Pharmacy or optometry career?

[lesept2]

I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well. I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school. I have interned an optometrist and I like his duties, patient interaction and how he can improve sight. Optometrist can also prescribe pharmaceutical meds also to the eyes. So I wander if I should apply to optometry school since I can be a doctor and diagnose and still have a knowledge of meds and possibly work for pharmaceutical company for vision meds. I am planning soon on taking classes to be a pharm tech to get the experience as im still undecided on future career.

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[Passion4Sci]

I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well. I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school. I have interned an optometrist and I like his duties, patient interaction and how he can improve sight. Optometrist can also prescribe pharmaceutical meds also to the eyes. So I wander if I should apply to optometry school since I can be a doctor and diagnose and still have a knowledge of meds and possibly work for pharmaceutical company for vision meds. I am planning soon on taking classes to be a pharm tech to get the experience as im still undecided on future career.

Be careful here. An optometrist is not an opthamologist, and is not a "doctor" as such that an optometrist is not a medical doctor. Not any more than a chiropractor is

That said... My experience with optometrists is limited to me going to the optometrist for a new vision Rx and a glaucoma test every year or so. Their job, to me, is hideously mundane and banal but there's no doubt someone out there thinks the same of a pharmacist. You got experience in a optometrist's office, you definitely should get experience in a pharmacy (and hopefully, ideally, more than one setting since retail v. clinical is a huge difference).

I wouldn't take any pharm. tech classes if I were you. Just go to ptcb.org, register for the test, buy a Mosby's book from Amazon or [insert book retailer here] and study for 1 day's time. You'll pass with flying colors, LOL. It's just about the hardest test to fail in this history of certification exams. My tests in the Army were harder.

I'm not sure a pharmaceutical company would want to hire an optometrist instead of a Ph.D., or a pharmacist, or a ophthalmologist. Make sure you're not confusing ophthalmology with optometry.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

^ Isn't it required to take classes now?

 

[Optogal]

Be careful here. An optometrist is not an opthamologist, and is not a "doctor" as such that an optometrist is not a medical doctor. Not any more than a chiropractor is

Wow I can't believe this person isn't a troll. You're a Mod? Where do I go to report on the behavior of Mods? Well if you are, learn to spell OPHTHALMOLOGIST.

BTW - don't pharmacists now get conferred the Doctor of Pharmacy? So you could have disparagingly said "Not any more than a pharmacist is "

 

[John Durian]

I think he was joking. Hence the

 

[Passion4Sci]

Although it might not have been your experience and optometrists are not M.D’s, optometrists actually do a lot more than “a new vision Rx and a glaucoma test”.

Optometrists are trained and allowed to prescribe all topical medications for the eyes and some oral medications to treat eye diseases (prescription privileges vary from state to state). I do not recall chiropractors ever having prescription privileges at time in the history of their profession. I do not think that optometry is equivalent to chiropractic.

In my family, we have an oncologist, an optometrist, a dentist, and 3 pharmacists, so I am somewhat aware of the training of the each profession. I think that optometry is comparatively very rigorous.

Your perception of optometry is similar to someone who thinks that all pharmacists do is count pills all day and nothing else, which would be wrong. Hopefully, you and I could agree that a mature and intelligent person would not formulate his opinion or give advice on something he has very limited experience or knowledge.



OP,

Both pharmacy and optometry are great professions. If you wish to get my opinion on the advantages/disadvantages of the two professions, you can PM me.

Hi there. If you could see past your need to immediately click REPLY to lambast me and actually read my post, I did say, and I'll quote, " but there's no doubt someone out there thinks the same of a pharmacist."

Since you missed it the first time, there it is again.

 

[WhiteSnows]

Both pharmacist, and optometrist are DOCTORS. Pharmacist is the doctor of medications, while optometrist is the doctor of eyes. We are not medical doctors, but we are ______ DOCTOR. And we need each other to survive. Some medical doctors have bad eye vision, and guess who they are going to see? OPTOMETRISTS. When an optometrist has an infection, guess who he is going to see? MEDICAL DOCTOR. BUT where is the medication? IN THE FREAKING PHARMACY WHERE PHARMACIST WORK. Get that straight FACT!

 

[Optogal]

Hi there. If you could see past your need to immediately click REPLY to lambast me and actually read my post, I did say, and I'll quote, " but there's no doubt someone out there thinks the same of a pharmacist."

Since you missed it the first time, there it is again.

Passion4Sci,

You seem a bit arrogant, and between that and your opening remarks, I'd say your behavior in thread is below what is expected of mods on this board. Warnings are commonly issued for posting comments such as the one you made (referring to optometrists as not a "doctor" and comparing them disparagingly to chiropractors).

If my understanding is correct, no one is allowed to disparage other member's professions on this board. If you were just a regular member, we could just ignore you and deem you some immature troll, but really, it's not the type of thing we expect to hear from a moderator, assistant or otherwise.

