A mini life crisis????

[prettygreeneyes]

I think I'm going through a life crisis... and I'm 23. I've been accepted to two optometry schools, and plan on going to Pacific this fall. I've worked in an optometry office for the past year, and love it! I even have a very tentative agreement to come back and work for the doctor when I graduate. I truly love optometry... the science of vision is awesome to me. With all that warm and fuzzy stuff being said... I might be getting "optometric cold feet". I've wanted to be a physician since I was a little girl, and after diverging from that path to pursue Criminal Justice, Nursing, and back to Biology w/ hope of becoming an MD/DO, I ultimately chose optometry because I would still have the patient interaction and a basis of medical knowledge, minus the 3-7 year residency and crazy on-call work schedule of some physician specialities. I thought it was a great compromise... but as the time to enter OD school draws near, I wonder... should I have compromised? I've had family members in the hospital, and while the majority of me was grieving and worried about that person, a little fraction of me thought "Ooohhhh... I love this stuff. I love emergency rooms and heart monitors and surgery. I feel alive and intrigued, captivated by that all important rush of adrenaline that optometry may not have." Have I completely lost my mind? Anyone else have these same feelings before they take (or have already taken) the plunge into OD...ness?

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[stevec]

We've got one girl in our class who plans on leaving to pursue medical school.

 

[cpw]

We've got one girl in our class who plans on leaving to pursue medical school.

there was a girl in my class who left med school to be an optometrist

 

[stompy]

Based on what the two previous posters said...

I suppose you could enroll in optometry school for a year and then drop out to pursue medicine if you'd like. And if you decide you'd prefer medicine over optometry after that, you could always continue optometry.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

You guys are all right... I could leave optometry school to pursue medicine, but I don't want to spend a year's tuition in opt. just to quit that and do something else. I feel so guilty for even thinking about this! I just started thinking about this in the last two days... maybe its a phase!

 

[KHE]

You guys are all right... I could leave optometry school to pursue medicine, but I don't want to spend a year's tuition in opt. just to quit that and do something else. I feel so guilty for even thinking about this! I just started thinking about this in the last two days... maybe its a phase!

If your goal and/or dream was always to pursue medicine, you should do that and not optometry. If you do optometry because its "close enough" you are almost guaranteed to be miserable. Just the fact that you referred to "compromising" when discussing optometry suggests to me that you are not on the right track.

If at the age of 23, you have already switched majors or career paths that many times, it might be worth it to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a career counselor to help you figure out what would be the best for you.

 

[still_confused]

please dont waste your money on counselors. save it for med/opt school

 

[stompy]

please dont waste your money on counselors. save it for med/opt school

But she/he isn't even sure whether she/he wants to do MD or DO or OD school at the moment! It has the potential savings of up to a year's tuition.

 

[silviapoe]

You guys are all right... I could leave optometry school to pursue medicine, but I don't want to spend a year's tuition in opt. just to quit that and do something else. I feel so guilty for even thinking about this! I just started thinking about this in the last two days... maybe its a phase!

Are you academically competent for MD program? Have you done enough of shadowing at the hospitals? Also, are you aware that MCAT is a lot more difficult to get nailed compared to the OAT!

 

[stompy]

Maybe it'd be a good idea to defer a year for career exploration.

 

[georgeyboy]

you're not crazy. I am in the same boat as you. I have been accepted to a couple of schools and now I'm getting very cold feet. I looked at optometry through rose colored glasses until I did a little digging and found some of the negative sides to it. I seriously wonder where this profession is heading and if I should go to dental school or med school and spend my time on money on professions that defanitley have a bright future and get a little more respect. Do most schools defer until the following year?

 

[stompy]

you're not crazy. I am in the same boat as you. I have been accepted to a couple of schools and now I'm getting very cold feet. I looked at optometry through rose colored glasses until I did a little digging and found some of the negative sides to it. I seriously wonder where this profession is heading and if I should go to dental school or med school and spend my time on money on professions that defanitley have a bright future and get a little more respect. Do most schools defer until the following year?

Yes, most schools will let you defer until the next year...from what I understand. You can do some career exploration too.

 

[Opii]

You might want to make sure you can defer your acceptance one more year. I thought you were very lucky to have been accepted to an optometry school being from las vegas. Admissions from optometry schools are ususally very closed minded with southern nevada natives. It's that "not thinking outside the box mentality" optometrists are so notorious for.
Don't loose the spots you have.

 

[ODMAYBE]

I think I'm going through a life crisis... and I'm 23. I've been accepted to two optometry schools, and plan on going to Pacific this fall. I've worked in an optometry office for the past year, and love it! I even have a very tentative agreement to come back and work for the doctor when I graduate. I truly love optometry... the science of vision is awesome to me. With all that warm and fuzzy stuff being said... I might be getting "optometric cold feet". I've wanted to be a physician since I was a little girl, and after diverging from that path to pursue Criminal Justice, Nursing, and back to Biology w/ hope of becoming an MD/DO, I ultimately chose optometry because I would still have the patient interaction and a basis of medical knowledge, minus the 3-7 year residency and crazy on-call work schedule of some physician specialities. I thought it was a great compromise... but as the time to enter OD school draws near, I wonder... should I have compromised? I've had family members in the hospital, and while the majority of me was grieving and worried about that person, a little fraction of me thought "Ooohhhh... I love this stuff. I love emergency rooms and heart monitors and surgery. I feel alive and intrigued, captivated by that all important rush of adrenaline that optometry may not have." Have I completely lost my mind? Anyone else have these same feelings before they take (or have already taken) the plunge into OD...ness?

