Optometry Should I go for an OD or a MD?

[gyngyn]

I have been struggling lately with questioning my decision to go to Optometry school. I was originally split between OD vs MD school and did some shadowing/research in the ED at a hospital and some personal reflection. Eventually I decided that the hospital wasn’t really my thing (very old depressing hospital setting with ED in the basement). I did not like the depressing outcomes and environment of the hospital and I didn’t look forward to going to the ED.

I also prioritize family and having time to spend with my future wife and kids. I want to work to live, not live to work. All of this led me to deciding on Optometry school. I have a 4.0 cumulative and science GPA and recently took the OAT and scored a 370TS/370AA which is 90th percentile. I also currently work (and have for 3 summers) as a technician at a local private practice that has 5 ODs.

Recently, I have been wondering whether I am going to be bored as an optometrist and second-guessing my decision. I love the work-life balance of the career and the eye intrigues me a lot, but I’m not sure if I will be bored just doing refractions 90% of the time. The prospect of surgery as an ophthalmologist interests me, but I’m not sure if I would deal well with high stress situations and I don’t do great with lots of blood. I also know that during med school I would be in a hospital often and may not even match into ophthalm. I know as a private practice ophthalmologist you can basically make your own schedule which would allow me work-life balance, but it also takes 3 years of hellish residency and an intern year to get there (twice as much schooling).

I have always done well in school and I love learning, so I’m wondering if I will be bored with optometry. My worst fear is that I pay 200k for Optometry school and get out and end up bored with my job after a couple years of practice. At this point it is probably too late for me to switch to MD to apply for the current cycle because I haven’t even taken the MCAT yet. I know that I could start Optometry school and decide that I want to do medicine after all and switch. Overall, I am just looking for some advice and outside opinions from people with experience because all these things keep swirling in my head. Thanks!

It sounds as if you have done your research!
Optometry seems to fit your life plan quite well.
I cannot recommend a switch to medicine unless you would be content with a career in something other that the surgical sub-specialties.
A match into ophthalmology is far from certain, even for the most accomplished of candidates.

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[Mr.Smile12]

1) It sounds like optometry is where you want to go, where you want to work, and where you see yourself at least in the short term (first 10 professional career years). Your stats should make you highly desirable. You're right that getting into a medical school program would require you to do all the other stuff before you even get a sniff of doing your rotation in ophthalmology.

2) You're worried whether you would ever be bored as an optometrist. Have you asked this question to the OD's at the private practice that you've been working? I would think that being in a private practice with multiple OD's would be very intellectually engaging because you have so many people to talk to. Have you attended any local optometry professional society meetings? There should be at least a "journal club" or a continuing education workshop nearby you can drop in on and hear about what is "new" and relevant for optometrists? In short, this is a medical profession, and you should never get bored if you are truly driven to serve the patients you care for in your role.

If not, find out what the current optometry "market" magazines are and read up on that. Usually there is a profiled optometrist (I would suspect) that you can read about. Find out the trends of the optometry marketplace when it comes to technology, business management, hiring/training post-degree. See if that doesn't excite you.

3) Explore Health Careers talks about the Ophthalmology/Vision Science field which you can read up on.

 

[Catalystik]

Recently, I have been wondering whether I am going to be bored as an optometrist and second-guessing my decision. I love the work-life balance of the career and the eye intrigues me a lot, but I’m not sure if I will be bored just doing refractions 90% of the time. The prospect of surgery as an ophthalmologist interests me, but I’m not sure if I would deal well with high stress situations and I don’t do great with lots of blood. I also know that during med school I would be in a hospital often and may not even match into ophthalm. I know as a private practice ophthalmologist you can basically make your own schedule which would allow me work-life balance, but it also takes 3 years of hellish residency and an intern year to get there (twice as much schooling).

Perhaps you haven't considered that you might be bored as an ophthalmologist doing cataract surgery, after cataract surgery, after cataract surgery, after . . . . . .

And if you end up being a better candidate for a family practice residency, would you be bored with sore throat, after sore throat, after sore throat, after . . . . .

Basically, whatever you pick will have repetitive elements that get old. If you don't get joy out of establishing rapport with patients and building relationships with them, you will spend your career yearning for retirement age.