Physician vs Optometrist

[hye345]

Physician pros:

• More money.
• More opportunities to specialize.
• Job stability.
• Ability to find work anywhere.
• More prestige.

Physician cons:

• Lots of insurance BS to deal with.
• Hours are sometimes longer.
• Harder to get into med school.
• Takes more time to become a physician.
• More malpractice.

[*]Hectic environment (if you don't like this).



Optometry pros:

• Better hours.
• No call.
• Less BS from insurance industry.
• Less malpractice.
• Easier to get into opt school.
• Practicing sooner.

Optometry cons:

• Opt schools pumping out too many optometrists.
• Commercialization of optometry.
• Less prestige.

If I'm missing something, please add it on.

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[pennybridge]

well you can't do surgery if you're an optometrist.

that's one reason.

 

[hye345]

well you can't do surgery if you're an optometrist.

that's one reason.

Thats a pro for opto in my book...

BTW, just to clear up the issue of salary:

If an optometrist was making $110,000, would his financial state be all that better from a doctor (say internist) who is making $150,000? Is there really that much of a noticeable difference in financial lifestyle?

 

[armybound]

Thats a pro for opto in my book...

BTW, just to clear up the issue of salary:

If an optometrist was making $110,000, would his financial state be all that better from a doctor (say internist) who is making $150,000? Is there really that much of a noticeable difference in financial lifestyle?

depends where you live.. in CA I bet there's a big difference. where I live, anything above $100k is just gravy. the optometrist probably won't have as much debt to pay back though.

of course as a physician you've got the opportunity to specialize in areas that can bring $500k+.. most of that's just for fun 🙂

 

[pennybridge]

you can't save lives if you're an optometrist.

clearly your passion lies in making eyeglasses for people, you should follow your dreams.

 

[bretticus]

Are you interested in eyes? Anything else? Surgery?

If you really want to do something eye-related and don't care about surgery, I would think an OD would be the way to go.

If you're not sure about eyes, if you want to do surgery, or if the money/prestige/MD is really important to you, perhaps go with medicine.

Honestly, you have all the pros and cons you want. Weight them according to your preference and see what comes out on top. Problem solved 🙂

Edit: Oh, and while medicine might come close to engineering in terms of problem solving, I'm guessing optometry won't.

 

[kapil_MD]

you can't save lives if you're an optometrist.

clearly your passion lies in making eyeglasses for people, you should follow your dreams.

lol.

try shadowing.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

you can't save lives if you're an optometrist.

clearly your passion lies in making eyeglasses for people, you should follow your dreams.

you can detect diabetes early...

many physicians do not get a chance to save lives at all in their practice, please get off your ridiculous romantic notions of medicine

 

[MossPoh]

well you can't do surgery if you're an optometrist.

that's one reason.

Some states with few ophthalmologist are trying to change that I believe...kind of a hot topic for ophthalmologist....as it should be.

 

[pennybridge]

you can detect diabetes early...

many physicians do not get a chance to save lives at all in their practice, please get off your ridiculous romantic notions of medicine

lol what does hitting that amcas submit button sap away everyone's sense of humor?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

well you can't do surgery if you're an optometrist.

that's one reason.

not in Oklahoma: http://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/ophthalmologytimes/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=140715

 

[pennybridge]

not in Oklahoma: http://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/ophthalmologytimes/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=140715

yes, once again Oklahoma pushes the envelope in the advancement of medicine.


let me rephrase:

you can't do lots of different types of surgeries
you can't prescribe lots of different types of drugs
you can't do lots of different types of procedures

you can't be an ophthalmologist
you can't be a radiologist
you can't be a dermatologist
you can't be a cardiothoracic surgeon
you can't be a neurosurgeon
you can't be a psychiatrist

I can't believe you are taking a thread seriously that asks what are the pros/cons between either (a) being a physician or (b) being an optometrist


that's like asking "hey guys, what are the pros/cons between being an aeronautical engineer and building model airplanes?"

talk about comparing apple pie to orange juice

 

[UMP]

you can detect diabetes early...

many physicians do not get a chance to save lives at all in their practice, please get off your ridiculous romantic notions of medicine

👍

diagnose brain tumors, diabetes, etc, etc... I looked in to optometry for a bit and there is a lot more than just fitting contacts and making eyeglasses (although a large portion of it is just that)

 

[armybound]

👍

diagnose brain tumors, diabetes, etc, etc... I looked in to optometry for a bit and there is a lot more than just fitting contacts and making eyeglasses (although a large portion of it is just that)

well the tumors are probably because there are 4 cranial nerves going to the eye. I doubt they have MRIs to locate them.

but we're just splitting hairs, I think

 

[MadHopsMD]

You forgot to add. Optometrists work at WALMART...while physicians for hospitals...

