second thoughts, considering optometry

[andyjl]

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i have been pre-dent for a while now, I am having second thoughts. I am considering optometry school now. From what i read though is that big cities have an oversaturation of optometrists and could be somewhat difficult to have your own practice.

I feel that optometry career could be less stressful, at least when you work for somebody else compared to dentistry. Optometry could still provide a very good financial security and one could still have a good quality of life.

I was wondering how competitive it is to get into optometry school. What kind of OAT scores one would need, what kind of gpa. i currently have a 3.3 and have a degree as well. Does optometry require a certain degree (bio, chem, etc)?

also what are some of the pros/cons of optometry profession and school?

 

[mupreopt]

- You can major in anything you want as an undergrad. The majority are biology majors, followed by chemistry, and psychology. However, you can major in anything you want as long as you meet the pre-requisites.

- The last time I checked, there are only 17 optometry schools.

- Pros/cons: I would suggest searching KHE's posts. The cons would be the oversaturation, corporate optometry, and insurance problems.
Cons:
When you walk into Wal-Mart, you will not find a dentistry office.
In optometry, you have people coming up to you and asking what you have chosen as a career. When you say optometry, they confuse it with opthalmology or opticians. Some think it's a techinical or 2 year degree. In dentistry you don't have this problem. You tell people that you are going into dentistry or that you are a dentist and they know exactly what you are talking about. In optometry you have some opthalmologists (MD) who thinks that they are better than you. In dentistry, you don't have this.


Why are you having second thoughts? I have had second thoughts about optometry also but I am still going to pursue it and not let the oversaturation and other negativities distract me or stop me from reaching my career goal. I am quiet and shy, so the oversaturation may work in my favor in giving me less patients.

 

[andyjl]

- You can major in anything you want as an undergrad. The majority are biology majors, followed by chemistry, and psychology. However, you can major in anything you want as long as you meet the pre-requisites.

- The last time I checked, there are only 17 optometry schools.

- Pros/cons: I would suggest searching KHE's posts. The cons would be the oversaturation, corporate optometry, and insurance problems.
Cons:
When you walk into Wal-Mart, you will not find a dentistry office.
In optometry, you have people coming up to you and asking what you have chosen as a career. When you say optometry, they confuse it with opthalmology or opticians. Some think it's a techinical or 2 year degree. In dentistry you don't have this problem. You tell people that you are going into dentistry or that you are a dentist and they know exactly what you are talking about. In optometry you have some opthalmologists (MD) who thinks that they are better than you. In dentistry, you don't have this.


Why are you having second thoughts? I have had second thoughts about optometry also but I am still going to pursue it and not let the oversaturation and other negativities distract me or stop me from reaching my career goal. I am quiet and shy, so the oversaturation may work in my favor in giving me less patients.

what exactly is corporate optometry and the problems with insurance? Is the oversaturation just in the major cities or in certain cities?

I'm having second thoughts b/c i think because i'm just getting the jitters i suppose of going to and paying for dental school . I guess i'm thinking way too ahead and i'm also afraid that i may not be very good at it i suppose. I have done many hours of shadowing but that itself doesn't allow for you to try any of the dental procedures b/c i obviously can't practice dentistry without a license. I merely just did mostly observation. In optometry you don't have to worry being very specific and working in such a small area of the mouth that dentists work in. I have the confidence to do dent and have wanted to do dent for a while now, and i think this is just me being nervous is all which I am sure many pre-professional students feel at one point before they start.

 

[mupreopt]

what exactly is corporate optometry and the problems with insurance? Is the oversaturation just in the major cities or in certain cities?

corporate optometry: optometry offices in Wal-Mart, Lens Crafters, Pearl Vision, Sears, etc.

insurance: I'm not the best person to explain this. I would look up old posts regarding insurance. But from what I've read, optometrists have a hard time getting on insurance. I know what I want to say but I can't explain it. Basically, insurance companies don't accept optometrists. So some patients don't have vision insurance. I was in an optometry office at Wal-Mart two days ago and I one of the employees handling the insurances was saying that it would be nice if insurance companies would reimburse what they are supposed to reimburse.