I petition to have Passion4Sci's Assistant Moderator status REVOKED.

 

[KARM12]

Both pharmacist, and optometrist are DOCTORS. Pharmacist is the doctor of medications, while optometrist is the doctor of eyes. We are not medical doctors, but we are ______ DOCTOR. And we need each other to survive. Some medical doctors have bad eye vision, and guess who they are going to see? OPTOMETRISTS. When an optometrist has an infection, guess who he is going to see? MEDICAL DOCTOR. BUT where is the medication? IN THE FREAKING PHARMACY WHERE PHARMACIST WORK. Get that straight FACT!

Huh? Seriously you need to calm down. Don't go around demanding people call you doctor or you will look silly.

 

[rxlea]

Seems we have a bit of a misunderstanding in this thread. Let's keep it civil.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Passion4Sci,

You seem a bit arrogant, and between that and your opening remarks, I'd say your behavior in thread is below what is expected of mods on this board. Warnings are commonly issued for posting comments such as the one you made (referring to optometrists as not a "doctor" and comparing them disparagingly to chiropractors).

If my understanding is correct, no one is allowed to disparage other member's professions on this board. If you were just a regular member, we could just ignore you and deem you some immature troll, but really, it's not the type of thing we expect to hear from a moderator, assistant or otherwise.

I petition to have Passion4Sci's Assistant Moderator status REVOKED.

There is no disparagement going on.

We often have discussions about what actually constitutes a "doctor" and I fall on the side of "physicians only." Not a big deal, no sense getting bent out of shape.

Further, did you miss the laughing, giggling face?

I'm sorry you got offended but I don't believe pharmacists are doctors in the medical sense, just like I don't believe that about optometrists, chiropractors, or veterinarians. We may hold doctoral degrees but so do lawyers. The bottom line is, when you say, to someone at the store, "I'm a doctor" they do not ask if you're a pharmacist, or an optometrist, or a podiatrist, or a professor. They automatically think, "oh, M.D. like House or ER or all those shows with doctors." They think med school, not pharmacy school, not foot school, not optometry school.

Have you ever called your lawyer, "doctor so and so?" I think not. And I rest my case that you are way bent out of shape over absolutely nothing.

 

[futureopt31]

Passion4Sci,

You seem a bit arrogant, and between that and your opening remarks, I'd say your behavior in thread is below what is expected of mods on this board. Warnings are commonly issued for posting comments such as the one you made (referring to optometrists as not a "doctor" and comparing them disparagingly to chiropractors).

If my understanding is correct, no one is allowed to disparage other member's professions on this board. If you were just a regular member, we could just ignore you and deem you some immature troll, but really, it's not the type of thing we expect to hear from a moderator, assistant or otherwise.

I petition to have Passion4Sci's Assistant Moderator status REVOKED.

In Passion4Sci's defense, I do not think he is arrogant. I believe that he was truly trying to help the op out. He is on this forum all the time and
I have never taken his comments abrasively. I was actually considering optometry school prior to pharmacy school and I took no offense to his comment. And he did post the smilie afterward. Both Optometry and Pharmacy are good professions and I think he understands that. I am sure it was simply a misunderstanding on your part.
To the op, I worked in the optical profession as a Certified Optician and I did enjoy the occupation. Ultimately, I chose Pharmacy after working in a pharmacy and I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the patient interaction. The two fields do have many similarities in SOME aspects. I would like to reiterate that you should shadow a Pharmasict and then make your decision. Best of luck to you.

 

[Optogal]

Have you ever called your lawyer, "doctor so and so?" I think not. And I rest my case that you are way bent out of shape over absolutely nothing.

Speaking of bent out of shape...

Hi there. If you could see past your need to immediately click REPLY to lambast me and actually read my post, I did say, and I'll quote, " but there's no doubt someone out there thinks the same of a pharmacist."

Since you missed it the first time, there it is again.

Where did he lambast you? I thought his reply was more reasoned and his tone more rationale than anything you have posted in this thread.

You are not fit to be a moderator.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Speaking of bent out of shape...



Where did he lambast you? I thought his reply was more reasoned and his tone more rationale than anything you have posted in this thread.

You are not fit to be a moderator.

I am deeply sorry to have offended you.

 

[SHC1984]

The bottom line is, when you say, to someone at the store, "I'm a doctor" they do not ask if you're a pharmacist, or an optometrist, or a podiatrist, or a professor. They automatically think, "oh, M.D. like House or ER or all those shows with doctors." They think med school, not pharmacy school, not foot school, not optometry school.

I agree with this. When I hear doctor I think MD.

 

[WhiteSnows]

I agree with this. When I hear doctor I think MD.

Not in school buddy.

