opt vs oph

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what's the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?

 

[Blondiechick919]

This can be solved with a search of this board or a google search.

 

[Jason K]

what's the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?

As far as current and future students are concerned, one has a professional future - the other does not.

 

[q1we3]

one is a "fake" doctor other is "real", there I said it.

 

[Dusn]

Are you serious or trolling?

This question is like going to the NP or Family Practice message boards and asking what's the difference between an NP and an FP?

I agree with all the statements above (even the ones that were probably meant to be sarcastic).

 

[hello07]

One makes anywhere from 75 to 130-135,000 dollars employed working 5-6-7 days a week while treated as a second class citizen; while the other makes starting salary 250,000 to over a million dollars a year working less than the first although their malpractice is significantly much higher and overhead higher but treated as first class citizen. Hope this helps

 

[Jason K]

This question is like going to the NP or Family Practice message boards and asking what's the difference between an NP and an FP?

Not really an apples to apples comparison. NPs are not independent prescribers and require supervision. The comparison is not without merit, though. Both ODs and NPs are being enslaved in corporate locations all over the nation, raking in piles of money for their masters. Other misalignments between the professions? NPs have a far better career outlook and I'd venture to say their starting pay is higher than an OD. Moving forward, their overall pay will probably be higher than that of an OD.

The kiddos have no idea what they're buying. They think it's a nice, polished piece of fine equipment, but when they finally open the box and look inside, they'll see it's actually a broken down 8 track player from the mid 70s, with a piece of gum stuck in the insert slot.

 

[Dusn]

One makes anywhere from 75 to 130-135,000 dollars employed working 5-6-7 days a week while treated as a second class citizen; while the other makes starting salary 250,000 to over a million dollars a year working less than the first although their malpractice is significantly much higher and overhead higher but treated as first class citizen. Hope this helps

Starting salary for ophtho is probably closer to 160K; it can go up to 200K for fellowship-trained. This is after 8-10 years of school/training post-college. The reimbursements for cataracts and many other procedures are getting cut drastically, to the point where we can almost lose money by going to the OR; and I think our reimbursements for non-procedural work is the same as yours. I think most ophthalmologists work quite hard to be honest. I just wanted to give you more realistic numbers... "over a million dollars" isn't accurate.

Agree with Jason K, except that many NPs work with physicians and I think this arrangement is generally much better for them than working for a corporation (like optoms working for costco).

 

[cjensen20]

what's the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?

OD vs OMD

4 years of professional school vs 4 + 3 +1+(optional 2)
non surgical vs surgical
lower salary vs higher
less medical privileges vs complete
Primary eye care vs secondary and tertiary
several years study in physics and optics vs quick seminars in optics
vision therapy vs corrective surgery

thats about it in a nutshell 🙂

both are "eye doctors"
and should be able to work well with each other, and benefit from each other

they pretty much are able to the same things...to some extent and the distinction between the two are quickly fading

 

[Optedirectioned]

they pretty much are able to the same things...to some extent and the distinction between the two are quickly fading

OHHH....you did not just say that...I can't wait to see what the responses to your post will be....this is going to be good.

 

[namams]

one is a "fake" doctor other is "real", there I said it.

I agree with all the statements above (even the ones that were probably meant to be sarcastic).

ODs aren't douches whereas some ophthalmologists are.

 

[odieoh]

ODs aren't douches whereas some ophthalmologists are.

You have just proved your own supposition to be wrong, with you there is at least one Douchebag optometrist. Oh, and there's always schunreek or whatever, so there's at least two.

 

[namams]

You have just proved your own supposition to be wrong, with you there is at least one Douchebag optometrist. Oh, and there's always schunreek or whatever, so there's at least two.

Why? Calling an ophthalmologist a douche because he says ODs are fake doctors makes me a douche? Don't think so.

 

[KHE]

As I've said many times, I'm a doctor like Julius Irving is a doctor but I get paid like a real one so I'm totally cool with it.

 

[Optedirectioned]

As I've said many times, I'm a doctor like Julius Irving is a doctor but I get paid like a real one so I'm totally cool with it.

I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting paid like Julius Irving during the peak of his career

 

[EyEnStein 07]

one is a "fake" doctor other is "real", there I said it.

Do you mean physician? When you say doctor, what definition are you using? The one set by an MD/DO?

I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting paid like Julius Irving during the peak of his career

I personally think KHE would prefer to get paid like Dr. Shaquille O'Neil in his prime and not Dr. J 😉 (although being paid like Kobe/Lebron would be ideal)

 

[Jason K]

Do you mean physician? When you say doctor, what definition are you using? The one set by an MD/DO?

Dude, please don't stir up this hornet nest. The "Are ODs real doctors or not" debate has been beaten like a punching bag, and nothing ever comes of it. If you're not comfortable being some for of "Dr" other than an MD, I suggest medical school.

I personally think KHE would prefer to get paid like Dr. Shaquille O'Neil in his prime and not Dr. J 😉 (although being paid like Kobe/Lebron would be ideal)

Sadly, many pre-optometry students, who pursue a career in optometry, will likely be paid like a shoe salesman at Payless.

 

[syma]

Dude, please don't stir up this hornet nest. The "Are ODs real doctors or not" debate has been beaten like a punching bag, and nothing ever comes of it. If you're not comfortable being some for of "Dr" other than an MD, I suggest medical school.




