Why Optometry?

[MaseratiGT]

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Hey!

I see some threads on this topic, but they are quite a few years old. I "heart" optometrists, so I am curious how and why you all got interested in this field of medicine?

 

[mupreopt]

You're a podiatry student?

Why I love/chose optometry?
- work environment
- I work for myself
- help people (you can't really do this with other careers). So it makes me feel good.
- respectable career
- time for family and personal time after work
- no emergency calls in the middle of the night and no midnight shifts like some other medical field.
- salary (for a better living situation; to be able to afford things faster than if I had a $30,000 salary + family; to be able to afford medical care; and financially less stressed than people with lower incomes).

 

[MaseratiGT]

Yes, I am a Pod student. All about the feet.

I'm aspiring to be "The Todd" of podiatry. 🙂

It's interesting to see why people really like what they do and how they came across it. 🙂

 

[mupreopt]

Just curious, why are you asking this in an optometry forum? Are you asking this in the optometry forum only or are you asking it in other sdn forums also?

Optometry is my first choice as a career. Podiatry was my second choice for a career but I changed my mind recently when I read and saw a gross procedure. I have thought about chiropractor but haven't read much about the career to know enough about it in terms of years of schooling and other specifics.

 

[eyestrain]

You're a podiatry student?

Why I love/chose optometry?
- work environment
- I work for myself
- help people (you can't really do this with other careers). So it makes me feel good.
- respectable career
- time for family and personal time after work
- no emergency calls in the middle of the night and no midnight shifts like some other medical field.
- salary (for a better living situation; to be able to afford things faster than if I had a $30,000 salary + family; to be able to afford medical care; and financially less stressed than people with lower incomes).

I'd say at most corporate gigs, four of the first five you listed won't apply...

 

[IndianaOD]

I'd say at most corporate gigs, four of the first five you listed won't apply...

Agreed. I'd choose Pod over optometry knowing what I do now. The actual task of taking care of patients is great, scraping for every patient because of oversupply is a HUGE turn off for me.

 

[MaseratiGT]

mupreopt -

I'm actually interested in the scope of practice and such for all practitioners of any kind of medicine. I've got the MD/DO's, I've worked in a pharmacy so that takes care of the Pharm.D's, and I'm podiatry now...so that basically leaves you guys. 😀

 

[MaseratiGT]

Eeeeeee! I forgot the dentists and vets! However, I have never been interested in the oral cavity...or in furry field creatures. ::Shrug::

 

[blazenmadison]

Agreed. I'd choose Pod over optometry knowing what I do now. The actual task of taking care of patients is great, scraping for every patient because of oversupply is a HUGE turn off for me.

PLEASE quit optometry and apply for podiatry school.
you are a turn off for the profession.

 

[eyestrain]

PLEASE quit optometry and apply for podiatry school.
you are a turn off for the profession.

I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to educate students on the darkside of optometry. If all you listen to is the AOA, you'll get a picture of optometry that is a long way from reality.

 

[mupreopt]

I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to educate students on the darkside of optometry.

Not at all. However, there is a negative side to every career. Just accept the challenge that comes with it rather than whining. I've read so many negative things about optometry that I had doubts about my career choice. But I stand firm in my career choice and still intend to become an optometrist.

 

[DrVitti]

PLEASE quit optometry and apply for podiatry school.
you are a turn off for the profession.

Some of these young OD's like IndianaOD and Eyestrain and a few others, are so paranoid about oversupply they just keep harping away on this Student Doctor forum.
I think they believe their going to scare away the competition under the pretense of concern for entering students.
Its really becoming pathetic and boorish.

 

[eyestrain]

Some of these young OD's like IndianaOD and Eyestrain and a few others, are so paranoid about oversupply they just keep harping away on this Student Doctor forum.
I think they believe their going to scare away the competition under the pretense of concern for entering students.
Its really becoming pathetic and boorish.

First, i don't really "harp" on anything that much, aside from the undergrad GPA issue. Second, what do you think about oversupply? Will all these new schools help or hurt the profession?

 

[IndianaOD]

First, i don't really "harp" on anything that much, aside from the undergrad GPA issue. Second, what do you think about oversupply? Will all these new schools help or hurt the profession?

It will be great when there are twice as many ODs so that we will have to beg to see patients and have to give away exams for free.

I'm already surrounded by optometry schools so the new school will have a negative impact much sooner on others.

Hello, the Avg optometrist sees like 1.2 patients an hour and would like to see 2. ODs COULD see at least 4 per hour if necessary. No oversupply? Ridiculous.

If I had a redo it would be dentistry, not Pod. Too old to go back to school. Again, I like what I do, I just don't like the position optometry is compared to other professions with similar training.

 

[cunikki]

i really dont think you can just generalize like that.... honestly if you are really good at what you do you will be able to build up a loyal pt base that will pay whatever you charge to see YOU. if you cant do that then i just dont think you are offering anything special beyond what every other doctor can do ... and that is your own fault.
i know i am not in practice yet.. but i have patients at the clinic at my school who will come in at inconvienient times for them just because that is the only time i am scheduled in that department. who ask for me and request not to be put with other clinicians... who have told me that they will follow me to my practice once i open one... etc.
i think it would be much better to fill your practice with patients like these that want to come see only YOU than to whine that you want to see more patients and just cant find any. plus where are you practicing?? if you choose to practice in an oversaturated area that is your own fault

 

[IndianaOD]

i really dont think you can just generalize like that.... honestly if you are really good at what you do you will be able to build up a loyal pt base that will pay whatever you charge to see YOU. if you cant do that then i just dont think you are offering anything special beyond what every other doctor can do ... and that is your own fault.
i know i am not in practice yet.. but i have patients at the clinic at my school who will come in at inconvienient times for them just because that is the only time i am scheduled in that department. who ask for me and request not to be put with other clinicians... who have told me that they will follow me to my practice once i open one... etc.
i think it would be much better to fill your practice with patients like these that want to come see only YOU than to whine that you want to see more patients and just cant find any. plus where are you practicing?? if you choose to practice in an oversaturated area that is your own fault

That's a great hope. Truthfully I don't think there are enough of those patients out there. A lot of patients will come back because they don't want to start over with another student and explain their story all over again.

