WHY INTERESTED IN OPTOMETRY if u have strong reasons for entering optometry read this

I'd be glad to help. Can you PM me about what content you do have if you don't want to post it here?

Eyegirl

 

Ditto... If you need to brain storm ideas PM me. Or, if you want to (and feel brave) list your key reasons for applying to OD school here.. and we'll help you add to (or subtract from) your list.

 

Exactly, why do you want to be an optometrist?

Why not an opthamologist? In optha, you have a broad range and options of treatments to use. To be one, you must go to a real medical school and this is a foundation for all aspiring eye-doctors. You would also be having an MD and more $$$.

Also, both schools take 4 years to complete.

So why optometry and not the latter?

I'm just curious.

 

I attend a real optometry school.

 

I will never get over how people refer to MDs as "real doctors," and everyone else as a wanna-be. Has it ever occured to you that perhaps some people don't want to do sugery, or don't want the hassle of being on-call and have to deal with the rest of time elements that take you away from your family. Or perhaps we don't care about having the MD after our names and we just want to help. And to those of you that only care about the money thing, maybe we will be happy making "only" $120,000/yr. and very possible $200,000+.

About that "doctor" and "real medical school" thing, TAL is right. Doctors are those that hold certian graduate degree, not wether or not you go to allophic medical school.

I have to go study for the OAT, you know, that "fake" test.

 

First and foremost, your options will be greater if you are an MD opthamologist. Just because you are an MD doesn't you have to be doing surgery or other time consuming tasks, but you will be limiting your patient databases.

Second, optometrists do not make 120k ( these are for MDs) as you say. They make around 70k average.

You say you want to help people with eye problems? Then shouldn't you go to medical school for that?

Otherwise, you can end up at a glasses shop and be the guy that stands in the back and asks if you can read the letters x meters away because you don't have the training of a medical doctor. Or you might be that person who uses that machine ( hooked up to a chair ), tells the patient to sit and focus on the images, and etc.

Is this your idea of an eye doctor that helps people?

Sounds like you'll really be a helpful doctor ( but you know that we don't really call them that at an optician store ).

 

From ASCO (American association of schools and colleges of optometry, www.opted.org)

From the 1999 AOA Economic Survey

"The average net income for optometrists was $108.262.00"

"Practitioners in mid sized (three to five person) groups have the highest average net income at $159 158. Those in small (two person) practices earn $139, 451. Solo practiioners earn $112 076. Practiioners in large partnerships or gorups earn $111 403. Practiioners associated with optical chains earn $99 396).

Now please stop trolling here. Everyone has a niche in the health care field. You're not better than us, we're not better than you.

Have a lovely evening.

Eyegirl.

 

Also, people who are in medicine just for the money frighten me.

 

Yes.

 

I don't know if I can talk for the rest of the people here, but I will leave the MEDICAL field before I work at chain store. For the majority of ODs out there, this is the feeling.

I will be the doctor who diagnosis AMD, retinal and vitral detachments, removes forien bodies, treats glacoma and tons of other ocular aliments. The list of what an OD does and can do is growing. As you said yourself, OD go to school for 4 years after undergrad. There is NO way you can ever convince me that they/we are not fully qaulified to do we do. Once you enter the real world you realize that OMDs need ODs and ODs need OMDs. That is how it works and will continue to work.

Have you ever actually looked at what OD students take to become ODs. If you look, you will notice that many of the courses are identical to medical classes.

ODs are fully qualified medical professionals and you will have to learn to work with them. Get over yourself and accept all doctors.

 

slave4MD,

First, please spell Ophthalmologist correctly.

Second, there are MANY OD's that make six-figures, but yes, Ophthalmologists do make more $$. But who cares about who makes more $$, its about helping people see better!!


"You say you want to help people with eye problems? Then shouldn't you go to medical school for that?"

NO, apparently you have absolutley no idea what an OD does. OD's diagnose and treat many eye diseases, as well as CO-MANAGE systemic conditions.

OD's are primary eye care doctors. They are the FIRST ones you go to see when you have an EYE PROBLEM. There are 3 levels of care in the health care system - Primary, Secondary & Tertiary care. OD's are Primary care, and Ophthalmologists are secondary care. (I just took an exam on this stuff).

Just like rpames mentioned, right now, I am taking many of the same classes medical students are taking (27 credits), AS WELL AS Theoretical Optics, so we will be very well qualified once we graduate to deal with many ocular & systemic diseases.

 

slave4MD,

If your idea of medicine (all divisions) is for the purpose of making money, then I think I will go find another profession. I hope on going to MD school, but right now my prospective colleagues are spoiling the profession for me. Okay, just kidding, I am still considering MD school without the care-free prospective colleagues.

