optometry for beginners

[tiamoth]

Is there an overview thread about optometry that i can look at? I want to compare optometry to ophthalmology -- look at the pros and cons of each.

Any info about the application, the difficulty of the school, length of time in school, job availability (locations, etc), would be good. Also I'd like to know about salary, job description (whether difficult/easy, boring/exciting), and job security especially.

Please help! I am seriously considering dropping out of med school to join the optometrists.

Really.

~~ thanks in advance for any help given.

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[ODhopeful]

Is there an overview thread about optometry that i can look at? I want to compare optometry to ophthalmology -- look at the pros and cons of each.

Any info about the application, the difficulty of the school, length of time in school, job availability (locations, etc), would be good. Also I'd like to know about salary, job description (whether difficult/easy, boring/exciting), and job security especially.

Please help! I am seriously considering dropping out of med school to join the optometrists.

Really.

~~ thanks in advance for any help given.

I'm sure you can google the difference b/t optometry and ophthalmology. However, I can answer some of your questions. To become an optometrist you need to apply to optometry school and to become an opthalmologist you need to apply to medical school. Keep in mind that only a hand full of med students would be accepted into the ophthalmology residency after 4 years of med school since it is very competitive even amongst med students. It takes 4 years to finish the optometry program and I think 7 or 8 years for med school/ophthalmology. As far as job availability, it is probably easier to find a job as an ophthalmologist than optometrist, but probably not by too much. Ophthalmologist makes roughly 300k a year whereas an optometrist makes about 120K. However, it really depends on how well you can manage your practice and the area in which you practice in. Being an optometrist and ophthalmologist can be equally exciting as far as the type of work, it really depends on what you like to do. If you like surgery and treating major diseases then be an ophthalmologist, but if you like to see patient as a primary healthcare provider where you may be able to inform patients about any conditions they may not know about, then optometrist is the route to go. I think being an optometrist can be equally fulfilling as being an opthalmologist. OOPS..... I just saw that you're a med student already, I am too lazy to go back and make changes to what I typed. My suggestion to you is to try to finish med school since you're already in it and you will make a fine career out of what you do. Why waste the money you've already invested in med school. Just my opinion. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[canuck_OD]

Here in Canada an new grad can get associate positions that will get you about 100K with some places exceeding 125K/year. Private practice ODs who have been out for 5-10 years net about 300-400K with a few I know easilly exceeding 500K+. BTW: Most of the large OD practices in my area who are netting 300K+ work on average about 3 days/week. I'll tell you that if you want to do surgeries ... be an ophthalmolgist. If you want the title ... be an ophthalmologist. I chose to be an optometrist because it has given me all the income I would want plus work hours that are as flexible as I choose. Like I tell prospective students ... if you want to be rich go into business, if you want to be at the top of the food chain in the eye field be an ophtho, if you want a good lifestyle that will afford you the time to enjoy life outside of work and want to be in the eye field then optometry could be a good fit. If I had to do it all over again I'd still choose optometry, but there are others I know that would be just as happy in medicine.

 

[ProZackMI]

Here in Canada an new grad can get associate positions that will get you about 100K with some places exceeding 125K/year. Private practice ODs who have been out for 5-10 years net about 300-400K with a few I know easilly exceeding 500K+. BTW: Most of the large OD practices in my area who are netting 300K+ work on average about 3 days/week. I'll tell you that if you want to do surgeries ... be an ophthalmolgist. If you want the title ... be an ophthalmologist. I chose to be an optometrist because it has given me all the income I would want plus work hours that are as flexible as I choose. Like I tell prospective students ... if you want to be rich go into business, if you want to be at the top of the food chain in the eye field be an ophtho, if you want a good lifestyle that will afford you the time to enjoy life outside of work and want to be in the eye field then optometry could be a good fit. If I had to do it all over again I'd still choose optometry, but there are others I know that would be just as happy in medicine.

300-500k per year? For some reason, I don't buy this.

 

[canuck_OD]

Believe what you would like ..... that's from my region of canada. It amazes me to think that MDs think they're the ones making money? Optometry is a unique combination of heath care and business. Imagine seeing 15-20 patients a day at $70 .... and then 40% of them update the specs or want CLs. The average price for specs is about $250 and ranging from $100 - $1000 depending on the frame/lens/coatings. Now imagine that you have 2 partners in the practice and 5 offices and 6 associates generating income for the office (in my province ODs can incorporate). Remember that each associate OD should be generating at least 500K for the practice. Easily each offices' GROSS should be 600K-1M .....

