Can ODs Perform LASIK???

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YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Said OpthoBean...
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ODs check for path by completing at LEAST four semesters of ocular pathology. Otherwise these classes I'm doing very well in are a horrible waste of time. This includes retinal diseases like: RP, ROP (which I myself have), diabetic retinopathy, ARMD, lattice degeneration, etc etc. We have to know what we're looking at to be able to refer it when it's something that needs retinal treatment (or something that needs to be monitered by us). I was doing scleral depression today in clinic on a friend of mine. Can't do that if I don't know what I'm looking for or at.

ODs DO diagnose and treat glaucoma! Next year I'm takin an entire YEAR of classes on this one topic. Then, we have to pass the glaucoma certification exam (a part of our national board exam.. but I'll get to your comments on our "unequal" training later). Once we've passed this exam we are allowed to treat glaucoma, BUT if we DIAGNOSE a newly acquired case of glaucoma (at least in texas) we have to refer to an OMD to confirm the diagnosis and then they come back to us for treatment.

Regardless of what state an OD is trained in you're trained to the full scope of practice in ANY state. While I'm not allowed to fire a laser in Texas, I do have to take a semester long laser class where we learn the basics of how they work, co-management, we do photocoagulation on rabbits (yes, I really get to do this to learn how the procedures work). Next semester I'm learning sub-conj injections, again not legal yet in Texas but are in other states. So, your points about ODs in one state not being as good as ODs in another state are bogus. ALL ODs take the NATIONAL BOARD EXAM FOR OPTOMETRY (NBEO) which covers everything legal in the most progressive state.

I hope this has helped clear some things up. No, ODs don't do residencys, but we can if we want to. yes, I can go to a VA and do an entire YEAR of ocular path.. in North Carolina I can even write a scrip for.. (get this) LASIX!!! ;) (and yes, I know the difference, stop picking on the undergrads who either don't know the difference or typoed). I'm actually considering doing a residency in contact lenses and corneal pathology. Ooo look I said it again.. pathology!!
 
I am still having trouble understanding...

If you have to go out to N. Carolina to prescribe lasix (why would you need to anyways, it is not firstline tx for ocular disease), leave the state of TX to give a sub-conj injection, and move to OK to do RK, how is it that all O.D.s are equal?

My husband, in the midst of a career change, was considering optometry school. He decided against it but we both spent plenty of time looking at pre-optom requirements and at the curriculum itself.

Perhaps you are at a supreme optom school, but this again illustrates my point. You may be completing 4 semesters of ocular pathology, but I can recall quite clearly that 2 schools my husband was considering did not and do not require 4 semesters of ocular path. Specifically he was looking at So. Cal. College of Optometry and Michigan College of Optometry. The MI school didn't even require an undergraduate degree.

While you may have an incredible understanding of ocular pathology, your colleagues from CA and MI will graduate and pass the same boards without learning anything more than rudimentary ocular pathology. No consumer strolling by the Eye Exam 2000 will have any way of differentiating you from your less well-trained colleagues and therein lies the problem. Medical school is different in that a graduate from MI or CA WILL have taken the same types of classes regardless of location. With optometry it is very much "buyer beware". The disparity is worrisome.

Furthermore, even if you do spend a year at the VA completing a pathology residency, you are not a pathologist or an ophthalmologist. While you may clinically be able to distinguish ocular pathology, no hospital in the country will hire you to sit in the laboratory and sign out slide sets.

Don't try to compare your 4 semesters of pathology with a 3-5 year residency in anatomic pathology/clinical pathology or a 3-4 year ophtho residency followed by a 1-2 year fellowship in ophthalmic pathology. This on top of the extensive medical school curriculum in pathology. Please.

Out of curiosity where is this pathology residency for optoms. When my husband was researching we found residencies in 9 fields, none of which were pathology.

BTW: I KNOW O.D.s dx and tx glaucoma...bad news. It is just a matter of time until enough pts go blind under optom care that this trend will reverse.
 
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I'm not saying we're going to sit in the back of a hospital and be pathologists. I know this requires a medical degree. I'm saying we take enough ocular pathology courses to recognize ocular pathologist when we see them and send them to the appropriate channels.

The residency I'm referring to is in ocular disease. I can't remember off the top of my head where it's located , but I do know there is a user (and OD) on this site who's in the middle of one. And yes I do believe it's in ocular path and disease.

As far as people going blind with ODs treating glaucoma.... I don't even know where to start. To get licensed to treat it (which I will be when I leave school) I have to complete many hours of courses and pass a national exam. If you see something out of your comfort range you refer. I'm not an idiot I know when something it out of my league and out of my comfort range. If I see a raging central corneal ulcer I'm not going to touch it.. I'm going to call in a corneal specialiist so this person doesn't lose their line of vision. If I see a person with glaucoma that I feel is out of scope I'm going to refer it. I haven't had enough about glaucoma to really talk and discuss at great length.. so I'll stop there.

I think you need to give ODs some credit. They work hard, complete extensive training, and while each state maybe different ... just like MDs there are good ones and bad ones. (no matter what state you're in) If you'e looking for the best you're not going to find it at eyeexam 2000.
 
FuturePA,

No, Optometry school can not be completed in less than four years!

Back to studying Pharm!
 
Originally posted by cpw
I'm saying we take enough ocular pathology courses to recognize ocular pathologist when we see them and send them to the appropriate channels.
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Do you recognise an ocular pathologist by his or her ID badge, or is there some other give-away?
 
I think you need to give ODs some credit. They work hard, complete extensive training, and while each state maybe different ... just like MDs there are good ones and bad ones.
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I do give O.D.s credit. I agree that optometry training is rigorous and entails much sacrifice and hard work. I don't think I am personally superior in anyway or that you will not become an excellent and caring optometrist. It is apparent that you care about the patients you see, so much so that you desire to pursue additional training to help you better care for them.