I've experienced the same feelings in the past. I felt sure OD was what I wanted. Then I started reading posts on this board and was a little shaken up. Over the past year I've talked in depth to many practicing optometrists. Three in private/ group practice, two at the VA and one who works at Lenscrafters. Some were new graduates and some in practice for several years. All stated that they love their jobs and would do it again in a heartbeat. I didn't come across any of the negativism I seen on this board. I'm not sure that when you read postings on this board you get a true sample of what optometry is like. The unhappy and disgruntled will moan, complain and whine alot louder than the happy and contented.

 

[Chuffsla]

I'm kind of in the same boat with you, prettygreeneyes. I was accepted to Waterloo to start this fall, and I'm now I'm not entirely sure I want to make such a big commitment. I don't know if I really know enough about the profession! Now I'm thinking that I want to do a little more exploration as well. Maybe pharmacy would be better for me than optometry. Maybe neither would be good. Unfortunately Waterloo doesn't defer under any circumstances, so if I turn down this acceptance and then decide that I want to do optometry for sure, I'd have to apply again next year. You can maybe check to see if your school defers admissions.


Can I ask you something? You mentioned you worked in an optometrist's office for a year. What exactly did you do in that job? How did you find out about it?

 

[cpw]

. All stated that they love their jobs and would do it again in a heartbeat. I didn't come across any of the negativism I seen on this board. I'm not sure that when you read postings on this board you get a true sample of what optometry is like. The unhappy and disgruntled will moan, complain and whine alot louder than the happy and contented.

this is very very true.

 

[Hines302]

I didn't come across any of the negativism I seen on this board. I'm not sure that when you read postings on this board you get a true sample of what optometry is like. The unhappy and disgruntled will moan, complain and whine alot louder than the happy and contented.

This has been my experience as well.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

You might want to make sure you can defer your acceptance one more year. I thought you were very lucky to have been accepted to an optometry school being from las vegas. Admissions from optometry schools are ususally very closed minded with southern nevada natives. It's that "not thinking outside the box mentality" optometrists are so notorious for.
Don't loose the spots you have.

Haha... thanks for the concern for the "Southern Nevada Natives" but I'm from Reno!!! (It's kinda funny that when someone hears "Nevada" they assume "Las Vegas"! There is an entire northern half of the state!) If anybody looks down on someone because of their zip code... they are idiots!!!! I'm am lucky to get into optometry school... but in my defense... there was some skill involved!!!

P.S. There has always been an instate rivalry between UNR (University of Nevada, Reno) and UNLV(University of Nevada, Las Vegas). But I didn't realize the rivalry had crossed state lines! You have truly made my day! GO WOLF PACK!

 

[prettygreeneyes]

I must say I really appreciate the responses to my post by everyone. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with cold feet! I wanted to address a couple of things that have been brought up in the discussion.

1) I am aware of the challenges of getting into medical school, and the horror of the MCAT. I am academically competent enough to handle it. I do lack the entire year of organic chemistry, so I would have to take that, but my GPA is decent enough to get into medical school (if I did apply, it would most likely be to the School of Medicine at UNR, where they accept 57 students, 52 of which come from Nevada. Hopefully, my chances would be good.) I know that this would be very hard... but I don't take the easy way out of anything, and my career choice will not be an exception. (Note to those who would attack me for saying optometry is easy... I'm NOT saying that! But, I would have to get a hospital based job, start studying for a horrific test, go through another application process, personal statement writing, interviews, etc. If I do optometry... I graduate and take a summer off! That's it.)

2) I'm not having the cold feet because of the negativism of some posters on this board, or the threat of commercial optometry, or anything of the sort. (If you guys want a hard core amount of negativism... visit ODWire.org. It's brutal, but very eye opening. I'm so thankful that the senior docs are sharing their stories, no matter how depressing they are!) I've investigated the profession a lot, and realize what I would be getting myself into... Walmart ODs and all!

3) How I found the job in an optometry office: I worked as a bank teller for a local bank. The optometrist I work for had his accounts at that bank. When I discovered he was an optometrist, I would talk to him about school or the profession every chance I got. I also got to know his office manager. When they had a position open up, they offered it to me! I'm basically the floater in the office. I started in the dispensary, where I would place job orders, order frames, frame selection and adjustments. Next, I headed to pretesting where I use the autorefractor, NCT, retinal camera, and do visual fields. Next, I learned the front desk (checking patients in and out, verifying insurances, answering phones) and finally (and currently) I do the billing for Nevada Care and Medicaid. I also float and fill in as needed.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

If your goal and/or dream was always to pursue medicine, you should do that and not optometry. If you do optometry because its "close enough" you are almost guaranteed to be miserable. Just the fact that you referred to "compromising" when discussing optometry suggests to me that you are not on the right track.