 

[armybound]

You forgot to add. Optometrists work at WALMART...while physicians for hospitals...

didn't wal-mart come out with some health plan proposal where you could see a PA at their stores or something?

 

[bretticus]

didn't wal-mart come out with some health plan proposal where you could see a PA at their stores or something?

Physician Assistant != Physician. What's your point?

 

[NonTradMed]

You may want to ask yourself one more question: how much do you enjoy working with the eye? An OD is someone who works exclusively with the eye. An MD has that and most of the rest of the body to work with. I didn't think about going into an optometry school for the same reason I didn't want to do dentistry: limiting my options to one area that I'm not sure I am interested in. If you're sure the eye is for you, then OD is probably a better fit, an opthm residency is competitive and there is no guarantee that you'll get it at the end of four years of med school. OTOH, if you like healthcare work in general, an MD may be a good fit.

 

[armybound]

Physician Assistant != Physician. What's your point?

I'm not down with the legalistics, but don't PAs have to work under a physician's medical license? that is to say, they can't work independently?

so, in some far-off way, you COULD be seeing a physician at Wal-Mart?

all I was trying to say is things might not be the same in the future.

 

[bretticus]

I'm not down with the legalistics, but don't PAs have to work under a physician's medical license? that is to say, they can't work independently?

so, in some far-off way, you COULD be seeing a physician at Wal-Mart?

all I was trying to say is things might not be the same in the future.

Yes, PAs are under the supervision of a MD.

You're correct, but ask yourself -- even if it were possible -- would you really want to be the MD that works at Wal-Mart? 😉

Seriously, that could happen (no reason it couldn't), but I pity the guy with that job...

 

[hye345]

you can't save lives if you're an optometrist.

clearly your passion lies in making eyeglasses for people, you should follow your dreams.

Actually, I think that optometrists give eye exams, then order glasses/contacts accordingly; they don't actually make glasses 🙄 . If they did, it would be an incredibly dull profession (not to mention a rip-off of a career as far as the time commitment goes).

Are you interested in eyes? Anything else? Surgery?

If you really want to do something eye-related and don't care about surgery, I would think an OD would be the way to go.

If you're not sure about eyes, if you want to do surgery, or if the money/prestige/MD is really important to you, perhaps go with medicine.

Honestly, you have all the pros and cons you want. Weight them according to your preference and see what comes out on top. Problem solved

Edit: Oh, and while medicine might come close to engineering in terms of problem solving, I'm guessing optometry won't.

If I go into medicine, and get into a specialty that I find boring after several years (you just can't predict these things), it will probably be hell on earth, especially since Iwould have to work long hours.

On the other hand, I don't necessarily dislike the eyes, but I don't find them all that mystifying either; at least an optometrist has regular, manageable hours. Plus, you only basically give eye exams, occasionally check for signs of disease (and even more occasionally, perscribe medication), and advise your patients every now and then.

In a medical specialty, you really have to go deep into the given body part to the point where you have lost touch with reality

IMHO, a career where you can help people, get paid relatively well, have regular hours, get to work at 26 (as opposed to 30+), dont have to deal with insurance BS so much, and get to play with the latest (gadgets) on the market kicks the doctor's ass. J/K 😉

 

[bretticus]

Actually, I think that optometrists give eye exams, then order glasses accordingly; they don't actually make glasses 🙄 . If they did, it would be an incredibly dull profession (not to mention a rip-off of a career as far as the time commitment goes).




If I go into medicine, and get into a specialty that I find boring after several years (you just can't predict these things), it will probably be hell on earth, especially since Iwould have to work long hours.