 

As a practicing optometrist, perhaps I could shed some light on this debate...

Let me say first that slave4MD probably didn't mean anything nasty by the "real" comment. We optometrists tend to assume that these comments are overtly malignant toward the profession; however, most people don't mean anything nasty. You can scream at slave4MD until you are blue in the face, and if you make him see optometrists as doctors and colleagues of physicians, great. But slave4MD is not the root of the problem.

Let me address the chain optical topic. I once thought like rpames, and said that I would never work in a chain. Well, you don't need to work in a chain to have the reputation that most optometrist don't want to have. The profession tends to be judged by the lowest common denominator--the chains. Sure, you can say "it's not where you practice, but how you practice." But if you think that an optometrist that practices between a LensCrafters and an Eddie Bauer gets the same respect as a LASIK surgeon, a cardiologist, or a pediatrician, you are mistaken. Sadly, when the public thinks of optometry, they usually have images of the optical chain at Wal-Mart or the mall. This is not universal, but it is rampant among the public at large. I have moonlighted in chains, and I can assure you that most people go there for one or reason: glasses or contact lens prescriptions. I have had diabetics absolutely refuse to be dilated no matter how much I pleaded with them. Furthermore, I have seen many patients there who get their "medical eye care" from an ophthalmologist for glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, etc. but then come to the optometrist at the mall for the glasses. After all, who is better at refraction than an optometrist? Nobody!

Rpames, yes, you will be licensed and credentialed to diagnose and treat all of those conditions you mentioned. If you think that your typical day is going to be mostly eye disease with a few refractions here and there and a few contact lens fits, then you are in for a shock. Most people that come to see the optometrist are NORMAL! They simply need their Rx updated and an ocular health check, and most of the time there is nothing wrong with them. And when something does go wrong (red eye, flashes, floaters, eye pain) most patients flip open the yellow pages and find an ophthalmologist or they go to their primary care/family practice physician who will either treat the condition or refer to their favorite ophthalmologist. I am not saying that you will never treat these conditions. You will have ample opportunity to flex your muscles in this aspect of eye care. But it will not be the majority of what you do. Your days will be filled with helping people, but it may not always be the type of help you want to provide. And yes, some ophthalmologists are going to be smug toward you. You may win a few over, but each time you meet a new one they may assume you know nothing about eye care. Some training programs for ophthalmologists breed this mentality and there is nothing we can do about this fact. The younger breed of ophthalmologists are more accepting of a cooperative OD-MD relationship, but you can't count on the anti-OD mentality disappearing overnight.

Optometry is a good profession, but you have to be willing to accept the realities of it. If you tell people that you are an optometrist, they won't think to address you as "Dr." In fact, I have been to countless weddings with allopathic residents, physicians, and even PharmD's whose name cards addressed them as "Dr" whereas my name card said "Mr. and Mrs." In my house, we decide how nice the wedding gift is going to be based upon how I am addressed on the invitation! My own grandmother still addresses mail to me as "Mr." If you tell people you are an "eye doctor" they will assume you are an ophthalmologist. It's the identity crisis that we are all forced to deal with. And it is going to be around for awhile. Just keep on smiling and doing your best.

 

Just to clearify my "knowledge" of what an OD does...my father has been practicing private optom. for 30 years and I have worked with him for the past 6 when I'm not away at school. I know OD offices are not like "ER," but they do see emergencies. Every week my father see several emergency patients with problems ranging from metal fragments to retinal detachments. Yes, in between there are many refractions and non-eventful pathology checks, but there fun in that as well. After 30 years I have asked my father if he would do it over again. He says, "with out question."

You see, my father (along with alot of OD's) has setup a respectible practice that does not depend of sales or gimmics to attract patients. He has developed a primary optical care office, I just made that phrase up. What I am saying is, patients come to him for not only glasses and CL's, but for all occular care. His patients come to him first when they get a glass shard or suddenly lose vision in their eye. They then follow what he recomends. I gaurentee you that no one runs into a mall or outlit store when this happens. If you present yourself as a doctor that actulley knows what you are doing, patient will see you as a doctor.

The difference between chain docs and "real" OD's is simple: one has patients, and the other has customers. I'll let you make the connection.

My advise, build a practice on medicine, not glasses. Of course you will need to sell them, but make your focus on medicine and occular health. Of course there will be people out there that will not understand what an OD does, but who needs them. I will not let a few simple minded idiots destroy what I know to true, ODs are doctors.

 

Did it ever occur to you that people who chose the OD route are not interested in surgery? I have recently spoken with OMDs and they told me that the residency focuses on surgery.

Did it ever occur to you that if we want to practice optometry, then we do not have a problem with limiting our patient bases?

Did it ever occur to you that money is not the primary motivation?