If at the age of 23, you have already switched majors or career paths that many times, it might be worth it to spend a couple of hundred bucks on a career counselor to help you figure out what would be the best for you.

You have hit the proverbial "nail on the head" in regards to the "compromising". That is exactly why I'm even thinking about all this. I don't feel that compromising is good when it involves 4-8 years of postbacc education, and a lot of debt. It would have been great if this had all came to me sooner, but such is life. Regarding my mulitple major changes, it is a lot for a 23 yr. old, I agree, but I've become a much more well rounded person because of it. I've wanted a career in medicine ever since I was 7. At 17, I decided that the FBI was much better, so I started college with a Criminal Justice major. Our professors were great in that they brought in people in various fields (parole and probation, IRS agents, FBI agents, cops, etc.) and we got to hear about the jobs. I didn't really realize that with the FBI, a family would be very difficult. They tell you where you live, not the other way around. So, I went back to the medical arena, and changed my major to nursing. I got a state CNA license and worked on the surgery floor of a hospital for a year. I realized that nurses were overworked and underpaid, and went back to Biology, with the hopes of MD/DO school. Then, I got married and thought about having a family, and the idea of medical school and a 3-7 year residency with a crazy schedule might not work well with the family dreams. So, here I've ended up with optometry. The career is fascinating, and I would be very happy to start a practice with my husband, who has an Electrical Engineering degree but will be attending opt. school next year. Right now, I just want to be sure that I'm making the right choice. Which is why I'm here discussing it with you guys! I love the feedback!

 

[stompy]

Then, I got married and thought about having a family, and the idea of medical school and a 3-7 year residency with a crazy schedule might not work well with the family dreams.

Umm...yes. Life happens. Time to change plans!

The career is fascinating, and I would be very happy to start a practice with my husband, who has an Electrical Engineering degree but will be attending opt. school next year.

If you think optometry is fascinating and you could see a happy future starting a practice with your husband...then...why not. If you're happy already or think you will be happy, there's no point in chancing on something that might make you not happy.

 

[Opii]

Oh, northern Nevada, then never mind Good luck with whatever you decide. I am sure you will be a fine contribution to the health care profession as a whole no matter what you decide. Keep us informed.

 

[vornskr1030]

slightly off topic, continuing from an earlier discussion...but which schools do allow you to defer a year?

 

[KHE]

Its OK that you have switched career paths multiple times. But unless you are 1000% committed to optometry, you should not go yet. If your goal was medicine and you are still holding onto that, I can say with 99.99% certainty that you will always be second guessing yourself. This will especially be true if you graduate and end up spending time working in a commercial setting. If you do optometry because you wanted to go to medical school and optometry is "close enough" you are almost guaranteed to be miserable.

If I were in your position, I would defer the optometry admission for one year if possible, and spend that year studying for, taking the MCAT and applying to medical schools.

You have hit the proverbial "nail on the head" in regards to the "compromising". That is exactly why I'm even thinking about all this. I don't feel that compromising is good when it involves 4-8 years of postbacc education, and a lot of debt. It would have been great if this had all came to me sooner, but such is life. Regarding my mulitple major changes, it is a lot for a 23 yr. old, I agree, but I've become a much more well rounded person because of it. I've wanted a career in medicine ever since I was 7. At 17, I decided that the FBI was much better, so I started college with a Criminal Justice major. Our professors were great in that they brought in people in various fields (parole and probation, IRS agents, FBI agents, cops, etc.) and we got to hear about the jobs. I didn't really realize that with the FBI, a family would be very difficult. They tell you where you live, not the other way around. So, I went back to the medical arena, and changed my major to nursing. I got a state CNA license and worked on the surgery floor of a hospital for a year. I realized that nurses were overworked and underpaid, and went back to Biology, with the hopes of MD/DO school. Then, I got married and thought about having a family, and the idea of medical school and a 3-7 year residency with a crazy schedule might not work well with the family dreams. So, here I've ended up with optometry. The career is fascinating, and I would be very happy to start a practice with my husband, who has an Electrical Engineering degree but will be attending opt. school next year. Right now, I just want to be sure that I'm making the right choice. Which is why I'm here discussing it with you guys! I love the feedback!

