Why is Optometry going to improve?

[hoosier1]

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I was wondering why some of you believe optometry will improve as a career in the future. Does it mean they will be paid more and there will be more job openings? I thought optometry would be more commericialized in the years to come.

 

[rpie]

There will always be equilibrium of corporate/commercial and private practice. This has been proven through out time. In the 1800’s, jewelers and spectacle peddlers decided to attend OD school because they felt that Optometry needed to be a health profession. Those that chose not to felt that fitting glasses was a retail profession, thus the emergence of the Optician. Since there was little regulation for Optometry, there were refracting opticians that sold jewelry and or eyeglasses, and the private practicing OD’s that did eye refractions with a general eye examination and sold glasses. Both felt each other would go out of business but neither did.

In the early 1900’s when Optometry was recognized as a profession many States had a grandfather act that allowed Opticians to become licensed as an Optometrist if they had been practicing optometry for at least 5 years. A lot of opposition and resentment was evoked because many felt that not only did this cheapened the profession, but also strengthen the retail/commercial optometrists, leading to the elimination of the private practicing OD’s. (there were more Opticians than OD’s during this time)

Through out the early to mid 1900’s the retail/commercial OD’s and private practicing OD’s thought each would become the dominated mode of practice but there was always an equilibrium that kept both modes of practice thriving.

By the early 1960’s when Mall stores came into being, the worry of the commercial optometry overtaking private was again an issue. Again, both modes of practice survived.

By the late 1970’s to the mid 1980’s the age of the super optical with 10,000.00 frames and 1hour service that had OD’s on site was looked upon as the death of the private practice. This had little effect on the private practice as Optometry expanded the scope of practice.

From the 1980 to now private and corporate modes of practices have not over taken each other because, Optometry is what you make it.

In the corporate setting, vision insurances that pays for patients to have an eye examinations from the OD on site helps to keep patients coming in . The unfortunate problem with most vision insurances is that they do not cover medical eye care, (VSP is one of the exceptions) which falls under their major medical insurance.

We have found many medical insurance tend to favor private practice docs over those that are in a commercial setting. Because of this, we get referrals to treat medical conditions from the corporate doctors. As stated in some earlier posts there are medical insurances that will exclude OD’s but in most part, I have recently learned that about 80% of the US major medical insurances includes OD’s.

The promising thing is that Optometry is finally beginning to be recognized as a primary eye care doctor. Even medicine has reluctantly begun to recognize this. With the advances that all OD’s have made over the years there are still many obstacles that must be addressed. This is why I feel OD’s & OD Students need to be active in the state and student associations in order to keep advancing optometry.

 

[HOLLYWOOD]

I don't think you are going to get paid more, unless insurance companies decide that they want to make less money which won't happen. And there won't be more job openings there are to many ods graduating today.

 

[cansnowflake]

I don't think you are going to get paid more, unless insurance companies decide that they want to make less money which won't happen. And there won't be more job openings there are to many ods graduating today.

Should we as OD students and future OD students be worried about this?
And is this problem as big in Canada as it seems to be in the US?

 

[ucbsowarrior]

Should we as OD students and future OD students be worried about this?
And is this problem as big in Canada as it seems to be in the US?

Homes,
It's more like this. In the near term (5-20yrs) scope expansion will be required to ensure the stability and growth of the profession.
Will opticians refract in the future? Probably Will machines perfect high order refraction? Possibility.
Do I like these predictions? No, but what I like doesn't matter a whole lot. Actually what anyone likes doesn't really matter much. It's all driven by economics and demand and supply relationships. Unfortunately, economics is the key.

The next 20 yrs will be interesting.
ucbsowarrior

 

[HOLLYWOOD]

Should we as OD students and future OD students be worried about this?
And is this problem as big in Canada as it seems to be in the US?

YES you should worry do you want to work for free? do you want some insurance company dictating how much you'll make? pre-optom and optom students have NO idea what is going on in optometry AND medicine. I know a three MDs that quit medicine I know another two that are about to quit.As far as ODs are concerned a certain % branchout ie. own opticals,cl companies, frame companies,consulting anything not to see patients.(I do know a bunch of ods that see pts but hate it) . NOW I want to be clear if you are a businessman you can make money, good money, but most od's will just work for someone and make 80,000/yr. there is no growth working for someone. sorry for rabling my daughter is screaming. got to go.