OD's can also teach and do research.

I know OD's that make from 70k/yr to over 600k/yr.

Some MD's are commercializing their professions as well (i.e., OMD's and LASIK; cosmetic surgeons; etc.). Pharmacists have done so via retail; a few podiatrists are begining to do it in malls. Do you watch television? Do you read the newspaper? Other MDs, though not in malls or chains, also "advertise." Correct me if I'm wrong, but does not the profit motive drive advertising? Though some optometrists practice in retail chains, commercialization of medicine is not unique to optometry. (If medicine has not gone the way of capitalism, then there would be no reason to advertise. Different specialities just manifest this aspect of medicine differently.)

I grew up around a lot of people in poverty. Trust me, when they go to an eye doctor, they are not concerned with titles, they are concerned with getting the help they need to improve their vision. Yes, this is my idea of an eye doctor that helps people. Yes, we can help people with their primary eye problems via optometry school preparation (look at an optometry school curriculum and catalog if you're still in denial).

Good luck w/ your future pursuits.

 

i'm going to attend an MD school this coming fall, but i'm shocked at what slave4MD has been saying. perhaps i was naive, but i always thought that health care professionals got along and shared common goals (helping people). sadly, after visiting SDN for a month, i think these sorts of negative vibes will continue into the future. i honestly don't think slave4MD is an MD at all, or is in medical school. if he is, then the adcom made a serious mistake. his lack of tact and social mannerisms is apalling. personally, i think he's just trying to get a rise out of everyone.

 

and it worked too.. that's the sad thing. We need to learn to blow off trolls like that..

 

zer0el,
Unfortunatly the medical field is not that professional behind closed doors. There a a number of people like slave4MD that are just ignorant. You are correct when you said we all have the same goal, unfortunatly some people don't understand that.

CPW,
You are correct as well when you said we need to blow people off.

 

I am an optometrist and I have hundreds of MD patients, I even have a MD patient that is the wife of an Ophthalmologist (Retinal specialist). I have a great deal of respect for there knowledge and I find that they have a great deal of respect for mine. I think it is because I am confident and I do a good job. I make a good income (over 200k) but I am not confident that future OD’s will have as much opportunity as I have had. It is difficult to find a profession that you like and can enjoy for 20 plus years. I would recommend to you to enjoy yourself, do a good job and stay away from negative people weather they are OD’s, MD’s, DO’s pharmacists or DMD’s. or Trash collectors.

 

how do people dig into these topics 6 years later??

 

rpgames, i really agree with everything you've been writing. you know what being a good optometrist requires and you seem very knowledgeable. thanks for your input. O did you really enjoy ICO? I've been kind of interested in that school as of recently. i guess i could PM you about that and your experiences so far.

 

OD = 4 years of graduate schooling
Ophthalmologist, MD = 4 years of medical school + 4 years of residency/specialty training.

I posted this just for the record. These numbers would make it easy to see why some may choose to pick becoming an OD vs. MD. More power to those who chose to become ophthalmologists.

 

People seem to have far too much time on their hands...

 

I hope you will take the time to talk to a psychologist, that I am sure you don't refer to as , "Dr." to discuss what makes you so angry and why you feel the need to and hang out on the optometry threads.

 

Slave4MD posted that comment about 6 years, and hasn't really posted since then.

 

People seem to have missed that part.

 

For the record, I always made more than 70k and right now I make WAY more than 120k. That guy/woman may be long gone, but s/he was just spouting the same old tired, uniformed rhetoric that many who have come before him/her have.

 

cafeinated:

Very well said. I'm glad you shed some light on this issue.

I work for a retinal specialist as an ophthalmic tech. I perform angiography, and help with laser eye surgery for diabetic patients. I explain the difference to patients on a very regular basis. Common people are baffled by the complexity of eye care. "Why do I need so many eye doctors?" A question I hear quite often. The ophthalmologist I work for does no refraction at all. Why should she? She is so busy with surgery for RD's, intravitreal injections for AMD, and laser treatments for diabetic retinopathy.
ps
I graduated in 2006 with a B.S. in psychology. Applied to five optometry schools, interviewed at ICO, got rejected from all five, plan on taking my OAT for the fourth time later this month and then reapply for fall 2009.

 

No disrespect to you whoever you are. Rejected from 5 OD schools and retaking the OAT for a 4th time? what is your GPA? below 2.0? and your OAT scores how low? You sure you wanna go into Optometry?
Why are you so interested in becoming an optometrist?

 

Indeed.. has time to dig up 6 year old threads while making over 200k a year as an OD. I want that job.

 

Most dumb-ass Americans would have no idea what an ophthalmologist is! hello.

The majority of people do not say I'm going to the optometrist, they say eye doctor, and it's perfectly fine