 

[armorking]

I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well. I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school. I have interned an optometrist and I like his duties, patient interaction and how he can improve sight. Optometrist can also prescribe pharmaceutical meds also to the eyes. So I wander if I should apply to optometry school since I can be a doctor and diagnose and still have a knowledge of meds and possibly work for pharmaceutical company for vision meds. I am planning soon on taking classes to be a pharm tech to get the experience as im still undecided on future career.

First off, you are doing the right thing and experiencing both professions in order to see what is right for you. This is going to be one of the biggest decisions you make and pick what makes you happiest. You never want to be stuck doing something you hate for the rest of your life. It just doesn't make sense.

Second, as mentioned earlier, do not waste money taking classes to become a pharm tech. Pass the PTCB exam and apply for positions. If you know pharmacists or even friends of a pharmacist, then definitely be up front and ask them if you could work for them. It really doesn't hurt to use connections if you have them.

Third, if you are still undecided, make sure to have all the pre-reqs done for both opt and pharm school (many will overlap for sure but you never know if one requires more than the other). Those are my two cents and good luck!!!

 

[Elisaveth]

I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well. I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school. I have interned an optometrist and I like his duties, patient interaction and how he can improve sight. Optometrist can also prescribe pharmaceutical meds also to the eyes. So I wander if I should apply to optometry school since I can be a doctor and diagnose and still have a knowledge of meds and possibly work for pharmaceutical company for vision meds. I am planning soon on taking classes to be a pharm tech to get the experience as im still undecided on future career.

I think optometrists are great. I think they do a very important job. Obviously, it's up to you what you do, but I am very appreciative of the help the various optometrists I've had have given me, and I definitely see a way to be helpful to the world at large, if that's your bag. I was very fortunate to be born into a middle class lifestyle and my parents had decent health insurance, so they were able to afford glasses and contact lenses for me. I can't imagine what I would have done if I'd been born into a family that couldn't afford vision correction.

It doesn't really matter if you're a doctor of this or a doctor of that as much as it matters that you can stand what you do for a living. At the end of the day, you will have to be content with what you're doing. If being an optometrist suits you and you would like to do what the OD does everyday for 8 or more hours a day (or less than 8 hours), be an optometrist. You don't have to justify your choices to anybody.

If you like interacting with patients, why would you want to work at a pharma company? I'm imagining you're saying you'd like to work in product development or marketing. I guess Bausch & Lomb and all these companies would have a place for you somewhere, but you'll have to figure that one out on the optometry forum, of course. Best of luck.

 

[Elisaveth]

um, i didn't realize how old this thread was.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I perceive the optometrist : ophthalmologist comparison to be more like DNP : Physician comparison except that optometrists do not need supervising physicians or anything of the sort, nothing like the chiropractor: physician comparison. From what I have heard, optometrists have a wide range of privileges depending on state (including varying prescriptive privileges depending on state), but refer to ophthalmologists when the law requires them to (complicated pathological states perhaps). Modern day ophthalmologists tend to defer the routine stuff like annual eye exams etc to optometrists. Like most other providers today, they have a "doctor" degree, but I have to agree that I am one of those who, in the hospital/outpatient environment, calls someone "doctor" only if they are medical doctors (MDs/DOs). In such an environment, I call a pharmacist a pharmacist, an optometrist an optometrist, a nurse practitioner a nurse practitioner, etc. I believe there is nothing degrading about that. In an academic environment, however, I do call my professors with PhDs "Dr".

In my very limited knowledge, I have only seen optometrists working for pharma industries in the role of marketers/marketing managers for ophthalmic products. I do not know what other role they might have. I imagine that the research teams might currently be exclusively made up of people with MD PhD dual degrees, PhDs etc.

 

[Optogal]

Let's talk about the nuts and bolts of your argument.

I'm not sure a pharmaceutical company would want to hire an optometrist instead of a Ph.D., or a pharmacist, or a ophthalmologist. Make sure you're not confusing ophthalmology with optometry.

Have you ever heard of a pharmaceutical company actually HIRING an ophthalmologist? Think about it. They probably couldn't just hire ANY ophtho, they'd have to find one particularly knowledgeable in the field that they want to study/research/invest. This is likely a sub-specialized ophtho that is well-published. How much do you think that would cost them? In fact, I don't know of ANY ophthalmologist who is entirely hired for work, yet not expected in any capacity to generate income through clinical services. I don't think pharmaceutical companies are in the business of providing eye care services (of the OMD). Hiring an OMD in a consulting role, yes, but employing one? Have you heard of this?

Pharmaceutical companies (particularly in the eyecare field) EMPLOY optometrists all the time. We come in at like 95K or so in an employment capacity. Do you think that's cost-effective given what a skilled-OMD would cost? 475K? 525K? You put a number on it.