 

[drgregory]

if your desire is to be a physician, do not become an OD. working in a mall doing refractions, or even in a private office doing the same thing with a little disease thrown in is nothing near what a physician's life is - you will not be happy becoming an OD. i am living testament. i am bored with what our professional scope currently encompasses. my posts reflect my frustration. it is, however, my own fault as i did not truly understand what optometry entailed when i began optometry school. i applied to two med schools and two optometry schools and got into all four, and chose optometry because i wanted to be a primary care eye doctor. problem is, optometry in its current state is not truly the primary eye care provider. at the same time, im not one of the ODs who wants to be a major eye surgeon, i just want to be respected as an optometrist, and for what our training and level of education should afford us. i was waaaaaaaaayyyyyy to uninformed (my own fault) as to what an OD did when i went to optometry school. almost every day i think about what it would be like if i'd went the medical school route. there are some ODs who have gone back and become MDs, but realize youre talking about 8 years of school plus 7 more minumum, and all of the student debt that this schooling incurs (i truly applaud those who have done this). go to med school, if possible, or if that doesnt pan out, consider becoming a physicians assistant - youll get to see all of the medical stuff and have minimal schooling. it might save you from being a disgruntled OD like me.

good luck

 

[ski2bOD]

Haha... thanks for the concern for the "Southern Nevada Natives" but I'm from Reno!!! (It's kinda funny that when someone hears "Nevada" they assume "Las Vegas"! There is an entire northern half of the state!) If anybody looks down on someone because of their zip code... they are idiots!!!! I'm am lucky to get into optometry school... but in my defense... there was some skill involved!!!

P.S. There has always been an instate rivalry between UNR (University of Nevada, Reno) and UNLV(University of Nevada, Las Vegas). But I didn't realize the rivalry had crossed state lines! You have truly made my day! GO WOLF PACK!

GO WOLFPACK! What happened in the b-ball tournament!?! Oh well, next year I hope you are able to make the best decision for yourself, but I wouldnt mind having some fellow wolfpack fans at ICO.

 

[KHE]

Why don't you share your experience with respect to what you were expecting vs what you got?

What did you think your career was going to be like, and what questions do you now think you should have asked or what things do you wish you had known about before you got involved?

if your desire is to be a physician, do not become an OD. working in a mall doing refractions, or even in a private office doing the same thing with a little disease thrown in is nothing near what a physician's life is - you will not be happy becoming an OD. i am living testament. i am bored with what our professional scope currently encompasses. my posts reflect my frustration. it is, however, my own fault as i did not truly understand what optometry entailed when i began optometry school. i applied to two med schools and two optometry schools and got into all four, and chose optometry because i wanted to be a primary care eye doctor. problem is, optometry in its current state is not truly the primary eye care provider. at the same time, im not one of the ODs who wants to be a major eye surgeon, i just want to be respected as an optometrist, and for what our training and level of education should afford us. i was waaaaaaaaayyyyyy to uninformed (my own fault) as to what an OD did when i went to optometry school. almost every day i think about what it would be like if i'd went the medical school route.

good luck

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Why don't you share your experience with respect to what you were expecting vs what you got?

What did you think your career was going to be like, and what questions do you now think you should have asked or what things do you wish you had known about before you got involved?

Thank you KHE, I was hoping to hear the same thing. I was also hoping that you (KHE) could share a little more about any experiences you've had in Nevada. I've read your story of why you left optometry, in regards to the difficulty of being admitted to medical panels, and I was wondering how much of that, if any, occured in Nevada.

Also, if there is anyone else out these who has or had these feelings (MD vs OD career), share please! I think my "conflict" has boiled down to a career vs. family debate. Medicine = maybe more stimulating career, much longer before I can start a family, and even then the time commitments of whatever speciality I choose may be restrictive. OD = maybe a little less exciting career (I base this solely on the scope of practice of MD vs. OD, clearly, MD does more things), but I would work with my husband to build a practice together, and I could start a family MUCH sooner and actually have time for one (ie, once practice is established, work only part time while my husband runs the practice).

 

[KHE]

Thank you KHE, I was hoping to hear the same thing. I was also hoping that you (KHE) could share a little more about any experiences you've had in Nevada. I've read your story of why you left optometry, in regards to the difficulty of being admitted to medical panels, and I was wondering how much of that, if any, occured in Nevada. ).

A lot of it. I can't speak for northern Nevada, as I was in Las Vegas and I could not get admitted onto 90% of the medical plans out there so all I was doing was refracting and fitting contacts. I do not know if things have changed since I left but talking to people I know who are still there, they said that they have not, so unless you are content to running an eyeglass store, southern Nevada may not be the best choice for you.

Also, if there is anyone else out these who has or had these feelings (MD vs OD career), share please! I think my "conflict" has boiled down to a career vs. family debate. Medicine = maybe more stimulating career, much longer before I can start a family, and even then the time commitments of whatever speciality I choose may be restrictive. OD = maybe a little less exciting career (I base this solely on the scope of practice of MD vs. OD, clearly, MD does more things), but I would work with my husband to build a practice together, and I could start a family MUCH sooner and actually have time for one (ie, once practice is established, work only part time while my husband runs the practice).

Only you can make that decision for yourself. I will restate however that I would not pursue optometry unless you are 1000% committed to it. If you are doing it because you wanted to be a "doctor" and optometry is "close enough" you will be miserable.

 

[cpw]

Only you can make that decision for yourself. I will restate however that I would not pursue optometry unless you are 1000% committed to it. If you are doing it because you wanted to be a "doctor" and optometry is "close enough" you will be miserable.

this is very very true. You have to know 100% that you're in it to be an optometrist and it's not your default to med school. the people I know who do this as their med school fall-back are miserable.

