career in optometry and future...

[janelle6991]

Hi Everyone,

I am a junior undergraduate student with a 4.0 GPA who is re-evaluating career options. My path was to end up in a computer-related field but I am now very concerned that it is a field pretty difficult to find a job in with no real-world experience and I am exploring the options to become a healthcare professional instead.

All my electives have been in biology and chemistry and I will take any other requirements needed if necessary, but I am trying to avoid the mistake of making a career choice without heavily researching the real life picture of this career before-hand, especially when so much time is involved to get educated.

I was considering optometry because it seemed to encompass everything one could ask for - high pay, potential to be one's own boss, social interaction, career stability, respected status, etc etc etc and of course lots of time for a personal life. I had been doing a lot of research online and felt like I had found the jackpot of a career option. But I have never been able to get a real and honest unbiased opinion from real-life optometrists who live this career everyday. The ones I have talked to just gave me short standard answers "Oh yes, I love what I do, its very rewarding to help patients - are the any cons, sure sometimes its sad when you can't help someone as much as you'd like" - in short, I've felt like this is just a typical answer you give to a stranger you don't really know, not the kind you might give to your own son or daughter lets say.

I don't want to go by what I read online alone. Online resources seem to describe optometry as an ideal career choice with almost no drawbacks. But then the same online resources also say the same about a computer-related career as a high-paying career that is growing faster than any other - when I have personal friends in this field that give me a more accurate real-life picture and tell me of the hard-ships I would face as a graduate with no experience in this economy where companies only seek pros and outsource the rest.

Anyway, what I would like and very much appreciate is the advice and evaluation of all the professionals in this field and the real outlook for the future.

My specific concerns are, first of all, how do you view the future of this career - specifically the future of an independant optometrist who owns his own practice? Will the pearle visions and walmarts take over?

Also, what state is a good one to practice in? I have read that a lot depends on one's location. How is Ohio in that regard?

What are some of the best things about this profession? What are the worst?

Luckily, I do not anticipate to incur that much debt because I will be supported by a spouse during schooling. Still, I trying to explore the general future of this career so that I can make a wise decision. What attracts me is the social interaction with patients, the potential independance and financial rewards as well as being able to have a personal life (which is why unfortunately I feel that I must rule out medicine), but is optometry really too good to be true as the way many online resources describe it?

I just want to hear the opinions of real-life doctors out there, especially in advice to someone who has not yet invested the time, effort and finances necessary to get this education.

With rising health insurance costs and of course with commercialism will this still be a great career to be in, 5, 10, 15 years from now? Or will it be rough for new graduates and tougher for those who seem to be having a smooth-sailing now?

I would sincerely appreciate your personal opinions.

Thanks so much!

[Johns]

Normaly, I would be tempted to say that if you want to work for a large retail chain, the time to enter the optometry field couldn't be better. However, this year, I have seen more optometrists opening private practices than I have in the last 10 years. There seems to be a ready market of consumers looking for quality eyecare in the Ohio market. The Pearle Visions and Wal-Marts certainly do the private practitioner a favor by skimming off those looking for the lowest price (WM), and/or those drawn by insurance benefits. This leaves a smaller piece of the pie, but a better tasting one.

As far as new graduates, they tend to work at chains for the first year or so, and many maintain those contacts while opening their own practice as well.

Smooth sailing ? I never met them. It is a constant battle, in any field, to maintain and build market share. Let go of any rudder and you'll just drift...

(I'm not an OD, but I own a few offices that 8 of them work out of.)

[PAkev]

Janelle,


I personally know two optomotrists that have exited the field in order to make more money. One has persued a career as a high school science teacher and the other hangs sheet rock with his families contracting business. Both were independent self employed OD's with over 15 years professional experience under their belts.

