working in a hospital?

[cookyncreame]

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I'm starting SUNY this year, and thinking about doing head trauma in a hospital in the future. Do you think it would be better to work in a hospital or a private practice for head trauma? An optometrist told me that if you work in a hospital the pay is less and you usually have to work under an MD, so you are more like a helper than the actual "doctor." Is this true?

 

[362.04]

Head trauma? Be an MD then.

Only for TBI rehabilitation. There are many optometrists who are neuro optometrists who rehabilitate TBIs. They are part of the physical rehab unit of many hospitals.

 

[fjpod]

Pay no attention to that evil man behind the curtain. He just hijacked your thread, and he doesn't know what he doesn't know.

SUNY Optometry happens to have an excellent head trauma/vision rehab unit, I believe it is called the Greenwald Rehabilitative Center. It was set up with a very generous grant from a stroke patient who underwent successful therapy there. I believe they offer one or two residencies per year. The VA, among others, has acknowledged the importance of visual rehabilitative therapy in head trauma. It is a field with tremendous upside potential. If you persue this course of study, you will know more than any MD about it.

Working in a hospital doesn't have to be as bad as you may have heard, but there is a mentality among many MDs that only they know how to care for patients, and they get very upset if they are not in charge (You know the type, "It's my ball and if we can't play with my rules, I'm going to take it and go home, wah, wah."). The best thing is to ignore them, and persue your interests.

 

[Opii]

.... but there is a mentality among many MDs that only they know how to care for patients, and they get very upset if they are not in charge (You know the type, "It's my ball and if we can't play with my rules, I'm going to take it and go home, wah, wah."). The best thing is to ignore them, and persue your interests.

Sounds like you have never worked in a hospital. Don't you know who is REALLY in charge? Not the Docs, I'll be nice and keep my mouth shut... But those of us who have worked in hospitals know who's in charge and it isn't the M.D.s nor the O.D.s

I'll give you a hint: 300 lbs

 

[fjpod]

Excuse me, but I have a lot of hospital and optometry experience. .

If you did, you wouldn't have said what you said.

 

[fjpod]

Sounds like you have never worked in a hospital.
I'll give you a hint: 300 lbs

I am on a hospital staff, are you?

 

[cpw]

okay, time to cool off guys.

UHCO does have an OD who works with TIRR in Houston doing post head trauma and CVA vision rehab. She's one of our binocular vision attendings and peds professors.

If you're really interested in working in trauma, talk to your school's binocular vision attendings. Or, call your local hospital/ rehab clinic and see if they have an OD on staff you can talk to.

It IS an area you can specialize in.

 

[POJO]

There a several optometrists who post on other venues who work on the staffs of ophthalmology departments in some of the largest residency programs in the States. Many are pediatric and low vision optomtrists.

In some of the smaller urban or rural hospitals, optometrists may be on staff with limited privileges where they may either participate in diabetes or glaucoma management or provide 1st call to an emergency room.

 

[fjpod]

Why not? Members of this board can have different opinions than yours. And please do not insult my experience which you know nothing of.

OK, Fonz, you're right. I take back all the mean things I said. I apologize. This is an open forum.

Could you please share with us, or at least me, your rationale for flat out telling a student, someone who has apparently made a career choice in favor of optemetry, has been accepted into SUNY Optometry, where they have a renowned head trauma/stroke/vision rehab center, that has a residency program associated with it, that gets referrals from places like NYU Medical School, and Columbia; who is interested in the visual rehabilitative aspects of head trauma, to be an MD? Please share your experience and knowledge.

 

[Opii]

Not another old fartt claiming to be the best in the world. what a surprise. 😴

In recent posts I have said where I work, and in recent posts you said you work with kids, what's it gonna be?!?!

"and they get very upset if they are not in charge (You know the type, "It's my ball and if we can't play with my rules, I'm going to take it and go home, wah, wah."). The best thing is to ignore them, and persue your interests." .....

Sounds like you

 

[EyeBaller]

I'm starting SUNY this year, and thinking about doing head trauma in a hospital in the future. Do you think it would be better to work in a hospital or a private practice for head trauma? An optometrist told me that if you work in a hospital the pay is less and you usually have to work under an MD, so you are more like a helper than the actual "doctor." Is this true?

Congrats on your place at SUNY. Dr. Neera Kapoor is Chief of the Head Trauma Unit at SUNY, she's amazingly nice and great at what she does. Patients come from all over the country to see her. You'll get a lot of lectures from her in 3rd year when you do more of the VT/Rehab courses. She does do a couple of guest lectures in 1st and 2nd year too I think, but more on binocular vision topics. If it's something you are interested in definitely contact her once you get here and see if she has any kind of opening for help (work study if you can get it).

There's also 1 residency specifically in Head Trauma at SUNY.

Good luck! See you around in August!

 

[cookyncreame]

Thanks for your input guys! I'll definitely try to get connected when I start in August. I still have a lot to learn about the different areas to specialize in, but head trauma sounds interesting to me as of now.