 

[drgregory]

Why don't you share your experience with respect to what you were expecting vs what you got?

What did you think your career was going to be like, and what questions do you now think you should have asked or what things do you wish you had known about before you got involved?

i initally shadowed a well established OD group in a rural area with had a large practice. practices, i should say, which included their monopoly of a 150 mile radius. nearly every sizeable town had one of their offices in it. at that time, i did not know corporate optometry was such a factor. again, my own fault. anyways, this OD group that i shadowed was very thorough, and ran their practices like a professional healthcare office. opticians were certified, technicians were certified, some of which were LPNs. truly, they were primary eye care doctors, having a working relationship with a surgeon who would travel to their office to perform surgery and surgical consults. to me, this looked like the ticket. i assumed optometry was like this nearly everywhere (you know what happens when you assume) - respectable, having a good and symbiotic relationship with MDs, financially rewarding, etc. so, i didnt venture outside their 150 mile radius to shadow any other ODs. i first met these ODs in my first year of undergrad, and soon i was taking the OAT, and i also decided to take the MCAT, as i had shadowed a local family physician and had some desire to consider that option. i applied to two optometry schools and two med schools, assuming (see above on this word) that my acceptance to any or either would determine my fate. i was accepted into all four schools. i thought and thought about which to choose. looking at the rural (and i mean rural) family docs, i found their place in healthcare to be intrigueing, but what bothered me is the fact that they had super strong relationships with the people they treated. seriously, i wondered how it would be if i were in their shoes and went to the local gas station and saw the guy i just treated for genital herpes. or just did a colonoscopy on. the list goes on. the images of the superbusy, super professional offices of the ODs offices i shadowed took over. i chose optometry school.
5 years later, one month into practice in a large city, i realized that their was a commercial optometry "store" on every corner, fully equipped with salespeople calling themselves opticians and technicians. the smaller private ODs were basically older ODs who resisted change, and were literally just refracting opticians. so we have two megamajority groups in optometry giving us a bad name. not enough ODs doing primary eye care.
my reasons for wishing i chose a different profession are not because i do not like what optometry is trained to do - i just do not like what it is starting to become and there is nothing i can do about it except run my practice like a primary eye care clinic, communicating and working with who i believe should be our allies - ophthalmology, and in my spare time going on forums like this one and taking shots at corporate optometry to make me feel better.

so my advice is:
-if you want to be a physician and practice with full medical authority and respect (as a physician rightly deserves) - dont become an OD, dentist, DPM, etc, and especially do not become a nurse practicioner, or physician's assistant.
-if you want to be a doctoral health care provider that is respected for your place in healthcare, but do not want to be a physician, consider dental, DPM.
-if you want to be a doctoral health care provider that is quickly losing respect due to corporate influence, and overagressive push for surgical rights, and older practitioners who refuse to educate themselves for primary eye care, and those who cannot see that working with other health care providers (such as ophthalmology) is beneficial, consider optometry.
- i have little knowledge on pharmacy, DVM, so i dare not make assumptions.

bitter, arent i.

 

[drgregory]

If you are doing it because you wanted to be a "doctor" and optometry is "close enough" you will be miserable.

exactly.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Also, if there is anyone else out these who has or had these feelings (MD vs OD career), share please! I think my "conflict" has boiled down to a career vs. family debate. Medicine = maybe more stimulating career, much longer before I can start a family, and even then the time commitments of whatever speciality I choose may be restrictive. OD = maybe a little less exciting career (I base this solely on the scope of practice of MD vs. OD, clearly, MD does more things), but I would work with my husband to build a practice together, and I could start a family MUCH sooner and actually have time for one (ie, once practice is established, work only part time while my husband runs the practice).

I wrestled for a long time between going MD or going OD. My dad and both of his parents were ODs, all practiced together; so obviously there was some incentive to go that way. I had seen how many patients just loved coming in to see them because of the time and attention they got (20 minutes of doctor time wasn't unheard of). I liked the idea of going into the family practice, and I really liked the idea of working with eyes (damn but they're interesting little things). What finally made the decision was when I saw how hard Dad had to work to get TPA passed in my state. And then again for the limited orals ODs are allowed.
Bottom line, I think being an OD is great IF you don't mind having to fight long and hard for any new levels of practice. You get great patient interaction, normal hours, you can make an immediate difference in people's vision, and can often catch larger problems before anyone else. But as has been said, you can't expect to see new and interesting pathology in every patient you see.
Best of luck to you.

 

[r_salis]

You get great patient interaction, normal hours, you can make an immediate difference in people's vision, and can often catch larger problems before anyone else.

For me, these are the positives that outshine many of the negatives about the profession.

 

[Hines302]

Being happy, content, and intellectually stimulated is a personal choice. While its important to understand positives and negatives.... Optometry is what you make of it.