Further, you fail to mention that people don't become OMDs just because they want to. Last time I heard, it's a pretty competitive match.

 

[Optogal]

I'm sorry you got offended but I don't believe pharmacists are doctors in the medical sense, just like I don't believe that about optometrists, chiropractors, or veterinarians. We may hold doctoral degrees but so do lawyers. The bottom line is, when you say, to someone at the store, "I'm a doctor" they do not ask if you're a pharmacist, or an optometrist, or a podiatrist, or a professor. They automatically think, "oh, M.D. like House or ER or all those shows with doctors." They think med school, not pharmacy school, not foot school, not optometry school.

Have you ever called your lawyer, "doctor so and so?" I think not. And I rest my case that you are way bent out of shape over absolutely nothing.

What you are saying is that optometrists, dentists, vets, pharms, PhDs are not "physicians". This I understand. I understand your concept of the public perception of the use of doctor. They are referring to medical physicians.

But you chose to use the term chiropractor in a disparaging matter towards optometrists. By denying it you are simply backtracking. You could have said like a dentist, or like a PhD. But you chose chiropractor. People on these boards have gotten warnings for saying lesser things.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

What you are saying is that optometrists, dentists, vets, pharms, PhDs are not "physicians". This I understand. I understand your concept of the public perception of the use of doctor. They are referring to medical physicians.

But you chose to use the term chiropractor in a disparaging matter towards optometrists. By denying it you are simply backtracking. You could have said like a dentist, or like a PhD. But you chose chiropractor. People on these boards have gotten warnings for saying lesser things.

The other poster apologized for offending you, and what he said wasn't a violation of any SDN rule. If you want further clarification on that matter, you are welcome to send me a private message.

For the record, I agree with you. Pharmacists, optometrists, etc are doctors. They aren't physicians, but doctor isn't synonymous with physician anyway. One of the things we pride ourselves on at SDN is being a community that serves doctors (and doctoral students) in a number of areas of the health care field.

With that said, I'd like for this thread to get back on track. That means discussing the OP's original question: deciding between a career in pharmacy and a career in optometry. That means dropping personal arguments that derail the thread. I appreciate everyone's cooperation.

 

[WhiteSnows]

What you are saying is that optometrists, dentists, vets, pharms, PhDs are not "physicians". This I understand. I understand your concept of the public perception of the use of doctor. They are referring to medical physicians.

But you chose to use the term chiropractor in a disparaging matter towards optometrists. By denying it you are simply backtracking. You could have said like a dentist, or like a PhD. But you chose chiropractor. People on these boards have gotten warnings for saying lesser things.

He already apologized so let it go. People are saying stuffs like this all the time. I don't even give 5 minutes of my time to argue about this matter.

 

[owlegrad]

He already apologized so let it go. People are saying stuffs like this all the time. I don't even give 5 minutes of my time to argue about this matter.

I see what you did there!

 

[Optogal]

He already apologized so let it go. People are saying stuffs like this all the time. I don't even give 5 minutes of my time to argue about this matter.

Strictly speaking he defended his position, accused me for overreacting, then apologized for having offended me. I don't exactly think he has owned up to the actual nature of his comment and he hasn't taken it back either.

I've made a claim that lesser comments of a similar nature have received infractions in the past. What would you do if I actually provided an example? Would you agree that perhaps in this case one would be warranted? I'm making a fuss because others have been penalized for saying the same thing - why hasn't he? And he's a mod.

 

[SHC1984]

Strictly speaking he defended his position, accused me for overreacting, then apologized for having offended me. I don't exactly think he has owned up to the actual nature of his comment and he hasn't taken it back either.

I've made a claim that lesser comments of a similar nature have received infractions in the past. What would you do if I actually provided an example? Would you agree that perhaps in this case one would be warranted? I'm making a fuss because others have been penalized for saying the same thing - why hasn't he? And he's a mod.

R you mad that P4Sci talked about Optometrists being similar to chiropractors? You mentioned that you would not be mad if he would have mention optometrist with dentists, PhD or something else, but chiropractors it is not okay.

May I ask why chiropractor is so much more offensive than the other professions? Is it b/c the schools are less competitive to get into or the career is less presitagous or something? Is a chiropractor lesser than a dentist or optometrist?

I don't understand why people get so upset over these things. YOU choose the career you want PERIOD. If prestige is the most important thing to you then you should have chosen to attend medical school. I picked pharmacy b/c that was the healthcare profession that I can most tolerate! If I wanted to attend medical school I could have gone to medical school. So if anyone wants to tell me PharmD isn't a doctor blah blah blah...I really do NOT care b/c I choose to get a PharmD. If I wanted people to think of me as the almighty DOCTOR than I would have gone to med school. So I really don't get why people get so upset over this. If you want prestige then go to med school, no one stopped you from going.

