So I finish optometry school in 2011 and am so excited to be a part of the profession. But I've been worried about how the profession has, and how it will be affected. Both by the new laws being passed and how the economy has been going. Have you been affected by this or do you foresee it affecting OD's?
Jason Hair
of WA
@
Jun 30, 2009 16:16:04 PM
Being an O.D. in 2009
My husband has been practicing since 2006. He choose not to do private practice because we knew we would be moving in a few years. He works 7 days a week to help pay off the 180K student loan it took to graduate. He likes what he does but I would seriously weigh your outcomes if you are going to take out a substantial loan. Its a HUGE reminder each month when the $690 student loan payment is withdrawn (and will be for the next 30 years). If it were me I would have gone into dentistry where the school cost are about equal and the pay is almost double! Oh and his first year out of school he was made 90K (based on working 5 days a week). Good Luck to all!
Little Bird
of AZ
@
Jun 27, 2009 16:05:07 PM
optometry
I have been in practice for22 yes,and I must note that the income is droping due to several
Reasons:
Increase rate of Internet shoppers.
Increase number of vision insurance co's that have given wrong
Impressions of coverage.
Over saturation of practitioners.
Opening of more optometry schools, giving high income promises.
Allowing giant foriegn corporations to dominate the field In America.
I have seen quite a few of new grads that still looking for job who they end up
Working for the big chain stores for low rate of income.
Benjamin F.
of CA
@
May 03, 2009 23:11:48 PM
More info for KP of CA
Hi KP
You ask several good questions and I'll try to answer them:
1. Like any profession, incomes in optometry vary widely. My experience of 32 years in the field would tell me not to take much stock in the published income figures. They are generally significantly understated for most medical specialties including dentistry and optometry. I would say that most OD's who have been in practice for 10 years or more have incomes similar to other primary care docs. Lets say between 150K and 225K. However, if you really work hard and have good patient skills, over time, you can make over 500K per year (this would comprise the top tier of OD's). I know several OD's who make significantly more than the eye surgeons that they refer to.
2. If you're in private practice it will never get boring. Your days will be filled with challenges. You'll see and examine patients of every age and with a myriad of problems from a simple refractive error to acute and chronic sight threatening disease (corneal ulcers, infections, glaucoma, allergy, etc.). You'll also diagnose many systemic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes and refer them to the approptiate medical colleague for treament. Your patients will be very appreciative and keep coming back to receive care from you.
3. Continuing education is a must. I try to get at least 50 hours per year this will include classroom and on-line modules. I also subscribe to 4 or 5 journals and read them monthly. Changes in eye care delivery, instrumentation, diagnosis and treatment are changing with lightning speed and you'll need to stay on the "cutting edge" at all times. I enjoy life long learning and if you expect to deliver top quality eye care you'll have to as well.
4. Is optometry socially satisfying? ABSOLUTELY!! I have many many patients that I have known for 30 or more years. I now treat their children and may have treated the grandparents as well. Every exam is like a social visit. We catch up on changes in each others family and have become friends over the years. This is what really makes optometry such a wonderful profession. As the primary eye doctor your patient will bond with you and you with them and the emotional reward can't be measured.
So don't let the bickering between OD's and MD's bother you. I have wonderfull relationships built on mutual respect with many local ophthalmologists. Yes, there are some who are very insecure and are threatened by optometry's enviable position as part of the health care team but you'll find many fine and ethical opthalmologists who you will refer to and socialize with.
If optometry is what you think you'll enjoy go for it. You'll be successful if you put your hheart and soul in it. For me, I wouldn't change a thing. In fact my daughter is joining my practice this summer and I'm really excited. I know she's chosen a truly great profession.
Best regards,
Dr David Caban
David J Caban, OD
of NH
@
Apr 27, 2009 21:16:05 PM
Optometry
Just google "Optometrysucks" to find out how it REALLY is out there.
DocT
of CA
@
Apr 09, 2009 23:35:38 PM
Misconception that LASIK is bad for optometry.
