Hey Optometrists!

[Eyedoc71]

This is the way things should be.

You guys really have no idea what is required to get through OD school or the volume of knowledge one has to obtain just to graduate. That's why OD read posts like that and chuckle a bit.

The only problem with what you're suggesting is that it's silly to obtain the necessary education to merely be able to diagnose. You have to clearly understand the mechanism of disease to be able to properly diagnose. Hell, half of the time the diagnosing is the hard part. Once you nail it down, the treatments are generally straight forward. Unless you're suggesting that by diagnosing we simply say "here is something that shouldn't be, but I don't have a clue what".

The only people that really have any valid opinion are those that have been opticians and then gone to optometry school. THOSE are the folks that I would like to hear from.

[ziggy]

What are you and the other Docs afraid of? I have never heard of on Optician wanting to refract with out getting the proper amount of training. When "refract" and "Optician" are included in the same breath most ODs' heads start to spin. Most of us dont want to do the medical end of things we just want to give our patients the best glasses/contacts possible. With the proper train we Opticians can do that., and the proper training is not Optometry school. Sooner or later it will happen, just like sooner or later you will be able to use a laser.

[LandLord]

Why does anyone need to do anything? Let's just all quit working and pray all day.

[Eyedoc71]

What are you and the other Docs afraid of? I have never heard of on Optician wanting to refract with out getting the proper amount of training. When "refract" and "Optician" are included in the same breath most ODs' heads start to spin. Most of us dont want to do the medical end of things we just want to give our patients the best glasses/contacts possible. With the proper train we Opticians can do that., and the proper training is not Optometry school. Sooner or later it will happen, just like sooner or later you will be able to use a laser.

Except we already to that. Why is the proper training not OD school? I mean it is a program already set up to serve the primary and secondary eyecare needs with an emphasis on the proper prescribing of specs and contacts. How is that NOT the proper training?

[Excalibur]

Except we already to that. Why is the proper training not OD school? I mean it is a program already set up to serve the primary and secondary eyecare needs with an emphasis on the proper prescribing of specs and contacts. How is that NOT the proper training?

I agree with you. I think that an optician should be able to complete a full refraction only if it is part of a complete assessment performed under direct supervision of the OD or OMD. That way the information can be properly assimilated as part of the treatment plan.

[Johns]

Sooooooo........

What equipment, materials, or provisions does an Optom need to open and run his exams?

Brother Fezz:

We've got:
Chair/stand
phoroptor
slit lamp w/ tonometer
keratometer
trial lens set
lap top for projector software
desk top computer to enter exam data
set of hand helds.

That's what our ODs have been using for the last 20 years. We update it when we need to. The list used to be much bigger, but when I said, "Anything over the above must be supplied by the ODs", the list became more than adequate.

[tmorse]

BS. I was accepted to medical school and my tuition was going to be half of my optometry school tuition. The grand total for my medical education was going to be somewhere around $40K (which granted was in-state) whereas my OD education was closer to $80K. You don't pay for a residency, you are paid at a lower rate than you would in practice.

What year did you graduate an OD?

[Eyedoc71]

What year did you graduate an OD?

1999....so not that long ago (at least to me :bbg:).

[Eyedoc71]

Brother Fezz:

We've got:
Chair/stand
phoroptor
slit lamp w/ tonometer
keratometer
trial lens set
lap top for projector software
desk top computer to enter exam data
set of hand helds.

That's what our ODs have been using for the last 20 years. We update it when we need to. The list used to be much bigger, but when I said, "Anything over the above must be supplied by the ODs", the list became more than adequate.

It is "adequate" (except for I don't see an indirect) and it could be that the OD wasn't sure your place was going to generate enough traffic to afford more advanced equipment. It does limit the services he's able to provide, but if an optician owns the place I doubt that's an issue. I worked in an optician owned situation and the equipment was "adequate" at best. There was acutally a Greens phoroptor and the chair leaked hydraulic fluid. People give me a hard time on ODWire for being at WM because they say all they care about is scripts, but that place taught me what "all about scripts" is really like. If you got new stuff then good for you for providing a workable situation.

[chip anderson]

I have a chair that leaked hydrolic fluid for years. About two years ago I got ambitious and turned the thing over and looked. The drain plug had never been tightend to proper torque. Tightened, stoped leak. Probably yours would be this easy to fix. In any event the seals and such are relatively easy to replace albeit a bit messy.
I was advised to use only clear non-detergent hydrolic fluid (tractor) not the more expensive colored stuff.

Chip

[Johns]

I worked in an optician owned situation and the equipment was "adequate" at best. There was acutally a Greens phoroptor and the chair leaked hydraulic fluid.

That's exactly point. As dismal as the conditions might be (see above) they're often not so bad that many ODs won't show up everyday and use the equipment to make their living.;)

"Adequate"was all I was addressing. And yes, we have BIOs in every office.

[Eyedoc71]

That's exactly point. As dismal as the conditions might be (see above) they're often not so bad that many ODs won't show up everyday and use the equipment to make their living.;)

"Adequate"was all I was addressing. And yes, we have BIOs in every office.

I doubt that many ODs would stick around in that environment. Could they adapt and make that crap work until they either replaced the equipment or the place they were working? Sure, but don't mistake that with the assumption that ODs are desperate enough to work with whatever they're given.

[HarryChiling]

I doubt that many ODs would stick around in that environment. Could they adapt and make that crap work until they either replaced the equipment or the place they were working? Sure, but don't mistake that with the assumption that ODs are desperate enough to work with whatever they're given.

Hey some work in LC and WM. As an optician I feel that a distometer is very important if I am to fabricate eyewear above a +-4.00 lens, but many offices are lackign this very simple and inexpensive piece of equipment yet they still sell eyewear. I have my own, but I guess it depends on the situation. BTW as far as I know brother Johns treats all his employees better than well includeing the OD's and I've heard that every now and again he evens lets them outta solitary confinement (exam room) for a few hours to visit friends and family. Plus the enviornment can't be all that bad he only whips them twice a day, that's good for an OD right. :D

PS - No OD's were hurt in the making of this post.

[optical24/7]

I doubt that many ODs would stick around in that environment. Could they adapt and make that crap work until they either replaced the equipment or the place they were working? Sure, but don't mistake that with the assumption that ODs are desperate enough to work with whatever they're given.

I'll let Johns defend himself, but I believe he's got doc's that have worked for him over 4-5 years. I guess they like the environment..

[Elvin]

I have a extra fundus camara, computer and synemed software I would sell cheap give me a call. Besides your lane of equip try to only buy equipment that will generate income, camera, hrt, vf, etc. if you are broke starting up try to only buy income generating equipment. Give me a call if int. in camera 903-691-0245 is my cell my name is Elvin I have helped several people start up.

[HarryChiling]

I have a extra fundus camara, computer and synemed software I would sell cheap give me a call. Besides your lane of equip try to only buy equipment that will generate income, camera, hrt, vf, etc. if you are broke starting up try to only buy income generating equipment. Give me a call if int. in camera 903-691-0245 is my cell my name is Elvin I have helped several people start up.

It's not about money it's about the level of care. ;)

[Eyedoc71]

It's not about money it's about the level of care. ;)

No, if you don't buy equipment that generates income that level of care will be exercised by someone else.