The most important thing is do you enjoy your job? If you love your job and you are making TONS of $$$ that's all that it matters. Why do you care what other people think about your job? If I am making TONS of $$$ I really don't give a damn if someone thinks I am not a doctor or someone thinks my job is easier or whatever..none of that matters.

 

[futureopt31]

R you mad that P4Sci talked about Optometrists being similar to chiropractors? You mentioned that you would not be mad if he would have mention optometrist with dentists, PhD or something else, but chiropractors it is not okay.

May I ask why chiropractor is so much more offensive than the other professions? Is it b/c the schools are less competitive to get into or the career is less presitagous or something? Is a chiropractor lesser than a dentist or optometrist?

I don't understand why people get so upset over these things. YOU choose the career you want PERIOD. If prestige is the most important thing to you then you should have chosen to attend medical school. I picked pharmacy b/c that was the healthcare profession that I can most tolerate! If I wanted to attend medical school I could have gone to medical school. So if anyone wants to tell me PharmD isn't a doctor blah blah blah...I really do NOT care b/c I choose to get a PharmD. If I wanted people to think of me as the almighty DOCTOR than I would have gone to med school. So I really don't get why people get so upset over this. If you want prestige then go to med school, no one stopped you from going.

The most important thing is do you enjoy your job? If you love your job and you are making TONS of $$$ that's all that it matters. Why do you care what other people think about your job? If I am making TONS of $$$ I really don't give a damn if someone thinks I am not a doctor or someone thinks my job is easier or whatever..none of that matters.

Well said!

 

[pharm B]

I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well. I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school. I have interned an optometrist and I like his duties, patient interaction and how he can improve sight. Optometrist can also prescribe pharmaceutical meds also to the eyes. So I wander if I should apply to optometry school since I can be a doctor and diagnose and still have a knowledge of meds and possibly work for pharmaceutical company for vision meds. I am planning soon on taking classes to be a pharm tech to get the experience as im still undecided on future career.

OP, it sounds like you might have an interest in drug design. Have you considered a PhD in Pharmacology? I can only assume that someone on that path could choose to specialize in medications dealing with the eye, though if you look into this further, you might find that drug design in general appeals to you.

We had a great Pharmacology PhD teaching our Drug Action courses this year, and he showed us a little bit about how drugs are designed, the software and databases used by companies, etc. I'd never really considered it before, since I like the human factor behind being a pharmacist or other healthcare professional, but if I could live twice as long, I might have considered it.

 

[armorking]

R you mad that P4Sci talked about Optometrists being similar to chiropractors? You mentioned that you would not be mad if he would have mention optometrist with dentists, PhD or something else, but chiropractors it is not okay.

May I ask why chiropractor is so much more offensive than the other professions? Is it b/c the schools are less competitive to get into or the career is less presitagous or something? Is a chiropractor lesser than a dentist or optometrist?

I don't understand why people get so upset over these things. YOU choose the career you want PERIOD. If prestige is the most important thing to you then you should have chosen to attend medical school. I picked pharmacy b/c that was the healthcare profession that I can most tolerate! If I wanted to attend medical school I could have gone to medical school. So if anyone wants to tell me PharmD isn't a doctor blah blah blah...I really do NOT care b/c I choose to get a PharmD. If I wanted people to think of me as the almighty DOCTOR than I would have gone to med school. So I really don't get why people get so upset over this. If you want prestige then go to med school, no one stopped you from going.

The most important thing is do you enjoy your job? If you love your job and you are making TONS of $$$ that's all that it matters. Why do you care what other people think about your job? If I am making TONS of $$$ I really don't give a damn if someone thinks I am not a doctor or someone thinks my job is easier or whatever..none of that matters.

Ditto and, quite frankly, you are awesome!!!

 

[WhiteSnows]

Strictly speaking he defended his position, accused me for overreacting, then apologized for having offended me. I don't exactly think he has owned up to the actual nature of his comment and he hasn't taken it back either.

I've made a claim that lesser comments of a similar nature have received infractions in the past. What would you do if I actually provided an example? Would you agree that perhaps in this case one would be warranted? I'm making a fuss because others have been penalized for saying the same thing - why hasn't he? And he's a mod.

Let it go, a few people in this forum is very manipulative. They often give changeable reason to fit their position. They don't have their own opinion. All they do is add on the top of their friend's post something like this:" well said, or can't say better". Please excuse them. I don't give more than "5 minutes" of my time for these people.

 

[futureopt31]

Let it go, a few people in this forum is very manipulative. They often give changeable reason to fit their position. They don't have their own opinion. All they do is add on the top of their friend's post something like this:" well said, or can't say better". Please excuse them. I don't give more than "5 minutes" of my time for these people.

rofl, I don't know any of the people on the forum but believe I can concur with a statement if I agree with what they said and I validate my responses to the op's post with my previous optical experience. It just so happens that my opinion is identical to others on this forum. I did find your vague/innacurate statement to be amusing though...

