't the way is should be, or not what you want it to be. Take it for what it is, because that's all it's ever going to be.

 

[Noemimi]

Wow... this is very depressing. Reading these forums is not a great thing to do when applying to schools. I intern at an optometry office, and the Dr.s I work for are happy with what they do and they manage to get out at reasonable times. As far as money goes, there are problems no matter what business you get into. I also interned at a Glaucoma center, and all the OMDs came in early and left really late. They see patients every 15mins or so, as a tech, I spent more time with them than the doctors. From my perspective, it seems like the OMDs had the most routine and monotonous schedule as well as the longest.

 

[jc812]

Not to be sexist, but this is something that would only happen to guys

 

[gochi]

.

 

[gochi]

Not to be sexist, but this is something that would only happen to guys

Elaborate.

 

[jc812]

Huh?

The whole OD < OMD. For some ODs, being an OD doesn't earn enough "respect" or what have you, so they feel that they are less important than the OMDs. These ODs claim to wish they would have known about this.. if they knew, they would have pursued a diff career.. or an OMD to begin with!

At least that's what I gather from around here. Only SOME ODs, like the OP.

 

[jc812]

By the way, I don't hate my job. I just wish I'd gone to Med school is all. I do have a pretty decent life with my salary, my family, my leisure time, and above all my health. I make enough for a average middle income family. So Carpe Diem. I hope to meet you at a CE conference in the future - I will be in the back snoring away (just joking ).

Like so.

 

[KHE]

The whole OD < OMD. For some ODs, being an OD doesn't earn enough "respect" or what have you, so they feel that they are less important than the OMDs. These ODs claim to wish they would have known about this.. if they knew, they would have pursued a diff career.. or an OMD to begin with!

At least that's what I gather from around here. Only SOME ODs, like the OP.

I've never understood the whole concept of "respect" or "prestige" of any particular job or profession. The fact is, there are always going to be significant numbers of people who don't respect you no matter what profession you're in, or how good you are at it.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the President of the United States.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the LAST President of the United States, and half the country is going to hate the NEXT President.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

People don't respect cops, teachers, waitresses, ultrasound technicians, the UPS guys, cab drivers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. etc.

I guess the only job that seems to be universally "respected" is a fireman or perhaps an astronaut.

So stop chasing or worrying about the "prestige" value of the various careers out there because it's really quite pointless. Do something that makes you happy! I know doctors of all types who are incredibly rich but incredibly miserable. I have friends who teach Catholic School and basically make poverty wages but they just LOVE their jobs. Do something that you ENJOY doing....

 

[DrRobs]

I've never understood the whole concept of "respect" or "prestige" of any particular job or profession. The fact is, there are always going to be significant numbers of people who don't respect you no matter what profession you're in, or how good you are at it.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the President of the United States.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the LAST President of the United States, and half the country is going to hate the NEXT President.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

People don't respect cops, teachers, waitresses, ultrasound technicians, the UPS guys, cab drivers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. etc.

I guess the only job that seems to be universally "respected" is a fireman or perhaps an astronaut.

So stop chasing or worrying about the "prestige" value of the various careers out there because it's really quite pointless. Do something that makes you happy! I know doctors of all types who are incredibly rich but incredibly miserable. I have friends who teach Catholic School and basically make poverty wages but they just LOVE their jobs. Do something that you ENJOY doing....

I agree compeletely. If you do something that makes you miserable, don't do it. The good will outweigh the bad even when you have "haters", even if they make up the majority (or seem to at least haha) of your practice you'll have some people that will make you feel like you made a positive difference and those are the ppl to value. If you know you are doing what love and what you can and you're happy and satisfied with the work you've done the "bad seeds" won't matter.

 

[DrRobs]

People will always find something to b***h about, maybe bc they aren't happy with their lives, who knows. People love to complain though, just don't let it get to you

 

[Jay12]

People will always find something to b***h about, maybe bc they aren't happy with their lives, who knows. People love to complain though, just don't let it get to you

Definitely true.....regardless of whatever "prestige" you, or others, believe you possess....there will ALWAYS be someone else that will be respected more.....likewise with salary, or income....regardless of how much $$$$$ you make, there will ALWAYS be someone who makes more than you.....it's human nature......everyone wants to be the only one on top, and have everyone else beneath them lookin' up.....call it whatever you will...greed, jealousy, whatever....its a evolutionary characteristic everyone possess.......Survival of the fittest......and anyone who says otherwise is just speaking out their a**.