On the other hand, I don't necessarily dislike the eyes, but I don't find them all that mystifying either; at least an optometrist has regular, manageable hours. Plus, you only basically give eye exams, and occasionally check for signs of disease (and even more occasionally, perscribe medication).

In a medical specialty, you really have to go deep into the given body part to the point where you have lost touch of reality

It sounds to me like you want something with normal hours with good money that you can tolerate but not necessarily enjoy or be passionate about. If that's the case, I would lean more towards optometry.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

not in Oklahoma:

yes, once again Oklahoma pushes the envelope in the advancement of medicine.

lol, I live in Oklahoma and couldn't agree more! Hey we finally legalized tatooing last year and got a lottery in 2005. Before you know it, we might let boys kiss each other in public. 😱

Some states with few ophthalmologist are trying to change that I believe...kind of a hot topic for ophthalmologist....as it should be.

Yeah I'll chime in here because in my state where optometrists are doing surgeries, the ophtho's (and MD's in general) are screaming bloody murder to PREVENT them from doing it. I personally have no strong feeling either way because we are basically a rural state with many places devoid of ophtho's.

 

[hye345]

It sounds to me like you want something with normal hours with good money that you can tolerate but not necessarily enjoy or be passionate about. If that's the case, I would lean more towards optometry.

Well, actually, I am kind of interested in the science of vision and all that, but I am more interested in, say, the brain and brain cells.

If I were to weigh the different areas of medical specialization based on how interested I am in them, then on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most interesting, the eyes would be about a 8. Only the brain, the heart, and the science of infectious disease scored higher.

 

[Xypathos]

Yes, PAs are under the supervision of a MD.

You're correct, but ask yourself -- even if it were possible -- would you really want to be the MD that works at Wal-Mart? 😉

Seriously, that could happen (no reason it couldn't), but I pity the guy with that job...

Walmart actually uses more FNP than they do PAs for their centers. My mother was offered such a job, but Walmart was only offering 68k where she makes 128k now at a private clinic in NC (where she's been for 14 years now and is a partner; showing this to explain her high salary) --- so, she turned Walmart down.

 

[BNSN]

Well, actually, I am kind of interested in the science of vision and all that, but I am more interested in, say, the brain and brain cells.

If I were to weigh the parts of the body based on how interested I am in them, then on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most interesting, the eyes would be about a 8. Only the brain, the heart, and the science of infectious disease scored higher.

The heart and eye are boring🙁

 

[hye345]

The heart and eye are boring🙁

The heart barely made is past the eyes

Radiology might have made it past the eyes, but the idea of sitting in a dark room all day just isn't my idea of a party 🙁

 

[armybound]

Yes, PAs are under the supervision of a MD.

You're correct, but ask yourself -- even if it were possible -- would you really want to be the MD that works at Wal-Mart? 😉

Seriously, that could happen (no reason it couldn't), but I pity the guy with that job...

hey I didn't say it's something I'd want to do, I was just pointing out that the idea of getting healthcare at Wal-Mart isn't so far fetched.

I pity the people who are willing to trust their health to the guy who is willing to take that job.

 

[hye345]

It sounds to me like you want something with normal hours with good money that you can tolerate but not necessarily enjoy or be passionate about. If that's the case, I would lean more towards optometry.

By the way, I don't mind becoming passionate about something; its just that when people dig too deeply into something, they usually get sick of it in the end.

You don't have to live and breath something in order to be reasonably passionate about it. By reasonably, I mean: passionate enough that you don't get bored easily on the job, but not so much that it consumes you for dessert, or that the mystery is gone. As long as there is room to wonder, its good enough for me.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I can't believe you are taking a thread seriously that asks what are the pros/cons between either (a) being a physician or (b) being an optometrist


that's like asking "hey guys, what are the pros/cons between being an aeronautical engineer and building model airplanes?"

talk about comparing apple pie to orange juice

I hope you realize that ophthalmologists and optometrists often have practices together thus working daily as colleagues. Although optometrists don't have the thorough medical training of physicians (namely the clinical rotations), they do spend much time learning stuff taught in medical school to physicians, and they work as primary care physicians for the eye.