 

[sco1styear]

At the risk of sounding cheesy, what ever happened to wanting to do it because you had a passion for it? I understand that it is important to have financial security but too many people go into professions just because they don't know what else to do. I feel sorry for those people and wish they could feel the same way about some profession as I feel about optometry. It's what I love and what I want to do. I know understanding the issues going on in today's job market is vital but trying to determine what the future holds for any line of work is next to impossible. Like it has been stated many times before on this forum, there has always been talk about job insecurity - and this goes for almost any field - but you just have to be aware of what options you may or may not have down the road. That is the responsibility of each individual. It may be necessary to forewarn a few who are not aware that they should understand that things change, professions change, job markets change; but to try to dig at the insecurities of future professionals is not right. Try not to make mass presumptions about the future of optometry; if the experts don't have a clue about what really lies in store, why do you think you do?
And that is my 2cents : )

 

[cansnowflake]

Thanks for the insight!
Optometry has been something I have wanted to do since high school, and it is really great to hear how passionate some people are about the profession. I can only hope that when I become an optometrist, I can feel the same way regardless of all of the politics.

 

[FutureIrishOD]

Here are my thoughts why optometry is good career?
1) You do have good job security. Health care professions have better job security than most other jobs, because people will always need medical help. Plus, there isn’t enough or enough Ophthalmologists being produce to replace the void that optometrist fill. Also, optometrists are becoming more active in government to keep the profession moving forward. Further so, the baby-boomer population is getting older and will need vision care. Now, I think as they start to have more eye problems, that they will start to encourage their kids and grandchildren to go to the optometrists. But then I guess it could work in reverse too.
2) The money is pretty good. Its not going to make you a millionaire, but few jobs do and unless you win the lottery. But the income for one OD is still way better than the average American income. And if I am not mistaken, its about equal to what a starting general medicine MD makes right out of med school. Also, everyone always compares the profession to lawyers and businessman, but what % of the people that graduate with a law degree or an MBA actually become successful and makes above 70 grand a year, especially starting out. Compare that with the % optometrist that do. The likelihood of being successful in any career depends on how passionate you are and how much work you put in to your business.
3) It’s a fast evolving career. Look how much it has changed since 1980 and where it is now. So, its probably going to continue to change. But just because it changes, doesn’t mean its going to change for the worst. (Hence why you should be active in your state, national and global legislature.)
4) Insurance companies are good ideas that have gone very bad. That’s my personal opinion. But they are a major force in health care that has to be dealt with. No matter what part of health care you go into you will have to deal with it. The power they have won’t change until the public and doctors unite to regulate them. Also, the malpractice insurance is a lot lower when compared to most doctors.
5) There is the profession in general. It’s a clean job (no blood or throw up usually), you have better hours than a lot of other health care professions, you get to deal with the eyes, and you can take pride in it. You have pride by knowing it is a career that has been proven by its action, you actually got to help somebody that day and it gives you a skill that will always be needed, even if the economy and the world we know it completely falls apart.

 

[ucbsowarrior]

At the risk of sounding cheesy, what ever happened to wanting to do it because you had a passion for it? I understand that it is important to have financial security but too many people go into professions just because they don't know what else to do. I feel sorry for those people and wish they could feel the same way about some profession as I feel about optometry. It's what I love and what I want to do. I know understanding the issues going on in today's job market is vital but trying to determine what the future holds for any line of work is next to impossible. Like it has been stated many times before on this forum, there has always been talk about job insecurity - and this goes for almost any field - but you just have to be aware of what options you may or may not have down the road. That is the responsibility of each individual. It may be necessary to forewarn a few who are not aware that they should understand that things change, professions change, job markets change; but to try to dig at the insecurities of future professionals is not right. Try not to make mass presumptions about the future of optometry; if the experts don't have a clue about what really lies in store, why do you think you do?
And that is my 2cents : )

Look Homes,

I repect and appreciate the fact that you are at the infancy of your career and you have a passion to follow your dreams. We all should have that in deciding what we want to do in our lives. But ask your self a question??? If optometry paid $35k would you do it??? Maybe yes, for a few yrs or maybe No! (most ppl would not, a small percentage would regardless of the income level). Most ppl pursue a career in optometry fo rmany factors - income tends to be one of them.

Following your dreams and passion is great! Just look at all those people who goto Hollywood Blvd to try to become famous singers or those that end up on American Idol. They too are following their passions, but they often face a rude awakening. I'd say that for the bulk of OD's that enter into the 'normal' od job market, they need to learn to be highly adaptable and business oriented, while staying true to the ethics and core principles of the practice. Those that will thrive tend to have good business acuemen and a solid understanding of their environment.

What's a good battle ground? Moving to Montana, starting a practice and saying I made it is a good thing, but the person that does that needs to understand they didn't make jack! They were in a very uncompetitive market. Almost any od with half a brain could've made it there.
Try to thrive and survive in south cali or the bay area. That's a true battle ground, where the best smartest have a chance of thriving, but most od's just end up getting pimped!

All the best with your dreams!