Indeed, there is potential for a long and successful optometry career under the right circumstances, but there are also many reasons why it is becoming harder for folks to make a go at it. .................Heres a few for your consideration:

More and more patients are perceiving doctors as businessmen instead of medical professionals as independents have to balance their practice with both medical and business decisions. This may include but not limited to which insurance panels to participate with, How many and how often patients are scheduled, What support staff is utilized, Taking all Medicare & Hippa compliance measures etc. Consider the costs of executing the business logistics and you will quickly realize the economic benefit from the medical side may not look so attractive. These additional responsibilities require multi tasking doctors to wear several hats which ultimately takes time from their commitment to serve patient needs.

Patient loyalty is also becoming harder to maintain. 20 years ago a doctor could open up a practice do a little advertising and have a substantial following to conduct business as usual. Today, patients know what buttons to push in order to get what they want and when they want it. These expectations often result in a greater turnover of patients which now require that doctors also be in a "drumming up business" mode.

Please don't construe my post as being pessimistic but I would suggest you spend a few months working in an OD office for an eye opening experience before making a big investment in your education.


Kevin

[Johns]

Kevin,

The advice to hang out w/ an OD is certainly good.

Some (many) folks are better at being optometrists than they are at running businesses. (This encompasses choosing the proper location and the proper business strategies) Some folks are better at hanging sheetrock than they are at being optometrists or running businesses.

One of our offices is located in a rural area that employs a lot a tradesmen. I always ask the carpenters how business is. I'll have 5 guys tell me that they are slow for this time of year, and then I'll have 5 that say they are booked up for the next year. It seems to be the same in any field.

[NC-OD]

I will give as honest opinion as I possibly can.

Optometry, for me, is a neutral profession leaning on the side of positive.

The downside, which is certainly not unique to Optometry, is that you deal with the public on a daily basis. 95% of humans are nice people. The other 5% you come in contact with will be rude, dishonest, and maybe even dangerous. They will try your patience and might cause you to become someone you don't like. Seeing 10-30 patients per day, every day is stressful. They come to you with a problem (rarely without complaints) and expect you to solve their problem within a 20 minute timeframe.

A second downside, again not unique to Optometry, is insurance. It is a game with very few rules. And the leader of the game is the insurance companies, whom answer to no one. It is an art to learn the rules and make money from both vision and medical insurance. The rules change monthly or even daily.......even from phone call to phone call depending on who you talk to at a particular time.

A few upsides: There is good money to be made. I started a practice cold, work 60+ hrs per week even 5 years later, spend as much time on administration as I do seeing patients. So I believe that for the amount of money and time and ***-busting work I have invested (roughly $1/2 million) and 13 years, I could have probably been just as successful opening a chain of car washes or a fast-food franchise. That is the reality of it. You simply can't graduate, open an office and revel in patients knocking your door down. You have to be a showman and a self promoter. You have to get out into the community and give talks to any group that will listen. As an OD, you will be a dime-a-dozen. There will be many like you all around. The supply of eye doctors greatly exceeds the demand for eye services. You can be greatly successful..........but you have to work like a dog or prostitute yourself.

Being your own boss is exciting and stressful. You only make money when YOU make the money. There is no such thing as a real vacation. There is no one to blame and the buck stops with you.

The biggest downside: Optometry is infiltrated with lazy doctors content to ruin the profession working at chain stores. I've accepted that. You will make very good money at a chain for as long as you can hold out. They will use and abuse you to sell their glasses. Some people can ignore the abuse with $$ in their eyes. Others go different routes. Eventually Opticians will gain independent refracting rights and they will be in all commerical stores. It will probably be the best thing that will ever happen to Optometry.

Optometry schools are graduating way too many ODs. Approximately 800 retire each year and 1,200 graduate. AND they are contemplating opening yet another school. It is competitive to get into OD school. But it's 1,000 times more competitive when you get out.

You can go private practice as an employee, partner, or in a group. You can work as an employee or partner of a Ophthalmologist. You can work in the military or the VA system.

The grass is always greener. I tell people if you have the motivation, like school and like working with people, it's not a bad job. If you only want to sell eyeglasses, become a top-notch Optician and open a chain of stores and hire ODs as some on this list do.