Pearle Vision was started by an OD .... there's another big group on the west coast where the partners have 13 offices ....

But hey .... I know ODs that make 50K a year too .... it's all about how hard you want to work.

300-500k per year? For some reason, I don't buy this.

 

[gsinccom]

canuck od- "its all about how hard you work" defeats your comment about why to choose optometry in the first place - which is lifestyle...doesn't it? If you are going to be putting 60-120 hours/week into your job and want to be a workaholic than aren't you defeating the reasons why you decided opt over med in the first place?

 

[canuck_OD]

canuck od- "its all about how hard you work" defeats your comment about why to choose optometry in the first place - which is lifestyle...doesn't it? If you are going to be putting 60-120 hours/week into your job and want to be a workaholic than aren't you defeating the reasons why you decided opt over med in the first place?

I don't think you quite understand how to build an optometry practice. It's not like medicine where your income is generated on the # of patients and procedures you do. Essentially the GOAL is to develop your practice so that you and your partners cost share which reduces your expenses and increases your net ... then you bring in associates and you get a % of their gross .... and then can expand to multiple locations. I worked for this practice once filling in while the doc went away on holidays and she made more money away on holidays than I did seeing patients for her.

 

[gsinccom]

you are right I don't understand how to build a practice. (I am still trying to decide whether optometry school is the best route for me. I want to be in a service profession and have ruled out medicine.) Isn't the type of practice you are advocating only successful in certain geographic locations? What about regions that seem dominated by OMDs? please inform

 

[canuck_OD]

you are right I don't understand how to build a practice. (I am still trying to decide whether optometry school is the best route for me. I want to be in a service profession and have ruled out medicine.) Isn't the type of practice you are advocating only successful in certain geographic locations? please inform

I would say that you would have to design your practice depending on the economics on the city that you want to be in ... but in all reality everyone needs an optometrist (despite what other would have you believe) and people need a place to get their glasses and contacts ... so why not have then get it at your office? Not everyone wants to go the cheap route and get 2 for 99 deals! ... To look at it from another perspectice .... if money was the issue why wouldn't everyone be driving Kias or Suzukis .... Then again not everyone is getting BMWs and Benz's ... the majority of people are middle-class and are willing to pay for quality (ie. toyota and honda) even if it is at a SLIGHT premium .... so don't compete with the wal-marts and costcos ... you're an optometrist so provide top-notch eye care and if you can earn your patients trust and office them their eyewear at reasonable prices then why would they choose to go elsewhere .... You can expect 40-50% of your patients to get specs from you ... if you're in a small town then that number goes up to 70-80% ...... the numbers add up .... Optometry is a great profession but it involves being a doctor and being a businessman. If you have very little motivation in being either than another route might be better for you.

 

[tiamoth]

bump

 

[sco1styear]

This site seemed to have some good info (it was in another thread)
http://www.opted.org/pdf/optCareerGuide.pdf

 

[jefguth]

Canuck_OD,

Just out of curiosity, what province are you practicing in? Certainly doesn't sound like Ontario to me.

 

[canuck_OD]

Canuck_OD,

Just out of curiosity, what province are you practicing in? Certainly doesn't sound like Ontario to me.

No it's not Ontario. I'll tell you that Ontario will soon be one of the "have" provinces as far as Optometry goes. As you know ODs were paid by the government at a rate of 39.15 /exam. That wouldn't cover most office expenses! They've seince made eye exams delisted so private insurance will pick up some of it. Exams are now in the range of 70-90/exam. The only catch about Ontario .... which made me not want to practice there was their regulations on dispensing eyewear. Basically you have to charge the patient exactly what it costs you for materials (ie. frames/lenses/coatings/contacts etc) ... so there's no mark up ... however you then get to apply a "dispensing fee", similar to pharmacies. This is firstly insane because you have to exaplin it to patients .. and secondlyopticals don't do it this way .. opticians work under the normal retain system. Typical dispensing fees from what I remember were 50-75 for single vision, 75-100 for bificals, 100-150 for PALS. It's still possible to earn your fair share .... but it's not as easy as in other provinces where your dispensing is "retail".