You are probably just joking and wasting time or you don't trust that most optometrists are competent at treating common eye problems that don't need to be referred to ophthalmologists.

 

[Bikeage]

Honestly, I do think they're a bit different, and thus compairing them is sort of a stretch. IMO, it'd be like compairing a dietician (or something rather) verus a physician. Sure, they both deal with health care in a sense, but they're different professions. However, if you were to specifically compare ophthalmologists vs optometrists, I think a lot more people would be able to give you more insight

 

[hye345]

The point of this thread isn't just to compare prestige levels; its to compare the whole package (money, lifestyle, sacrifices that must be made, stress level, and yes, ultimately, prestige)🙄

 

[8744]

Can you guts stop with the "passion." Most of you will like medicine but what you'll really be passionate about are your days off and the money.

Hey, every optometrist I have ever known resents ophthalmologists and has a huge chip on his shoulder. No point, really. Just an observation.

 

[nekrogg]

you can detect diabetes early...

many physicians do not get a chance to save lives at all in their practice, please get off your ridiculous romantic notions of medicine

we all know what he means. you are more likely to save lives as a physician than as an optometrist. you are probably very likely to have saved at least one life by the time you are done with your training. can an optometrist say the same? if you want to go down that line of thought, why not be a hair dresser? they are usually the ones who detect skin cancer on the scalp.

its not romantic. its statistical reality.

 

[UABopt]

Actually, I think that optometrists give eye exams, then order glasses accordingly; they don't actually make glasses 🙄 . If they did, it would be an incredibly dull profession (not to mention a rip-off of a career as far as the time commitment goes).




If I go into medicine, and get into a specialty that I find boring after several years (you just can't predict these things), it will probably be hell on earth, especially since Iwould have to work long hours.

On the other hand, I don't necessarily dislike the eyes, but I don't find them all that mystifying either; at least an optometrist has regular, manageable hours. Plus, you only basically give eye exams, occasionally check for signs of disease (and even more occasionally, perscribe medication), and advise your patients every now and then.

In a medical specialty, you really have to go deep into the given body part to the point where you have lost touch with reality

IMHO, a career where you can help people, get paid relatively well, have regular hours, get to work at 26 (as opposed to 30+), dont have to deal with insurance BS so much, and get to play with the latest (gadgets) on the market kicks the doctor's ass. J/K 😉

Clearly you should do a little bit more research. We deal with insurance extensively on a daily basis.... Sadly.

 

[UABopt]

we all know what he means. you are more likely to save lives as a physician than as an optometrist. you are probably very likely to have saved at least one life by the time you are done with your training. can an optometrist say the same? if you want to go down that line of thought, why not be a hair dresser? they are usually the ones who detect skin cancer on the scalp.

its not romantic. its statistical reality.

We do save lives on occasion. It is not uncommon for an OD to be the first to detect blood dyscrasias, brain tumors, inflammatory disorders etc… And yes we do order labs to help confirm a diagnosis (including MRI and CT).

While all of that is fine and dandy, most of the reward from the job comes from quality of life issues. Vision is important. So important in fact that most of your brain is dedicated to that single sense. The fact is if I can help somebody to see better either through medical intervention (ie. the treatment of glaucoma etc) or optically, I have made their lives better. For the most part patients are happier after they leave an ODs office than when they came in. The same can't always be said for other medical professions.

 

[deleted103644]

I'd say the main problem with becoming an optometrist is how it's becoming about as run of the mill as selling clothes (Sear's is barely distinguishing between the two now). Then again, as surgical techniques like Lasik become more standardized/foolproof, optometrists will inevitably be allowed to perform these surgeries for much lower cost than opthamologists - I think people in this post have listed examples where this is already the case. Odds are good that (regardless of specialty) this generation of SDN will mostly be working for CVS or Walmart, not hospitals.

 

[8744]

I'd say the main problem with becoming an optometrist is how it's becoming about as run of the mill as selling clothes (Sear's is barely distinguishing between the two now). Then again, as surgical techniques like Lasik become more standardized/foolproof, optometrists will inevitably be allowed to perform these surgeries for much lower cost than opthamologists - I think people in this post have listed examples where this is already the case. Odds are good that (regardless of specialty) this generation of SDN will mostly be working for CVS or Walmart, not hospitals.