The ideal working situation is in a group with all three "O's", Ophthalmologist (ideally subspecialists surgeons in retina, glaucoma and refractive), Optometrists (as generalists and mild to moderate disease specialists) and Opticians (glasses and contact lenses) providing complete care. It's the best for the patient and it's the best for the clinicians.

Good luck.

[Johns]

NC OD:

Wow! That's about the most honest summation of the optometry profession I've ever read.:)

Don't you think that more banks are willing to take a chance on a newly graduated OD (in terms of start-up capital), than on someone that wants to get into the fast food business ? Doesn't this add to the amount of competition (good or bad) that the 3Os contend with?

[optiboarder]

Hey, janelle6991.
Consider ophthalmology. Much better prognosis for the future.

[Johns]

...or a plastic surgeon.

[Augie]

...or a plastic surgeon.

Very high malpractice, but you don't have to deal with insurances if you don't want to.

;)

[drk]

Hi. I am a Columbus, OH optometrist in private practice. If you would like, send me a personal message on this board and we can exchange e-mails, if you'd like. Best wishes.

[slaboff]

I work in colorado springs and there are alot of good od's out of work because there are too many of them... i know one that is working construction

[grace angel]

i admire your determination to learn something new. I currently am studying to be a licensed Optician in the state of Florida and work in retail eyeglass sales with a Dr who comes in 2x a week plus goes to other stores too. I love our Dr and hes a great guy but do i really perceive him as being happy at what he does. Not really. There are alot of elderly and i'm always hearing him yell, what is better, one or two?? He makes a comfortable living but i think he's basically bored to death. He does some contact lens fittings but mostly refractions. My point being here is that I currently am learning refactometry and contact lens technology and fitting in my own studies.

POF is a large organization of Opticians in Florida that are currently fighting in Tallahassee to restore the right to refract patients back to the very same ones who did it 100 years ago and that was the OPTICIAN. I think it will happen in time and then what will the Optometrist do then?? Currently the Optometrists are fighting the Ophthalmolgists to have more power to do things that they are not allowed to do like more surgery type stuff and the prescribing of a broader range of drugs to patients. Personally i think with your science background you should consider being a Veternarian. I think this career would provide great rewards like the unconditional love that people and animals have for each other. I've worked with Dr's that are in it just for the money and its sad when money supercedes our quest and passion for making this world a better place by doing what truly makes us happy. Best of luck

[harry888]

On the plus side, optometry is good if you want to scale down or pursue other interests.

It is very easy to get per diem work, so you can work part time and persue those other interests or raise a family (don't want to sound sexist, but it is a good profession for someone who wants to be a mom also).

My wife is a healthcare administrator, most jobs are 60 hours or no hours. She can't find anything beside flipping burgers for part time work when the kids are in school.

There's also a lot of instant gratification, you can usually solve a patient's problems in one visit and make them very happy. Poor internist has to keep rxing pills for hypertension or insulin for diabetes then has to wait for results.

Harry

[sjthielen]

Optometry is like any other vocation, If you enjoy what you do you will be successful. Observe an optometric practice and see if its something you would enjoy.

[dcdwn]

Janelle6991 ,I an optician of many years. But optometry is one of the best professional to get into . nothing comes easy. I did get to experence a young optometry grad from U.A.B. who purchase a doctors office in ALABAMA, after one year all his bills wear paid off to include college debit. The other optometrist in the area were upset,for they had the chance to purchase this same place months before he graduated from U.A.B. Not all like this happens to optometrist. but with referal for lasik OD look to make alot on referals in the future. My OD has been making some very good $$$ With three referals a week. OD are going to do more post lasik work ups for ophthalmologist. and follow up care big bucks so optometry not to bad . and in Tennesse, Houston,Tx these colleges are cranking out 100 grads a year thats alot of optometrist. I do know some OD,S that had lost there practice cause they were in the reserves and had to go to GERMANY. THE DR.NC is right the best is working with the three Os,. You will get more respect from each other. I did get to work with an O.S.U. grad at MAXWELL A.F.B very smart woman graduated in five or six years insted of eight years . i think her name was RAINNER. GRAD IN 84 or about. Do check out all options its a big feild.