If you want a private practice.. you have to work for it. If you want to practice more of a medical based optometry... you have work for it. (there are lots of options out there... if you dont believe me just try a few google searches... you will find optometrist practicing in many different settings)

No one is going to hand you anything in life.. you have to work for it. Optometry is no exception. The hard work does not stop after school... it just gets harder. Sometimes that hard work might not pay off.. and sometimes it does. Such is life

Sometimes I too wonder if I made the right career choice... but at the end of the day I am committted to Optometry, and to being the best Optometrist I can be.

 

[Hines302]

Sometimes such a grey picture is painted of the profession... and about the progress it is making (or lack there of)... but lets think about it:

1- Do Optometrist have a broader scope than they had 10 years ago... YES
2- Can more OD's prescribe meds now than did 10 years ago... YES
3- Do more OD's treat Glaucoma than did 10 years ago.... YES
4- Do more OD's co-manage surgical cases with OMD's than did 10 years ago ... YES
5- Are there more OD's working along side OMD's .... YES
6- Are OD's getting more referrals from other medial doctors than they did 10 years ago... (maybe a few more.. definitely not less)
7- Can OD's perform minor surgical procedures .... well in one state... even though I don’t agree with it..
8- Despite these expansion in scope, do OD's still have one of the lowest malpractice insurance rates out of any health profession.. YES

Progress is being made. Its a slow process, but progress is being made. The picture is not as grey as some people make it. This does not mean there are no negatives to the profession.... but simply that it has its share of positives also.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

I have been overwhelmed by all of the responses to my post. I've gotten a lot of PMs from individuals having the exact feelings that I am. I thank everyone who has posted and shared their story or insight. I just wanted to post again that this recent "episode" in my life, for lack of a better word, is not because I don't think I can cut it as an optometrist faced with the competition of commercial optometry, or anything of the sort. The "negatives" of the profession are what you make of them. I'm so glad that I've learned everything I have so far. Dr. Gregory's story is exactly what I want to avoid... thinking that optometry everywhere is just like the awesome practice I work in. If I do decide to proceed with optometry school, I will do so after literally years of soul searching. Optometry school IS NOT my fall back to medical school. If I do decide to go to medical school, I will "go whole hog" and not come back to optometry school with my tail between my legs because I couldn't make it. I've kind of shot myself in the foot on this forum. If I do decide to go to Pacific next year, I'll always be the girl on the forum who "settled" for optometry, who didn't have the true passion. Eh? What can one do?

 

[georgeyboy]

Not care about what others think and do what is best for you.

 

[Hines302]

I've kind of shot myself in the foot on this forum. If I do decide to go to Pacific next year, I'll always be the girl on the forum who "settled" for optometry, who didn't have the true passion. Eh? What can one do?

Oh don't say that! Just by having this discussion you are leaps and bounds ahead of most of your entering class about what to expect. It never hurts to question.... and no one should blame you for doing a little soul searching.

Like i said I have had the exact same feelings as you... like many opts students. There are pre-meds I talk to who have those exact same feelings too tho.... i think its normal. Don't worry. What ever you choose... it will work out for you in the end. I know you'll excel at what ever you choose.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Oh don't say that! Just by having this discussion you are leaps and bounds ahead of most of your entering class about what to expect. It never hurts to question.... and no one should blame you for doing a little soul searching.

Like i said I have had the exact same feelings as you... like many opts students. There are pre-meds I talk to who have those exact same feelings too tho.... i think its normal. Don't worry. What ever you choose... it will work out for you in the end. I know you'll excel at what ever you choose.

Oh thanks Hines! Best of luck to you next year! I've seen some of your posts on ODwire... good stuff! I'm not inclined to post on ODwire as much, because I have to use my real name! Anonymity (sp?) is awesome!

 

[rpie]

Finally got a chance to look on the SDN web site… the MD Vs OD debate…

PGE, my youngest brother left family medicine after 4 years of practice to become an OD. He had a lot of reasons for leaving, however the main reasons were, difficulty getting reimbursement from insurances, disrespectful patients, and ultimately having to refer to the specialists like OBGYN for prenatal and delivery, OD’s and OMD’s for a red eye that was unresponsive. The reason he chose OD vs. OMD was, he was not interested in invasive ocular surgery and was also advised our father an OMD, that in reality, there is not enough ocular surgeries to keep all surgeons busy since the sub-specialists had most of the surgeries. This leaves the general OMDs to do mostly primary care, and push for more LASEK/PRK patients.

I was in OD education, and chose to attend USC med., after a couple of years of teaching. Additional degrees like MA, PhD, is always encouraged by the administration so I felt that an OD, MD would give me the best chance of becoming dean or higher. Things changed when my father passed on. What became important to me was spending time with my family and relatives and left education to join our group practice. Would I like to have practice medicine, I can say with conviction NO. Why? Because of the relatively normal life style.

I agree with Hines, Optometry is what you make of it. Sure there will be insurances that will discriminate against OD’s but with time this will change. United healthcare finally allowed OD’s on because of complaints by subscribes and the pressure from the AOA. (This is why I’m an advocate of ODs supporting your local association and the AOA)

Greg, as far as receiving more respect when you’re a physician, I think is a debatable point. I understand why you a get frustrated and commend you for running a professional practice. However, I’m not so sure that if you became a PCP you would be happier because there are problems with medicine.