P.S. A really good book to read that is similar to this topic is "The Selfish Gene"

 

[StushOD]

I've never understood the whole concept of "respect" or "prestige" of any particular job or profession. The fact is, there are always going to be significant numbers of people who don't respect you no matter what profession you're in, or how good you are at it.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the President of the United States.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the LAST President of the United States, and half the country is going to hate the NEXT President.

Half the country hates and doesn't respect the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

People don't respect cops, teachers, waitresses, ultrasound technicians, the UPS guys, cab drivers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. etc.

I guess the only job that seems to be universally "respected" is a fireman or perhaps an astronaut.

So stop chasing or worrying about the "prestige" value of the various careers out there because it's really quite pointless. Do something that makes you happy! I know doctors of all types who are incredibly rich but incredibly miserable. I have friends who teach Catholic School and basically make poverty wages but they just LOVE their jobs. Do something that you ENJOY doing....

So true. The truth shall set you free!!

 

[gochi]

I would advise you to personally visit and interview ODs who have graduated 4 to 5 years ago. They would be giving you a more honest view than a fresh new grad. For salary 50 to 60 per hour "starting" is average. 530 per day is very good for weekdays (350 to 400 per day is low to average, it varies state to state, go see on salary dot com website) and 800 for Saturdays which are the busiest day of the week, has been known to be paid out in busy retail places. Realize retail chain places which are busy, ODs have been known to see anywhere from 25 to 40 or more patients on a Saturday, which means retail store will gross about 10 to 13K for that one day. You can see why the OD is very important to the store and being paid just the regular mon to fri rate is way way too low. Some new ODs who are naive don't realize this and don't negotiate and work their butts off. Bonus on Sat are sometimes given by retail places. Now for private clinics the salary is much different. The 50 to 60 per hour is more common for new ODs and that means Sat hours and some evenings. Retail clinics do not have personal offices for the ODs. Just a small exam room with a chair where you sit and wait for patients to arrive. Some retail places have technicians and some do not. Being employed by OMDs (ophthalmologists) are somewhat varied some make 85K to 110K even in hospital settings or VA settings (look on government job websites they do state the pay ranges ). Gov jobs do offer pensions which other jobs do not. Now if you are self-employed (which I have done before too ) insurance plans send you a check (sometimes they don't / reject your claim for your exams ) and some insurances pay 35 for exams and other plans will pay 75 for exams. For those patients who need medical work ups and have eye diseases you will get higher reimbursements in the hundreds over several visits. Working with an OMD or another OD who sees alot of pathology will give you real life experience with billing methods. Taking courses in billing does help. As for professional liability insurance, I only know of Marsh Insurance and their rates vary depending on your years of practice. Mine is for a full time working OD with all the TPA certifications but not involved with LASIK / Refractive patients. My annual premium has been around 700 to 800. The main thing is you will always be reminded that you are an OD not an OMD whether in your circle of friends, your neighborhood, CE conferences where OMDs are "presenting" , at Health Fairs, at Screenings, with pharmacies, with nurses, dentists, drug sales reps, hospitals, primary care doctors. I have worked in OMD clinics and hospitals where the sales rep bring in a huge catered lunch EVERY friday and boxes of cases of drug samples. Then when I worked at a Lenscrafters I could only manage to get a phone call from the rep and was mailed 4 wks later 3 to 4 bottles of Zylet samples (yippee). Yes, I do enjoy my work but the OMD down the street pretty much has a refracting technician give out eyeglass prescriptions and contact lens fittings while the OMD does the surgery and gives the patients all of 3 minutes of time (while billing all that they can for that medical visit). OMDs see as many patients as they can - the place I worked at they saw 40 to 50 plus per non-surgery day. I have friends who work in Canada and they say OMDs there do the same thing - have a refracting tech and spend 3 minutes with each patient. Any more questions ?