 

[30Percent]

Let it go, a few people in this forum is very manipulative. They often give changeable reason to fit their position. They don't have their own opinion. All they do is add on the top of their friend's post something like this:" well said, or can't say better". Please excuse them. I don't give more than "5 minutes" of my time for these people.

Its about time this circlejerk be stopped!

 

[Optogal]

R you mad that P4Sci talked about Optometrists being similar to chiropractors? You mentioned that you would not be mad if he would have mention optometrist with dentists, PhD or something else, but chiropractors it is not okay.

May I ask why chiropractor is so much more offensive than the other professions? Is it b/c the schools are less competitive to get into or the career is less presitagous or something? Is a chiropractor lesser than a dentist or optometrist?

I don't understand why people get so upset over these things.

So you like to attack the messenger? You fail to address the point I've made. In fact, no one has. I said what the issue in the post you replied to.

"I'm making a fuss because others have been penalized for saying the same thing - why hasn't he?"

I sent an example of one to All4mydaughter. She wouldn't comment on it cause apparently its against convention for mods to comment on the disciplinary actions of other mods. That's fine. But I'll tell you it was the exact same thing (even more milder). The person who posted it got an infraction. Why hasn't he?

 

[Farmacist2011]

So you like to attack the messenger? You fail to address the point I've made. In fact, no one has. I said what the issue in the post you replied to.

"I'm making a fuss because others have been penalized for saying the same thing - why hasn't he?"

I sent an example of one to All4mydaughter. She wouldn't comment on it cause apparently its against convention for mods to comment on the disciplinary actions of other mods. That's fine. But I'll tell you it was the exact same thing (even more milder). The person who posted it got an infraction. Why hasn't he?

 

[Optogal]

So let's talk more nuts and bolts about the OPs question.

I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well. I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school. I have interned an optometrist and I like his duties, patient interaction and how he can improve sight. Optometrist can also prescribe pharmaceutical meds also to the eyes. So I wander if I should apply to optometry school since I can be a doctor and diagnose and still have a knowledge of meds and possibly work for pharmaceutical company for vision meds. I am planning soon on taking classes to be a pharm tech to get the experience as im still undecided on future career.

Passion4Sci[/B];11008361]I'm not sure a pharmaceutical company would want to hire an optometrist instead of a Ph.D., or a pharmacist, or a ophthalmologist.

Lets see. So the OP has an interest in medication, patient interaction, being a doctor, diagnosing, improving sight, and possibly working for a pharmaceutical company for vision meds.

Passion4Sci is steering the OP away from optometry because he thinks compared to pharmacy, the knowledge of an optometrist is less appropriate for what the OP desires to do, compared to a pharmacist.

That's fine. So perhaps Passion4Sci can explain to us what he knows about vision? I didn't realize he acquired expertise in vision during his pharmacy training. Perhaps he can remind me of the meaning of 20/20? Or explain to me what is astigmatism? Or tell me how to measure the prescription of his glasses? Or demonstrate to us what optometric examination equipment he knows how to use? I didn't realize P4Sci received training in the ophthalmoscope during his pharmaceutical studies.

 

[Farmacist2011]

So let's talk more nuts and bolts about the OPs question.





Lets see. So the OP has an interest in medication, patient interaction, being a doctor, diagnosing, improving sight, and possibly working for a pharmaceutical company for vision meds.

Passion4Sci is steering the OP away from optometry because he thinks compared to pharmacy, the knowledge of an optometrist is less appropriate for what the OP desires to do, compared to a pharmacist.

That's fine. So perhaps Passion4Sci can explain to us what he knows about vision? I didn't realize he acquired expertise in vision during his pharmacy training. Perhaps he can remind me of the meaning of 20/20? Or explain to me what is astigmatism? Or tell me how to measure the prescription of his glasses? Or demonstrate to us what optometric examination equipment he knows how to use? I didn't realize P4Sci received training in the ophthalmoscope during his pharmaceutical studies.

 

[chemguy79]

I'm curious, Optogal ... What is your ultimate goal regarding P4Sci? Do you want him stripped of his moderator position? Do you want for him to apologize? What is your "ultimate goal?"

From an outsider's perspective who is an active member of this board, it clearly seems that you are continuing on your crusade until this "ultimate goal" happens. IMO, it seems somewhat petty.

Furthermore, If you don't approve of how the SDN management is handling this situation, you have every right to leave the board. You aren't obligated to stay as a member, nor are you obligated to serve as a martyr for this transgression. We, as non moderators, aren't aware of any disciplinary actions that occur with moderators and frankly, we should not be.

Just throwing my 2 cents into the ring ...