Sadly, many pre-optometry students, who pursue a career in optometry, will likely be paid like a shoe salesman at Payless.

Funny that, my full time job as an optometrist reminds me of my full time job I had in a call centre sales department.

😱

 

[EyEnStein 07]

Dude, please don't stir up this hornet nest. The "Are ODs real doctors or not" debate has been beaten like a punching bag, and nothing ever comes of it. If you're not comfortable being some for of "Dr" other than an MD, I suggest medical school.

Huh? How am i stirring up anything? I didnt didnt comment as to whether an OD is a "real" doctor or not, I just dont understand why the term doctor refers exclusively to MD/DO. I would always call my professors in college Dr., im sure you call your OD, DMD/DDS, MD/DO all doctors. Lawyers and Pharmacists are also doctors. I always thought a doctor is someone who has a doctorate degree.

If my reasoning is incorrect, please explain to me what a doctor is, does and who the term is reserved for.

 

[Dusn]

Huh? How am i stirring up anything? I didnt didnt comment as to whether an OD is a "real" doctor or not, I just dont understand why the term doctor refers exclusively to MD/DO. I would always call my professors in college Dr., im sure you call your OD, DMD/DDS, MD/DO all doctors. Lawyers and Pharmacists are also doctors. I always thought a doctor is someone who has a doctorate degree.

If my reasoning is incorrect, please explain to me what a doctor is, does and who the term is reserved for.

It's perfectly fine for anyone to call themselves a doctor outside the healthcare setting. But within a healthcare setting, most patients have certain assumptions of what a doctor is, and that is someone who has gone to medical school and residency. "Doctor" has become a vague term and so medical doctors will now often call themselves physicians. When optometry groups, call themselves "optometric physicians" and push legislation that will allow them to label themselves as physicians, it certainly appears like they're intentionally trying to mislead the public.

The reaction most ophthalmologists have when an optometrist says or implies that they're equivalent to an ophthalmologist is probably similar to the reaction you would have should an optician or ophthalmic tech say that they're good enough to be primary eye care providers.

 

[thiaeyemd]

This topic has been discussed to death...move on

 

[OhhDee]

It's perfectly fine for anyone to call themselves a doctor outside the healthcare setting. But within a healthcare setting, most patients have certain assumptions of what a doctor is, and that is someone who has gone to medical school and residency. "Doctor" has become a vague term and so medical doctors will now often call themselves physicians. When optometry groups, call themselves "optometric physicians" and push legislation that will allow them to label themselves as physicians, it certainly appears like they're intentionally trying to mislead the public.

The reaction most ophthalmologists have when an optometrist says or implies that they're equivalent to an ophthalmologist is probably similar to the reaction you would have should an optician or ophthalmic tech say that they're good enough to be primary eye care providers.

I think the problem is only amongst doctors. Regular people don't make a distinction between "doctor" and "physician". They are used interchangeably.

 

[odieoh]

Why? Calling an ophthalmologist a douche because he says ODs are fake doctors makes me a douche? Don't think so.

You really didn't make it clear that you were referring to any specific individual. You just made a blanket statement implying that ophthalmologists can be douchebags, while optometrists cannot. Pretty douchey.

 

[stoikiometry]

When optometry groups, call themselves "optometric physicians" and push legislation that will allow them to label themselves as physicians, it certainly appears like they're intentionally trying to mislead the public.

The reaction most ophthalmologists have when an optometrist says or implies that they're equivalent to an ophthalmologist is probably similar to the reaction you would have should an optician or ophthalmic tech say that they're good enough to be primary eye care providers.

I think optometrists wanting to be labeled as "physicians" has more to do with being re-imbursed for that foreign body removal.

 

[DrVinzKlortho]

It's perfectly fine for anyone to call themselves a doctor outside the healthcare setting. But within a healthcare setting, most patients have certain assumptions of what a doctor is, and that is someone who has gone to medical school and residency. "Doctor" has become a vague term and so medical doctors will now often call themselves physicians. When optometry groups, call themselves "optometric physicians" and push legislation that will allow them to label themselves as physicians, it certainly appears like they're intentionally trying to mislead the public.

The reaction most ophthalmologists have when an optometrist says or implies that they're equivalent to an ophthalmologist is probably similar to the reaction you would have should an optician or ophthalmic tech say that they're good enough to be primary eye care providers.

Well they shouldn't. Opticians and techs don't go through 8 years of post-secondary education. Actually most don't go through any post-secondary education so the parallel doesn't hold.

I'm sure some cardiac surgeons get called cardiologists and I'm sure some oral surgeons get called dentists. Inversely some optometrists have been called ophthalmologists. Oops--hopefully no one was killed in the making of these uninformed mix ups.

None of these lobbyists are pushing for vitrectomies, enucleations or cataract surgery. We just hate being pissed on by the general public, commercial/corporate entities, OMDs and everyone else who, for whatever the bs reason may be, has such strong views and opinions of optometry and our education.

 

[DrVinzKlortho]

For the record I get called a douchebag on a daily basis.

 

[Optedirectioned]

DrVinzKlortho, you're such a douchebag.

*daily quota has been met*

 

[namams]

You really didn't make it clear that you were referring to any specific individual. You just made a blanket statement implying that ophthalmologists can be douchebags, while optometrists cannot. Pretty douchey.

I thought the two quotes above my statement inferred who I was talking about. I guess I should be explicit: Dusn.