BTW our practice does see a fair amount of ocular disease. Glaucoma, monitoring BDR, early AMD is a big part of our practice and we are in a major city. We have had to work hard but we do get PCP referrals, and we also have practicing MD’s who trust us enough to treat their Glaucoma…shock shock!

 

[cpw]

I've kind of shot myself in the foot on this forum. If I do decide to go to Pacific next year, I'll always be the girl on the forum who "settled" for optometry, who didn't have the true passion. Eh? What can one do?

Not true at all... you're just soul searching. We've all done it. Otherwise, none of us would have come looking for optometry forums on the internet, eh ?

You decide what's best for you. Then, we'll be here for ya either way.

Good luck with your decision, hon. *hugs*

 

[drgregory]

Finally got a chance to look on the SDN web site… the MD Vs OD debate…

PGE, my youngest brother left family medicine after 4 years of practice to become an OD. He had a lot of reasons for leaving, however the main reasons were, difficulty getting reimbursement from insurances, disrespectful patients, and ultimately having to refer to the specialists like OBGYN for prenatal and delivery, OD’s and OMD’s for a red eye that was unresponsive. The reason he chose OD vs. OMD was, he was not interested in invasive ocular surgery and was also advised our father an OMD, that in reality, there is not enough ocular surgeries to keep all surgeons busy since the sub-specialists had most of the surgeries. This leaves the general OMDs to do mostly primary care, and push for more LASEK/PRK patients.

I was in OD education, and chose to attend USC med., after a couple of years of teaching. Additional degrees like MA, PhD, is always encouraged by the administration so I felt that an OD, MD would give me the best chance of becoming dean or higher. Things changed when my father passed on. What became important to me was spending time with my family and relatives and left education to join our group practice. Would I like to have practice medicine, I can say with conviction NO. Why? Because of the relatively normal life style.

I agree with Hines, Optometry is what you make of it. Sure there will be insurances that will discriminate against OD’s but with time this will change. United healthcare finally allowed OD’s on because of complaints by subscribes and the pressure from the AOA. (This is why I’m an advocate of ODs supporting your local association and the AOA)

Greg, as far as receiving more respect when you’re a physician, I think is a debatable point. I understand why you a get frustrated and commend you for running a professional practice. However, I’m not so sure that if you became a PCP you would be happier because there are problems with medicine.

BTW our practice does see a fair amount of ocular disease. Glaucoma, monitoring BDR, early AMD is a big part of our practice and we are in a major city. We have had to work hard but we do get PCP referrals, and we also have practicing MD’s who trust us enough to treat their Glaucoma…shock shock!

excellent point of view. thank you for posting. grass always looks greener on the other side, but that is viewing from a distance and sometimes with limited stereopsis (i just made that up now). i would think those who have gone through with obtaining both degrees (MD/OD) would be the authority figure, presenting an unbiased opinion, such as your sibling.
great post.

 

[KHE]

Regretably, from the tone of your posts I think you are in danger of making the same mistake that a lot of young ODs make because it seems that you have the same mindset as a lot of young ODs.

The notion that all it takes is "hard work" or that if you just work "hard enough" and that you will be fine is a non starter.

WHile it definately takes "hard work" it also takes having the knowledge and foresight to ask the correct questions before, during and after optometry school. (especially before)

Thinking that if you just "work hard" and "be the best optometrist you can be" and patients will beat a path to your door is not going to lead you to career satisfaction. You have to be able to research certain aspects of potential areas where you are interested in practicing way before you even start optometry school. And again, I maintain that this research actually has very little to do with the number of ODs or OMDs, or the number of commercial vs private practices.

Optometry is not what you make of it because there are so many factors so far out of your control that you don't have a lot of choice in "what you make of it." Your career satisfaction will be largely dependant on whether or not you can tolerate and be satisfied with what optometry ultimately makes of you. I have many collegegues who have been able to do just that. They love their career, and they make a decent living doing it. For some of them, they love it so much that optometry is like a drug. I also know people who fantasize daily about leaving the profession.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking "if I just work hard, I'll be fine."

You need a much more specific plan of action, and you have to do a lot of research to determine if that plan is viable.

Being happy, content, and intellectually stimulated is a personal choice. While its important to understand positives and negatives.... Optometry is what you make of it.

If you want a private practice.. you have to work for it. If you want to practice more of a medical based optometry... you have work for it. (there are lots of options out there... if you dont believe me just try a few google searches... you will find optometrist practicing in many different settings)

No one is going to hand you anything in life.. you have to work for it. Optometry is no exception. The hard work does not stop after school... it just gets harder. Sometimes that hard work might not pay off.. and sometimes it does. Such is life

Sometimes I too wonder if I made the right career choice... but at the end of the day I am committted to Optometry, and to being the best Optometrist I can be.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Regretably, from the tone of your posts I think you are in danger of making the same mistake that a lot of young ODs make because it seems that you have the same mindset as a lot of young ODs.