 

[Rouelle]

To the OP, with your interests have you considered a dual degree? You could do a PharmD with a PhD in an ocular related field or get an OD degree with a PhD in pharmacology or something similar. There are a number of PharmD/PhD programs available, and I would assume that OD/PhD programs exist as well (?). Although the time commitment is much longer for two doctorate programs (especially if you do the degrees sequentially as opposed to a combined program), you might find a niche that you find particularly rewarding.

 

[pharm B]

To the OP, with your interests have you considered a dual degree? You could do a PharmD with a PhD in an ocular related field or get an OD degree with a PhD in pharmacology or something similar. There are a number of PharmD/PhD programs available, and I would assume that OD/PhD programs exist as well (?). Although the time commitment is much longer for two doctorate programs (especially if you do the degrees sequentially as opposed to a combined program), you might find a niche that you find particularly rewarding.

I can't even fathom the thought of getting a PharmD and a PhD, but it definitely seems right for some people.

I hope the OP is still checking in to see if anything relevant has been added to this thread.

 

[Max12]

I was considering Optometry and Pharmacy as well. I made my decision after reading about both fields though BLS and other resources AND shadowing both an Optometrist and Pharmacist. I liked pharmacy more, and ended up shadowing and speaking to multiple pharmacists, which solidified my decision and made me a better applicant.

 

[owlegrad]

Someone else uses BLS?! I almost fell out of my chair when I read that.

 

[UNMorBUST]

OP: Shadow both. /Thread.

 

[delano2000]

Someone else uses BLS?! I almost fell out of my chair when I read that.

I've used it before as well.

 

[chemguy79]

To get back on topic, I worked in an optometrist office for 4.5 years during undergrad. Personally, I absolutely loved the field as a certified Opthalmic Technician. I liked the patient contact (when they weren't berating me about insurance information or the time it took to order their toric contact lenses ... note: this is quite similar to what pharmacists experience with time to fill an Rx and not having a prescription in stock, so no flaming please) and the lack of nasty things to see; However, seeing broken blood vessels or taking retinal photographs of people with histoplasmosis, HIV, glaucoma, etc. made me a bit squeamish at times.

Furthermore, when I first joined SDN back in 2003, *gasp*, my plan was to attend optometry school. However, I was worried about my grades and went after my Master's in Chemistry. In graduate school, I was exposed to medicinal chemistry and performing drug research which lead me to applying for Pharmacy school.

Both fields are interesting fields, but to be perfectly honest ... and for fear of receiving wrath from Optometrists ... Each of the four doctors in the first practice I worked at STRONGLY suggested that I go into a different field. They were rather unhappy with the speed of the practice (20 minute eye exams were the norm and for 50-65% of the population, I can see that as being reasonable ... granted, they worked at Lenscrafters, so your mileage may vary), but they said that the field was quickly becoming oversaturated. We would have fill-in doctors who mentioned having to work at 3-4 different offices each week in order to get steady work. It can be hard to build up patient repore in that manner.

I worked with a new graduate at another office that my doctor owned and she wasn't nearly as disenfranchised, but she was a bit frustrated with the lack of patient care that she could administer. Granted, OD's in Indiana have a great deal of autonomy compared to their counterparts in other states because the OD lobby in Indiana is really strong due to IU being a Top 3 Optometry school ... Point being, I wasn't really swayed by their opinions because I saw that they made incredibly good money for all of their bitching, however, when I saw the degree of patient care that a pharmacist COULD provide in a clinical/hospital setting, it sent me towards Pharmacy school.

Key point ... Gain experience in both fields. Blindly choosing a profession without some sort of experience in the field could set you up for EPIC FAIL. *ominous drum sounds of shame* They are very different fields, both are going through very similar issues with respect to overexpansion, insurance issues, etc. ... However, they have their well-deserved niche within the medical community.

 

[DH1987]

I wouldn't take any pharm. tech classes if I were you. Just go to ptcb.org, register for the test, buy a Mosby's book from Amazon or [insert book retailer here] and study for 1 day's time. You'll pass with flying colors, LOL. It's just about the hardest test to fail in this history of certification exams. My tests in the Army were harder.

Lol, My school is offering a 105-hour Pharmacy Tech class for $1400, and I was thinking about taking it!! Is it really that easy? No way in hell I'm going to throw away $1400 if all I have to do is read a book and pass an exam.

What all do you need to know to be a Pharm tech?

EDIT: Ignore this, I see there's already another thread with such information...

 

[whatbout2morrow]

So let's talk more nuts and bolts about the OPs question.





Lets see. So the OP has an interest in medication, patient interaction, being a doctor, diagnosing, improving sight, and possibly working for a pharmaceutical company for vision meds.

Passion4Sci is steering the OP away from optometry because he thinks compared to pharmacy, the knowledge of an optometrist is less appropriate for what the OP desires to do, compared to a pharmacist.