Don't count on it. You really, really want a trained ophthalmologist messing with your eyes, not some guy with no surgical training. The difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist are vast. One has a four year degree, the other has a medical degree and five years or more of surgical training. It's like the difference between an orthopaedic surgeon and a chiropractor.

If there's one area (besides brain surgery) where midlevels definitely do not belong it's anything havng to do with cutting into, lasing, or altering the eye.

 

[jbrice1639]

You're correct, but ask yourself -- even if it were possible -- would you really want to be the MD that works at Wal-Mart? 😉

hell, i don't even like driving by a wal-mart...let alone being in one...can't imagine having to work in one, MD or not... 😱

 

[Towelie]

I can't believe this thread even exists.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

we all know what he means. you are more likely to save lives as a physician than as an optometrist. you are probably very likely to have saved at least one life by the time you are done with your training. can an optometrist say the same? if you want to go down that line of thought, why not be a hair dresser? they are usually the ones who detect skin cancer on the scalp.

its not romantic. its statistical reality.

its still a dumb justification to enter medicine to become a physiatrist or a psychiatrist or any other specialty over optometry where the primary purpose of each of these jobs is to improve the quality of life whether it be through giving people the satisfaction of having normal vision, or to be able to walk again after serious injury. if you feel that you'd be happy as an optometrist and that you don't really need the security of more options that medicine brings, then go for it.

if you get off on saving lives then being a cop or a firefighter or a paramedic might be a more rewarding career then what most doctors do. Panda Bear is right: your passion in life might include your career in medicine, but let's be realistic, there is going to be more to your life than being a doctor. if not then you probably didn't live life like you should have. (and I'm sure he attest that as an EM physician, saving lives isn't something he does all the time either).

 

[beenthere2]

you can detect diabetes early...

many physicians do not get a chance to save lives at all in their practice, please get off your ridiculous romantic notions of medicine

Actually, many things: Melanoma, multiple sclerosis (optic neuritis), changes related to hypertension, etc. Any "first-line" health care practitioner is in the position to identify serious illness and initiate appropriate referrals. And save lives.

 

[YupGypsy]

hell, i don't even like driving by a wal-mart...let alone being in one...can't imagine having to work in one, MD or not... 😱

what do u have against low prices

 

[hye345]

Can you guts stop with the "passion." Most of you will like medicine but what you'll really be passionate about are your days off and the money.

Hey, every optometrist I have ever known resents ophthalmologists and has a huge chip on his shoulder. No point, really. Just an observation.

To me, passion == not so bored on the job; kept relatively busy without grudging through the work.

As far as the optometrist not liking the ophthalmologist, I think its stupid. Optometrists are insecure, and ophthalmologists have huge egos (generally speaking). When will this end? Lets just let each person do their job without mixing/matching.

Optometrist >> eye exams, checking for eye disease, occasionally giving medication, advising patients; in other words, PRIMARY EYE CARE.

Ophthalmologist >> surgical procedures, complex diseases of the eye.

 

[jbrice1639]

what do u have against low prices

nothing, i just go across the street to target where the low prices are on quality merchandise and there's no creepy zombies in blue vests 😀

 

[pennybridge]

honestly you are all being silly.

first of all the thread asks to compare "physicians" to "optometrists"

its stupid.

maybe if it asked to compare "ophthalmologists" to "optometrists" it would make more sense, but as it stands now its just ******ed.

it's like asking the pros/cons between being a "radiologist" and "radiology tech"

how much you want to bet radtechs are the first ones to diagnose a bunch of broken bones?? doesn't mean they're ninjas like radiologists.

plus isn't the OP in high school?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

it's like asking the pros/cons between being a "radiologist" and "radiology tech"

how much you want to bet radtechs are the first ones to diagnose a bunch of broken bones?? doesn't mean they're ninjas like radiologists.

an OD is a doctoral level professional degree though

 

[pennybridge]

an OD is a doctoral level professional degree though

i hear they used to have an analogy section on the mcat.... shame they got rid of it....

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Physician by knockout in the 4th round.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Oh wow that's the last time I read a thread title and blindly post.