Does it get frustrating when you must ask most of your patients, the infamous "1 or 2" ?

 

[pinkshoes]

" I spend alot of time with my family. I drive an average car and live in an average home. "


Out of curiosity, what is your average car?

 

[blysssful]

Lastly, isn't 100K enough.. (vs. 400k if you're an MD). If not, i'm guessing equipment and insurance costs really are that insanely high...

Agreed. How much does one truly need? I get the repayment of loans and living ain't cheap... but considering the vast majority of the US population makes CONSIDERABLY less (albeit often with less education), maybe some perspective is needed in that respect.

Please let me say that I still do love seeing that look of wonderment in children who can "see" clearly for the first time. There are dear dear patients who do complement my services, attention to details and willingness to answer their questions (unlike the OMD down the street). But the majority of patients are contact lens abusers and will tell you directly that they know they should not do xyz but they do not care. For example, wear same lenses "until they fall apart", store lenses in tap water, sleep in contacts for weeks and weeks and come see you when they are all infected and dripping. You try to tell them to do as you say, but they still return with their problems and as a Dr. you must care for these patients who beg to be seen (even if you have packed up and want to go home to your 2 year old). They come in just because they want a contact lens rx to buy contacts online and get free trials from you. They do not want to pay for their "complaint" or "problem with my red eyes" visits. Insurance claims get rejected - you basically were not paid, and the patient is refusing to pay you too. Like I said in my initial post, that link of Optical Stores with patients writing in complaints are pretty much what I deal with daily. That website is funny but serious because it is honest and from real people. Are all jobs this stressful ? Maybe, but being paid 400K sure does act like Valium at the end of the day doesn't it ? As an OD , I do the same things, bill the same vision codes, but work alot harder to prove myself and as salary dot com shows ODs do not make as much as OMDs. That is the bottom line. I am making the best of it. I spend alot of time with my family. I drive an average car and live in an average home. If you are looking for more - then I do suggest that you get the true look at the lives of ODs ( they are on every corner pretty much ) and compare with the lives of OMDs you will get the picture. (They don't have to work Saturdays or Sundays or evenings by the way ). I am lucky if I get home on time to tuck my children into bed at night or watch their school play at night in their school gymnasium.

Contradiction much? On that note, it is extremely obvious that not all ODs have the type of schedule that they need to work every weekend or past 5 or 6. I'm pretty sure they're not destitute.

I don't think it's that nobody wants to listen to any bad news, they're just tired of around 80% of the discussions here turning into a complaining festival. I've also noticed that around half of the things the doctors complain about really aren't optometry problems. Let's addresss some specifics:

1. "I hate commercial entities, especially Wal-Mart because they take my business and my colleagues make me look bad"

Not really an optometry problem, but an issue that comes along with running a small business in a competitive market dominated by large corporations. If you had opened pretty much any other business, Wal-Mart is still gonna be there, and they're still gonna take your business. As for the image thing, it's a valid argument, but you can't really hate on a person that's trying to put food on his table and a roof above his head. Should he have settled for half the money to work a dead-end job as an associate in a PP? You all say that corporations screw over new ODs, but I'd argue that many PP ODs screw them over just as much.

2. "I would have never gotten into this industry if I was going to have to put up with disrespectful and rude people everyday"

Not an optometry problem. Just a problem that comes along with working with the public everyday. Although it is unfortunate that people are disrespectful to a professional, it's just the way it is and you should have known this from the beginning.

So there's two big ones that I see quite a bit, but even a blind person could see that those really aren't optometry problems. There's definately more, but we can save those for another day. Just because you have an expensive education and a pretty office doesn't entitle one to be exempt from these things, but I get the feeling that a lot of you think it should

Another thing that we hear quite a bit is "ODs are discriminated against by all different types of parties relative to MDs...we are treated unequally".

Definitely an optometry problem...but the thing is, ODs are not equal to MDs, so why would you think that they would be in the eyes of these parties? It definitely sucks, i'll admit that, but you can't really think you're entitled to equality with an unequal level of education. (That isn't to say the OD education is necessarily inferior, it's just not equal to that of MD)

Sorry for ranting, but too many times we see ODs complain because optometry isn't the way is should be, or not what you want it to be. Take it for what it is, because that's all it's ever going to be.