The notion that all it takes is "hard work" or that if you just work "hard enough" and that you will be fine is a non starter.

WHile it definately takes "hard work" it also takes having the knowledge and foresight to ask the correct questions before, during and after optometry school. (especially before)

Thinking that if you just "work hard" and "be the best optometrist you can be" and patients will beat a path to your door is not going to lead you to career satisfaction. You have to be able to research certain aspects of potential areas where you are interested in practicing way before you even start optometry school. And again, I maintain that this research actually has very little to do with the number of ODs or OMDs, or the number of commercial vs private practices.

Optometry is not what you make of it because there are so many factors so far out of your control that you don't have a lot of choice in "what you make of it." Your career satisfaction will be largely dependant on whether or not you can tolerate and be satisfied with what optometry ultimately makes of you. I have many collegegues who have been able to do just that. They love their career, and they make a decent living doing it. For some of them, they love it so much that optometry is like a drug. I also know people who fantasize daily about leaving the profession.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking "if I just work hard, I'll be fine."

You need a much more specific plan of action, and you have to do a lot of research to determine if that plan is viable.

I think it depends on what you mean by "working hard" and all that. It could mean being willing to move somewhere that has an opening. It could mean working as an associate for a few years waiting for the head guy to retire. It could mean working commercial while you wait for another doc in town to sell his practice.
The location flexibility is key. When we were trying to sell my dad's practice, we had 3 ODs interested (one husband and wife team, another single guy). At this same time, there was an MD looking for an OD as well as another older OD who was looking to start retiring. A month of advertising in the literature only brought in 3 ODs, and all of them had jobs the day after passing their state board exams.
However, I agree that just working real hard in school and being willing to work real hard after graduation isn't enough.

 

[sethuel1]

I have been overwhelmed by all of the responses to my post. I've gotten a lot of PMs from individuals having the exact feelings that I am. I thank everyone who has posted and shared their story or insight. I just wanted to post again that this recent "episode" in my life, for lack of a better word, is not because I don't think I can cut it as an optometrist faced with the competition of commercial optometry, or anything of the sort. The "negatives" of the profession are what you make of them. I'm so glad that I've learned everything I have so far. Dr. Gregory's story is exactly what I want to avoid... thinking that optometry everywhere is just like the awesome practice I work in. If I do decide to proceed with optometry school, I will do so after literally years of soul searching. Optometry school IS NOT my fall back to medical school. If I do decide to go to medical school, I will "go whole hog" and not come back to optometry school with my tail between my legs because I couldn't make it. I've kind of shot myself in the foot on this forum. If I do decide to go to Pacific next year, I'll always be the girl on the forum who "settled" for optometry, who didn't have the true passion. Eh? What can one do?

Ok, you can be that person and I can be the guy that got thrown out of his PhD program and then randomly decided he wanted to be an optometrist

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Ok, you can be that person and I can be the guy that got thrown out of his PhD program and then randomly decided he wanted to be an optometrist

 

[still_confused]

working hard does not translate to success... welcome to life...that is not just true of ODs but other professions as well. does a MD translate to having control of your own practice? i work with people who certianly do not think so. it is easy to write off optometry with all its inherent problem and those that experience them offer great advice. but until you ask the same question towards medicine or other careers you want to pursue, you cant know the whole story. its easy to see the problems in one's current job and look at the great advantages other jobs have and overlooking thier problems.

optometry on this board is really negative (at least i feel it is!) and i like that because it offers a perspective, but at the end of the day, thats what it is, a perspective. it is up you to make your own perspective and act accordingly

good luck in your decision

 

[cpw]

and then there are those of us that are happy, taking a few days off, and going to mexico to see a friend from optometry school get married !!

 

[KHE]

working hard does not translate to success... welcome to life...that is not just true of ODs but other professions as well. does a MD translate to having control of your own practice? i work with people who certianly do not think so. it is easy to write off optometry with all its inherent problem and those that experience them offer great advice. but until you ask the same question towards medicine or other careers you want to pursue, you cant know the whole story. its easy to see the problems in one's current job and look at the great advantages other jobs have and overlooking thier problems.

optometry on this board is really negative (at least i feel it is!) and i like that because it offers a perspective, but at the end of the day, thats what it is, a perspective. it is up you to make your own perspective and act accordingly

good luck in your decision

You're right. It is all just perspective.

Let me be clear though. I have never suggested that you can't "make it" or have a rewarding career in optometry.

But in order to do that, you have to formulate a very specific plan of action and you have to do that before you even start optometry school. Having some sort of amorphous notion like "I'm going to work hard" is not going to get you anywhere. You need a SPECIFIC plan.

This is partly where I was lacking. I made the mistake of trusting all the docs that I spoke to who basically all said the same thing. "Don't worry! When you graduate, you can find an old guy, join on with him and slowly over time take over his office. Don't worry about money neither! You're gonna by an EYE DOCTOR! Banks will throw money at you!!"

None of that turned out to be true for me, or for a very large number of my collegues.

So again, if you want to be an optometrist, forumalate a very specific plan of action for yourself.