I thought the town I moved to was in less oversupply. Come to find out its just as bad. This is rural midwest, not Chicago.
I'd say 80% of the USA is oversaturated. I chose a small town to avoid oversupply. It still affects me though. My small hometown has a population of $19k, a poor economy, no social scene, and SIX ODs. It has been reported that the optimum ratio is 1 OD per 10,000 to 20,000 in population. See a problem there? Its hard to realize exactly how many ODs are in a town.

 

[DrVitti]

First, i don't really "harp" on anything that much, aside from the undergrad GPA issue. Second, what do you think about oversupply? Will all these new schools help or hurt the profession?

I can say I have absolutely no idea what effect new schools will have on the "oversupply" of OD's.
I think that would be extremely difficult for someone who has expertise in the field of predicting such economics, much less an OD like the ones on SDN who are taking a snapshot and coming to an unobjective emotional conclusion.
No disrespect to you personally, just take a step back and look at all the negativity, bickering and whinning that is being posted here and ODwire, then tell me how concerned these OD's are about the bad image commercial is giving Optometry.

 

[eyestrain]

I can say I have absolutely no idea what effect new schools will have on the "oversupply" of OD's.
I think that would be extremely difficult for someone who has expertise in the field of predicting such economics, much less an OD like the ones on SDN who are taking a snapshot and coming to an unobjective emotional conclusion.
No disrespect to you personally, just take a step back and look at all the negativity, bickering and whinning that is being posted here and ODwire, then tell me how concerned these OD's are about the bad image commercial is giving Optometry.

Whether or not you think there is a real oversupply, three or four new schools certainly isn't going to help anyone. A couple hundred more ODs per year with relatively stagnant demand, this just doesn't compute in my mind.

And are you implying that these forums give optometry as bad of an image as commercial? Seriously? Do you think the public is logging on here or ODwire to read this stuff? Some are, I'm sure, but it's nothing like the image commercial gives. I'll never forget the first day I went to work filling in at Walmart after graduation. There was a giant crate of watermelons sitting right outside my front door (which was conveniently located between the soda machine and the candy machine - two door state). At that moment I remembered why I was starting my own private practice. To me, that's the kind of stuff that hurts our image (and yes, I'm sure there is some PP next to a watermelon store, so PP really is no better blah blah blah blah).

 

[heartshero2003]

As much as it is healthy to show the dark side of Optometry, I'm so tired of reading about it. Every time I browse through this forum, I feel dismotivated. So for ALL of those who support showing this negativity, can you please name ONE profession that is darkless? I'd be more than happy and grateful to find out.

About oversupply, here is my stab at it. I ran a simple student painting business over the summer of my first year in university and I was literally surrounded by professional painters who have been running the business for over 20 years. My friends and some relatives pointed out the problem of oversupply and said that it is quite possible that I won't make as much money that I have planned considering the fact that I had no idea what painting or business were before training. But guess what? I had a very successful summer. I was busy all the time running three teams. oh and by the way, my prices were not low either because I had to pay the head office a royalty fee. I'm not writing this to show off, believe me, but simplely to show that oversupply should not be a turn off, if you really like the profession.

 

[mupreopt]

I browse through this forum, I feel dismotivated.

Exactly how I feel when I come here sometimes or reading through old posts regarding the negativity of this career. But when I think of other careers that I could go into, there are negativity/darkness to those careers also. So I would rather stick with optometry even if it means low salary when compared to other doctors (as long as it's over $75,000 or $80,000).

I ran a simple student painting business [. . .]

Great example.

 

[MaseratiGT]

When I asked this question last week, I really wanted to find out a little more about your profession...and I really get motivated to start school when I read about others motivation for what they want to do.

Except it turned into SDN DramaFest MMVIII.

Every career has really really low points that we all will experience. Even if the low points outnumber the high points, there still has to be some reason why you still love doing what your doing. Well, maybe not. 🙄

Anyway...maybe we can redirect this forum...?

 

[KHE]

As much as it is healthy to show the dark side of Optometry, I'm so tired of reading about it. Every time I browse through this forum, I feel dismotivated. So for ALL of those who support showing this negativity, can you please name ONE profession that is darkless? I'd be more than happy and grateful to find out.

About oversupply, here is my stab at it. I ran a simple student painting business over the summer of my first year in university and I was literally surrounded by professional painters who have been running the business for over 20 years. My friends and some relatives pointed out the problem of oversupply and said that it is quite possible that I won't make as much money that I have planned considering the fact that I had no idea what painting or business were before training. But guess what? I had a very successful summer. I was busy all the time running three teams. oh and by the way, my prices were not low either because I had to pay the head office a royalty fee. I'm not writing this to show off, believe me, but simplely to show that oversupply should not be a turn off, if you really like the profession.

The optometric oversupply problem is not currently so catastrophic that it will prevent you from earning a living, or paying back your student loans, or putting food in your mouth. I do believe however that if you aren't careful, and don't plan your career path carefully, the oversupply problem will force a significant number of you into jobs and positions that are not what you had hoped for when you entered this field. Optometry can be a good profession, and a great way to make a living but there are certainly plenty of potential land mines out there so proceed with caution.