Agreed.

To the OP or who ever else cares to answer: I know that I am not in the field yet, so I guess I'm just a little confused about something: What did you expect? Rainbows and sunshine? People to kiss your feet for giving them the right prescript? Did YOU ever bow in awe and respect to your optometrist at your annual check up before you thought about becoming one yourself? Didn't think so.

Personally, I can't think of any real profession that is all reward without effort, that doesn't have at least a few MAJOR malfunctions/corruptions or that is universally "respected". Its unlikely for ANYONE to respect you without justification, and certainly no one is going to respect you if you don't respect yourself.

 

[blysssful]

By the way, I'm not trying to be an ass in my previous post. I know that optometry is far from a perfect profession and that there are legitimate complaints and definitely stuff that I'll be losing sleep over in the future. Its just that the whole "but the OMD gets this and this and this and I don't get anything at alllll! feel sorry for me" whining just reminds me of a pathetic green ugly monster.

 

[thanotoriousfob]

By the way, I'm not trying to be an ass in my previous post. I know that optometry is far from a perfect profession and that there are legitimate complaints and definitely stuff that I'll be losing sleep over in the future. Its just that the whole "but the OMD gets this and this and this and I don't get anything at alllll! feel sorry for me" whining just reminds me of a pathetic green ugly monster.

This green monster?

 

[qwopty99]

First of all , no I am not a troll or fire starter or flamer as you all may say.
I graduated from a USA Optometry school in the 1990's way before the internet was formed. I'm not that old (few yrs shy of 40 ) but looking at these posts makes me feel like a senior. I'm simply offering my own opinion and please do visit O.D.'s in different work settings to get their opinion of being an O.D. versus an M.D. Even pharmaceutical reps will not give you the time of day knowing that you are not an M.D. Anyhow I have been reading posts now and then. I admit I have registered before but then forgot my password repeatedly so I keep getting new "Join Date's". That is why I am a senior right ? Ha Ha Ha Anyhow feel free to sling any questions at me. I only tell the truth and I will try not to sound patronizing. I feel that choosing a career is very important and you can only learn from those who are currently
deep within it and not from polished school pamphlets/ academia.

I'd like to say that I've liked reading your posts.

 

[cloud99]

Apparently, the most unhappy OD's are those that really wanted to be MD's.
If you want to be an MD, do NOT become an OD as a consolation prize.

Can we hear from OD's who actually wanted to be OD's from the start in terms of their happiness with the profession?

No disrespect to Senior eye, etc... intended.

 

[blysssful]

Isn't it some 50% of residents (and family physicians) wouldn't do the MD if they could do things over?

Not that this is anything but anecdotal, but two friends of mine are in the middle of their OMD residencies, and they both said they absolutely would not do over again. One even said he's not even sure if he wants to practice once his residency is over because it's that bad. But, I'm assuming it's just the worst during that time period...

 

[qwopty99]

Yup.

 

[Habitual Rx]

If you are looking for more - then I do suggest that you get the true look at the lives of ODs ( they are on every corner pretty much ) and compare with the lives of OMDs you will get the picture. (They don't have to work Saturdays or Sundays or evenings by the way ).

Really? Last time I checked the retinal, glaucoma and every other specialist where I come from is on call from the hospital 24/7. People need emergency eye surgery during the evening and on weekends, too.

 

[blysssful]

Really? Last time I checked the retinal, glaucoma and every other specialist where I come from is on call from the hospital 24/7. People need emergency eye surgery during the evening and on weekends, too.

Nah, people only injure their eyes during the daytime, M-F.

 

[Habitual Rx]

Make that 9-5 and never during the lunch hour, too.

 

[KHE]

Make that 9-5 and never during the lunch hour, too.

The problem is that most people will in fact injure themselves during those hours. They just wait until 4:55pm on Friday afternoon to call your office because even though their eye has been sore, *****, and painful since Tuesday morning, they "thought it would go away."