Should I pursue optometry?

[Equivocal Student]

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I'm currently a rising senior in undergrad which I assume is a little late to be considering what I want to pursue after graduating.
After a lot of googling and upset parents, I am worried that I will be unemployed if I pursue optometry school. How's the job market for optometrists in or around Boston, MA? The other option I was considering was an MS in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology.
I have no interest in teeth or oral health which is why I did not choose dental school. I also don't want to die trying to get into med school only to die some more during residency IF i make it though med school.
I chose optometry because after shadowing an optometrist I felt like I really enjoyed not doing a typical office job and being able to interact with different people every day. The pay at first glance seems good as well and eyes are pretty cool to me. All the different types of contact lenses and how the research and technology in that field might change interests me. While I don't feel a strong calling(like wow I 100% want to do optometry), I feel like I would enjoy working in a clinic rather than an office. If I did become an optometrist, I would prefer to work for a hospital rather than private practice or in like walmart/target.

What interests me in bioinformatics is the programming aspect that is not all just pure science. The idea of combining biology with programming sounds like a great mixture to me (I've programmed a little and have taken a data structures class). Being able to solve problems with programming seems like work would be interesting pretty often. The most unappealing part of this is the fact that I will be in an office all day everyday.

TLDR: Which is a safer bet? Optometry school or a masters in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology?

 

[WhyNeedAName]

I personally would go with the bioinformatics. You can use that knowledge across all disciplines of biology and especially in research. Actually now mentioning research, does research interest you?

 

[Equivocal Student]

I personally would go with the bioinformatics. You can use that knowledge across all disciplines of biology and especially in research. Actually now mentioning research, does research interest you?

I do like doing wet lab work but I find reading and writing research papers a pain. I've worked in two research labs at school and found that I didn't enjoy it.

 

[optometrygirl29]

I'm currently a rising senior in undergrad which I assume is a little late to be considering what I want to pursue after graduating.
After a lot of googling and upset parents, I am worried that I will be unemployed if I pursue optometry school. How's the job market for optometrists in or around Boston, MA? The other option I was considering was an MS in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology.
I have no interest in teeth or oral health which is why I did not choose dental school. I also don't want to die trying to get into med school only to die some more during residency IF i make it though med school.
I chose optometry because after shadowing an optometrist I felt like I really enjoyed not doing a typical office job and being able to interact with different people every day. The pay at first glance seems good as well and eyes are pretty cool to me. All the different types of contact lenses and how the research and technology in that field might change interests me. While I don't feel a strong calling(like wow I 100% want to do optometry), I feel like I would enjoy working in a clinic rather than an office. If I did become an optometrist, I would prefer to work for a hospital rather than private practice or in like walmart/target.

What interests me in bioinformatics is the programming aspect that is not all just pure science. The idea of combining biology with programming sounds like a great mixture to me (I've programmed a little and have taken a data structures class). Being able to solve problems with programming seems like work would be interesting pretty often. The most unappealing part of this is the fact that I will be in an office all day everyday.

TLDR: Which is a safer bet? Optometry school or a masters in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology?

Really only you can answer this question. what are your stats? upset parents aside, what motivates you, what drives you. somewhere In you there is a passion whether you are willing to admit it or not. I didnt know I wanted to be an OD until I took time off school for being in the same boat not knowing what I wanted to do. my parents weren't happy made me get a job and the only place that would hire me was working as an OD tech. I fell in love with the career and it was a loooong road ahead, filled with many many many setbacks. I didnt even admit that thats what I wanted to do until I was nearly done with undergrad and applied in secret. I had many MANY people tell me that I would make a great lawyer or go be a nurse or do something that I would have an easier time doing/better chance of getting into. I didnt listen to a single one of those people. NOT A ONE. I struggled through OD school for sure (more personal issues than academic but I had academic issues too) and I made it through. you want to know how I did it? Because no matter how many times people told me I couldn't shouldn't wouldn't make it, no matter how many times I wanted to quit walk away do something easy, because it was my calling. Its not your parents life, not your neighbors, not your friends, its yours to do with whatever is your calling.
Having said that, its an amazing career but I think we are going to give you pretty biased opinions here and you will get a job there are many out there, maybe not the pay that you want but there are jobs. I would look into working at a hospital in your area see if there are actually ODs that work in a hospital bc down south that doesn't even exist. like its not a thing, some ODs have good relationships with hospitals but your not spending your 9-5 in a hospital by any means.
If you still haven't found what drives you, shadow some more professions, you have to truly love what you do or at least like it enough do it everyday and well. its the rest of your life and still be happy. Wish you the best as I know what a difficult position you are in. All I can say is, trust your gut and do what will make you content in the long run. you dont want to be 20 yrs down the line an having regrets of the path you chose.

 

[armoman898]

I'm currently a rising senior in undergrad which I assume is a little late to be considering what I want to pursue after graduating.
After a lot of googling and upset parents, I am worried that I will be unemployed if I pursue optometry school. How's the job market for optometrists in or around Boston, MA? The other option I was considering was an MS in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology.
I have no interest in teeth or oral health which is why I did not choose dental school. I also don't want to die trying to get into med school only to die some more during residency IF i make it though med school.
I chose optometry because after shadowing an optometrist I felt like I really enjoyed not doing a typical office job and being able to interact with different people every day. The pay at first glance seems good as well and eyes are pretty cool to me. All the different types of contact lenses and how the research and technology in that field might change interests me. While I don't feel a strong calling(like wow I 100% want to do optometry), I feel like I would enjoy working in a clinic rather than an office. If I did become an optometrist, I would prefer to work for a hospital rather than private practice or in like walmart/target.

What interests me in bioinformatics is the programming aspect that is not all just pure science. The idea of combining biology with programming sounds like a great mixture to me (I've programmed a little and have taken a data structures class). Being able to solve problems with programming seems like work would be interesting pretty often. The most unappealing part of this is the fact that I will be in an office all day everyday.

TLDR: Which is a safer bet? Optometry school or a masters in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology?

I'm a bioinformatics major (undergrad). I decided on doing medical, then ophthalmology. I'm applying D.O. now.

If you are indeed a programmer, then you would do well in research. Ophthalmology research is all quantitative. If you can work with and or program structured data well (SQL, R, Pandas, etc), and you also have the understanding of the eye care industry, I believe this is very powerful.

Just be prepared to be in ophthalmogy's shadow as an O.D. if you do decide on pure clinical work. Be prepared to "refer out" a lot to OMDs, and to only be able to diagnose and not treat many diseases you come across. I'm a COMT, and I decided on going for ophthalmology via medical school for this reason.

 

[Purkinja]

I guess one could say a DO will practice in the shadow of MDs as well?

My point is simply that you can change perceptions locally within your OD practice by your training .I practice primary care Optometry and refer to general OMD for Lids ,IOL,Lasix surgery and to sub specialists for the other entities.We handle 99.9% of anterior segment dx and glaucoma and comanage our retina .

We get tons of referrals from MD and DO alike.

 

[car guy doc]

I have news for you, optometry school is no cakewalk, if you have that mentality about medical school I dont think optometry is the right choice for you. Not much separates them in terms of difficulty, a lot of gross anatomy and physiology of the entire human body -- every body system relates to the eye which means you have to know them. Don't write it off as being easier than med school... that's a horrible mentality and a horrible reason to choose a career path.