Bigger cities have an oversaturation of optometrists. I've read the saying "there is an optometry office in every corner." So when you want to do private practice, you have to choose your city carefully. You will be making less income than a dentist due to oversaturation.

I am nervous about optometry school too. I am afraid when I get admitted, what happens if I don't make it though optometry school and I have the loan debt. This is what freaks me out. I could have gone into business, management, accounting, etc. but to me those jobs are boring and those are just the average job that everyone has. I want my job to be special and different from everyone else. When you tell people that you are a manager, an accountant, teacher, etc., it's not that impressive. But when you tell people that you are a doctor, it's a nice feeling the reaction you get. Plus, by going into optometry, I feel like I have accomplished something rather than taking the career route that everyone else takes.

 

[sharpshooter24]

i have been pre-dent for a while now, I am having second thoughts. I am considering optometry school now. From what i read though is that big cities have an oversaturation of optometrists and could be somewhat difficult to have your own practice.

I feel that optometry career could be less stressful, at least when you work for somebody else compared to dentistry. Optometry could still provide a very good financial security and one could still have a good quality of life.

I was wondering how competitive it is to get into optometry school. What kind of OAT scores one would need, what kind of gpa. i currently have a 3.3 and have a degree as well. Does optometry require a certain degree (bio, chem, etc)?

also what are some of the pros/cons of optometry profession and school?

im not suprised of your decision. although i am a pre Optometry, 3/4 of my friends are in / applying to dental school. its a very extremely competative business, you make more money though than OD's but then again money isnt going to do jack if you cant get it a decent school let alone not being happy of it.

i have friends that got rejected 2-4 times with strong stats.

there are people with 3.7-3.9 ASDAS gpas DAT 19-23 that are getting rejected. trust me i have heard all the horror stories myself. then again i see people with low grades getting into top dental school.s

the main problem with dentistry: too many specialist and very little practitioners. family practitioners are hard to find around my area.

 

[Lollipop Fun]

Mupreopt,
if you do not like to see so many patients then why would you want to be an optometrist? Am I to understand that you like the profession bc it is oversaturated and thus you can see less patients?

It sounds odd to me, but just explain to me why you would go into a health care profession knowing that you have to deal with patients when you wish to shy away from them?

 

[mupreopt]

Mupreopt,
if you do not like to see so many patients then why would you want to be an optometrist? Am I to understand that you like the profession bc it is oversaturated and thus you can see less patients?

It sounds odd to me, but just explain to me why you would go into a health care profession knowing that you have to deal with patients when you wish to shy away from them?

I did not choose the profession due to oversaturation. I only heard of oversaturation recently.

I am not trying to shying away from patients at all.

 

[eyestrain]

the main problem with dentistry: too many specialist and very little practitioners. family practitioners are hard to find around my area.

I'd say that's a good problem for dentists to have. If only it were hard to find a primary care optometrist is any area.

 

[Lollipop Fun]

- I am quiet and shy, so the oversaturation may work in my favor in giving me less patients.

I see what you mean. You want less patients is that it?

I would think that an optometrist sees more patients than a dentist would.

 

[sharpshooter24]

I see what you mean. You want less patients is that it?

I would think that an optometrist sees more patients than a dentist would.

competition for optometry school is a sick joke compared to dentistry.

your dealing with 4000-6000 seats for a class size of 80-120.

i was considering this profession once, but then again, i am more inclined to deal with eyes than someones molars.

 

[OSUDDS]

competition for optometry school is a sick joke compared to dentistry.

your dealing with 4000-6000 seats for a class size of 80-120.

i was considering this profession once, but then again, i am more inclined to deal with eyes than someones molars.

applying to dental school is a joke anymore
how many applicants compete for seats in optometry?

 

[zyg0te]

applying to dental school is a joke anymore
how many applicants compete for seats in optometry?