That's fine. So perhaps Passion4Sci can explain to us what he knows about vision? I didn't realize he acquired expertise in vision during his pharmacy training. Perhaps he can remind me of the meaning of 20/20? Or explain to me what is astigmatism? Or tell me how to measure the prescription of his glasses? Or demonstrate to us what optometric examination equipment he knows how to use? I didn't realize P4Sci received training in the ophthalmoscope during his pharmaceutical studies.

Regarding the nuts and bolts....

I doubt that what has been posted here is far from what is expected when one posts a thread entitled "Pharmacy or optometry career?" in a pre-pharmacy forum. There are people like chemguy who have experiences with the optometry and pharmacy fields, but then you have a large number of people who have limited experience with optometry. In Passion4Sci's defense, he openly admitted that he had limited knowledge of optometry, and if he has done research as a result of this thread, I believe this might have been a learning experience for him.

Now back to the nuts and bolts...

I see that you forgot to highlight the first sentence of the OP's post. It reads "I am currently a pharmaceutical sciences major and im interested in medication and how they fuction and such in the body as well." Then comes the second sentence "I am also interested in vision and have also considered applying to optometry school." (Note the "also"). This leads me to believe that the OP's primary interest is in pharmacology/medicinal chemistry (drug research, development, etc.), and that all that stuff you highlighted in bold (i.e. patient interaction, being a doctor, diagnosing, improving sight, and possibly working for a pharmaceutical company for vision meds) is secondary.

Now about the meaning of 20/20, astigmatism, measuring glass prescriptions and so forth...

I fail to see why a pharmacist cannot learn these things if he/she wanted to. I also fail to see why someone doing groundbreaking research in ocular pharmacology needs to know how to operate optometric examination equipment. Research is a collaborative effort between people with all sorts of backgrounds. As a result of this thread, I chose to do a bit more research on the field of ocular pharmacology. At this time, it seems to be a field dominated by PhDs. To put it plain and simple, if the OP's main interest is doing research, then grad school is probably the way to go. But there is nothing preventing the OP from performing research in ocular pharmacology if he/she chooses OD or PharmD instead of grad school.

Like a large number of people have done already, I suggest that the OP shadow a pharmacist, since he has said that he does not have any pharmacy experience since he has not shadowed a pharmacist and decide between OD and PharmD. Afterwards (no matter whether he chose OD or PharmD) he should consider a post doc in ocular pharmacology and/or a PhD in pharmacology, preferably in an institution where there is a strong ocular pharmacology research department. I sincerely doubt that a person with financial interest in a pharmaceutical company would also be able to practice as an optometrist without some sort of hurdle taking into account a possible conflict of interest, unless it is something like assuming the role of provider in clinical trials of investigational drugs (I don't know if there are any hurdles associated with optometrists getting involved in clinical trials).

I also suggest that the OP try to contact someone who can provide better advice, perhaps someone who is a member of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AOPT).

All the best lesept2 in his career. I hope he has not lost hope in the childish bickering which has become this thread.

 

[ocular]

pharmacy job market is pretty bad right now at least in the state of washington. In the seattle area, I recently heard group health had 50 applicants for 1 pharmacist position and at another location 37 for 1 position. Those numbers 5-10x worse than applying to pharmacy school.... The market is saturated in Washington, I'm guessing it will only get worse as more pharmacy schools open and class sizes increase, technology eliminating pharmacists because fewer are needed to get the job done.... I suggest choosing a different healthcare field...

 

[ChemistWiz]

pharmacy job market is pretty bad right now at least in the state of washington. In the seattle area, I recently heard group health had 50 applicants for 1 pharmacist position and at another location 37 for 1 position. Those numbers 5-10x worse than applying to pharmacy school.... The market is saturated in Washington, I'm guessing it will only get worse as more pharmacy schools open and class sizes increase, technology eliminating pharmacists because fewer are needed to get the job done.... I suggest choosing a different healthcare field...

The topic of Saturation in the market has been discussed before. If the OP wishes to know about it there is a thread dedicated to it made by one of our very generous mods. Yes it is an issue, but it's not an issue of whether the OP could or could not get a job, they may not be able to have the freedom to choose anywhere, but neither can Optometrist. There's a mild saturation in both fields as I understand it.

 

[optimus33]

pharmacy job market is pretty bad right now at least in the state of washington. In the seattle area, I recently heard group health had 50 applicants for 1 pharmacist position and at another location 37 for 1 position. Those numbers 5-10x worse than applying to pharmacy school.... The market is saturated in Washington, I'm guessing it will only get worse as more pharmacy schools open and class sizes increase, technology eliminating pharmacists because fewer are needed to get the job done.... I suggest choosing a different healthcare field...

Could you please enlighten us about the healthcare field that guarantees a job after graduation and pays 100k ?