do you make much more as a self-employed ophthalmologist??
and how much do all the machines cost?
Equipment is expensive, but it is only a part of the operating expense, and a relatively small part at that.
New prices are often negotiated depending on the size of the purchase: prices can be found with major dealers like Lombart.
A lane of equipment, used, could be bought for under $10,000. A used current-design Haag-streit 900 BM, a benchmark example of a quality slit lamp, usually runs $5,000-$7,000, depending on whether there is a tomometer. A new YAG laser $18-20K, a recent (necessary) perimeter $12-16,000, depending, new, $20-25K, an autorefractor (used $3K--7K, new, several times that), Phoropter, about $3K.
An OCT, $60K, and A-scan, new, $4,500-$7,500, depending on the brand and features. A Zeiss IOL master, new, about $25K.
Minor surgery instruments: $500 and up a set, a sterilizer, $1K used, $5K new.
Equipping an office requires a phone system, (often several thousand dollars), computers, network, billing and practice management software, rent, buildout (expensive!) depending on the available spaces, insurance, business taxes, possible impact fees, utility hookups. And then there is the biggest expense: staff.
You should speak to people who have launched practices; it is definitely do-able but you need to prepare. Residency training will not give you much information about the business of private practice, unfortunately.