For the 2006/2007 school year, 2653 students completed 6887 applications, with 1413 enrolled.

Source: [http://opted.org/info_profile.cfm]

 

[zyg0te]

- You can major in anything you want as an undergrad. The majority are biology majors, followed by chemistry, and psychology. However, you can major in anything you want as long as you meet the pre-requisites.

- The last time I checked, there are only 17 optometry schools.

- Pros/cons: I would suggest searching KHE's posts. The cons would be the oversaturation, corporate optometry, and insurance problems.
Cons:
When you walk into Wal-Mart, you will not find a dentistry office.
In optometry, you have people coming up to you and asking what you have chosen as a career. When you say optometry, they confuse it with opthalmology or opticians. Some think it's a techinical or 2 year degree. In dentistry you don't have this problem. You tell people that you are going into dentistry or that you are a dentist and they know exactly what you are talking about. In optometry you have some opthalmologists (MD) who thinks that they are better than you. In dentistry, you don't have this.


Why are you having second thoughts? I have had second thoughts about optometry also but I am still going to pursue it and not let the oversaturation and other negativities distract me or stop me from reaching my career goal. I am quiet and shy, so the oversaturation may work in my favor in giving me less patients.

🙄 The solution is not to see less patients, it is to learn the communication skills necessary to explain to your patients their conditions and your course of action. Do you expect patients to return to you if you fail to communicate to them why you are referring them out to an OMD, or why you need to see them again in a few months for their glaucoma workup?

You need to grow up and learn to communicate. Get a job working with people, and force yourself to communicate. Even if it is just greeting customers at wal-mart. This problem will not just go away, and you will need to show the schools you have at least some sort of communication skills. Otherwise, they have plenty of other applications to move on to.

 

[sublimegd]

competition for optometry school is a sick joke compared to dentistry.

your dealing with 4000-6000 seats for a class size of 80-120.

i was considering this profession once, but then again, i am more inclined to deal with eyes than someones molars.

what?

 

[carol_J]

I just read this threat and I am having second thought about optometry, some seem to make valid point.....

My advice would me to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you spend the next 4 years and $100 K ....
have a goal in sight


-Best of luck

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=214809

 

[Jay12]

I just read this threat and I am having second thought about optometry, some seem to make valid point.....

My advice would me to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you spend the next 4 years and $100 K ....
have a goal in sight


-Best of luck

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=214809

From the looks of it....a lot of what some of the people have to say comes not from first hand experiences, but rather from a friend of a friend of a friend, etc...
Though there are a few valid points that are made here and there, I would advise one to take a lot of what they read from the Internet with a grain of salt, and go and try to talk to a person (face to face) who is working in the profession.
Not to say that some of the people on this site are not fully qualified to give you advice, but just that when your making a choice (i.e. such as which profession to go into) that may have great impact on your life and your loved ones, maybe a internet forum might not be sufficient as the sole source for your reasoning.
P.S. Go to any of the other threads that are made in this site (i.e. dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, etc...) and you will always find someone that is mentioning the possible end of their profession as they know it in the near future....

 

[macy2012]

insurance: I'm not the best person to explain this. I would look up old posts regarding insurance. But from what I've read, optometrists have a hard time getting on insurance. I know what I want to say but I can't explain it. Basically, insurance companies don't accept optometrists. So some patients don't have vision insurance. I was in an optometry office at Wal-Mart two days ago and I one of the employees handling the insurances was saying that it would be nice if insurance companies would reimburse what they are supposed to reimburse.

I've worked in different optometry practices for almost three years, and I have never really encountered any HUGE "insurance problems". I'm sure with all healthcare jobs, you run into all sorts of insurance issues, but it is nothing out of the ordinary with optometry. Yes, it might take a little more time for an OD to get on to a health insurance but Most of the time, many patients don't have a problem with paying out of pocket and filing the insurance on their own, as long as they receive the quality patient care from the OD. Wal-Mart is not the best place to get information from.