This is a huge misconception by the general public who make assumptions about the optometry profession without actually understanding the facts. LASIK does not diminish the demand for optometrists as this article states. In fact laser surgery has created an entirely new patient base for ODs in terms of pre and post LASIK patient care which is usually handled by an OD who is co-managing a patient with an OMD.
Additionally, even if a patient's visual acuity has been corrected by surgery this does not mean a visit to the OD is no longer needed, because refraction is only PART of a "comprehensive eye exam" which includes maintaining the HEALTH of one's eyes.
pre-opt VLC
of CA
@
Mar 19, 2009 03:20:40 AM
Optometry is an progressing field and very rewarding!
I love this debate! Let me tell you what optometrists can do, which alot more then refract your entire family.
First: Certified to independently treat gluacoma!
Second: Cultures of Corneal scrapings
Third: Debridement of corneal epithelia
Fourth: Venipuncture for testing os suspected pt's with diabetes
Fifth: Tx and removal of sebaceous cysts
Sixth: adminter oral fluorescein for diabetic retinopathey
Seventh: Prescribe class III, IV and V controlled substance
Eigth: Use injectables
Ninth: Perform specific lasar surgeries (not LASIK or Cosmetics)
Tenth: Prescribe Oral Antibiotics, Steroids, NSAID's, Anitvirals and Antifungals
Not to mention the entire scope of vision therapy, low vision and many others not mentioned here.
For anyone to say optometrist are not real doctors just needs help being educated in the greatest profession in the entire nation. I hope this helps!
OMD for life
of NV
@
Mar 13, 2009 12:32:31 PM
Optometry
Hey everyone,
I am looking into a career in optometry and I was wondering if anyone can fill me in on how the career field is? Is there a chance of being unemployed and how is the pay for the field? I'm not in it for the money but I just wanted to know how much can you make starting and such since I'll have a huge debt to pay back not only from opt. school but undergrad also. So if anyone can help answer this it would be greatly appreciated. Thank You :)
Raki
of NY
@
Feb 19, 2009 12:15:14 PM
MAXIDEX DEXAMETHASONE WARNING
I had eye surgery and in the post-op pack was MAXIDEX(dexamethasone) drops by ALCON LABS.
Two days later I was BLIND
Use Google and enter EPOCRATES MAXIDEX REACTION to verify
Or call 800-757-9195
WEL
of NV
@
Feb 18, 2009 08:23:03 AM
RE: Joe Smith "know the difference"
There's a delicate balance between the scope of practice for ophthalmology and optometry. As one who has taken the long route and gone through both optometry school, medical school and finally ophthalmology residency & fellowship, I can attest to the fact that optometry school provides a better source of primary eye-care doctors. Whether you want to admit it or not, we spend so much more of our time focusing on our own sub-specialties and surgery that we become dependent on optometrists to provide us with their expertise in general eye care. After all, don't you recognize that a good number of your patients exist simply due to optometrists whose broad knowledge base allows them to accurately assess, diagnose a myriad of ocular conditions and subsequently refer patients to your specialty and your colleagues' respective specialties? Do you fail to recognize how much more accessible optometrists are to providing ocular health care to the general population than ophthalmologists? Shame on you Joe Smith for being so caught up in your own little world that you fail to see what an asset it is to have optometrists trained so intensively in primary eye-care. Optometrists do not work for us, they work with us, providing us with our patients. So please do not address them as subordinates.
Jason Hair of WA @ Jun 30, 2009 16:16:04 PM
Little Bird of AZ @ Jun 27, 2009 16:05:07 PM
Benjamin F. of CA @ May 03, 2009 23:11:48 PM
David J Caban, OD of NH @ Apr 27, 2009 21:16:05 PM
DocT of CA @ Apr 09, 2009 23:35:38 PM
pre-opt VLC of CA @ Mar 19, 2009 03:20:40 AM
OMD for life of NV @ Mar 13, 2009 12:32:31 PM
Raki of NY @ Feb 19, 2009 12:15:14 PM
WEL of NV @ Feb 18, 2009 08:23:03 AM
a happy OD/MD. of CA @ Feb 15, 2009 23:09:31 PM
Back to article