I do feel that ophthalmology as a profession is fundamentally different from optometry as a profession. Do I feel they are "separate but equal?" Not at all. These professions are complementary and can provide the best care for the public when each is practiced appropriately.

By training, ophthalmologists are physicians and surgeons, and optometrists are not. Instead of trying to convert a traditionally non-surgical profession into a surgical profession, organized optometry should focus on the strengths that make optometry a great field. Without specially trained O.D.s to perform complicated contact lens fittings for keratoconus patients, patients would suffer. Without low vision specialists, low vision patients would live poorer quality lives. Similarly, patients deserve to have irreversible surgical procedures performed on them by fully trained surgeons, not by non-surgeons. There is no shortage of fully trained board-certified ophthalmic surgeons in this country and no need completely change the nature of a long-standing profession such as optometry to suit a vocal minority within the profession.

I don't even plan on performing LASIK when I get out, so for me, this issue is not about greed. The issue for me is what is in the best interests of my patients, and it is in their interest to undergo surgery in the hands of a surgeon. I would hope that optometrists who are concerned with the safety of their patients agree.

As for the glaucoma...and it will be the last I speak of it...it is not fully understood by the medical community yet. Over the last year or so, the understanding of the disease has changed such that it isn't felt to represent an anterior segment process so much but rather an optic neuropathy. This evolving definition simply makes me question the wisdom of having optometry manage a process in the neuro realm.
 
Some issues that were not followed up:

1) If U of Texas' OD schools have, as one poster said, 4 semester of pathology, how can the one in MI or CA only have one (or two?) semester of it?

2) Having a board exam to pass does not mean much. It is related to point #1. If someone who goes through only one semester of pathology can pass the board as the person who had studied optic pathology for 4 semesters, then is the board that hard? Is it stringent enough to weed out the sketchy students? I have that concern because OAT was surprisingly easy compared to the MCAT and someone I know failed OAT retook it and made into SUNY Optometry which is supposedly the second or third best OD school out there.

3) Do optometry schools really need confer an doctoral degree? One way of looking at it is that optometry schools are making a killing off your tuition and give you knowledge that is over the amount you need in your job descriptions.

4) What do you learn in pharmacology, anatomy and other medically related courses? Just like in college, there is chemistry class for chem majors, for bio majors and for chemical engineering majors, etc. Not all medically related courses are created equal. In some schools, dental students take the same classes in the preclinical portion as the med students (to save money I suppose). But I have never heard of OD's students in the same pharmacology, anatomy, etc. classes with MD's or DO's. How demanding are those courses offered in OD schools?
 
Originally posted by OphthoBean

As for the glaucoma...and it will be the last I speak of it...it is not fully understood by the medical community yet. Over the last year or so, the understanding of the disease has changed such that it isn't felt to represent an anterior segment process so much but rather an optic neuropathy. This evolving definition simply makes me question the wisdom of having optometry manage a process in the neuro realm.
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The reductio ad adbsurdum of what you say is - ophthalmologists can fail to understand glaucoma better than optometrists.

Anyone in their right mind can recognise that the the OD degree is effectively a second bachelor's degree, but so is the MD: I think you should give them a break. Moreover, if you think that glaucoma was considered an anterior segment process until 2 years ago, then you obviously don't know what you're talking about.
 
Originally posted by OphthoBean
the understanding of the disease has changed such that it isn't felt to represent an anterior segment process so much but rather an optic neuropathy.
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really? :rolleyes: Thanks for the breaking news.
 
Someone asked what do we learn in pharmacology, anatomy and other medically related courses. Well, since I have a pharm exam coming up, I'll share with you.

I can tell you all about cardiac glycosides; antilipoproteinemic drugs;anticoagulants, fibrinolytics and platlet inhibitors; antiarrhythmic drugs; hypertensive drugs, and drugs to treat angina pectoris. This is just for our cardiovascular exam.

Next, we're on to respiratory drugs, renal drugs and then endocrine drugs. I can tell you all about the above drug's pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic uses, adverse reactions and mechanism of action.

In physio, we can interpret EKG's - you know Ppulmonale,Pmitrale, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree blocks, left and righ bundle branches; Wolff Parkinson-White syndrome;PAC's, etc...

This is just a fraction of what is on my cardiovascular exam coming up, not to mention the exam will also include Lesions of Atherosclerosis and their pathogenesis; hypertensive vasular disease, hyperplastic arteriosclerosis, Monckeberg medial Sclerosis, etc..

So, to answer TheWonderer's question, the courses are very demanding..33 credits demanding..PLUS, Theoretical Optics. Too bad you guys are unable to enjoy that in med school! Its very fun! :laugh:
 
In a few weeks, we'll b doing EKG's on each other and I ask myself, Why? Its interesting, but we don't need to be doing that!

But one point to make, yes, we do check people's eyes, but there are many systemic conditions that are seen looking at the back of people's eyes, so we have to know about systemic diseases.
 
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last time I checked.. the eyes are attached to the rest of the body through um... what's that thingy called.. oh yeah.. the optic nerve. :rolleyes: Therefore all things we learn about in OD school that are systemic.. relate to the eyes. We have to know disease process to learn about diseases that effect the eye. We have to take systemic pharmacology to learn about drugs that can effect the eyes. And in some states ODs can write for other non-ocular drugs. Don't discount our education. We are doctors and you should applaud (not criticize) OD schools for giving us this broad medical background. Your future referrals depend on it.
Treat ODs in your town the way you're treating us and see how long you stay in business.
 
Originally posted by FuturePA


Thats right, I remember now. The last time I went to my OD, he did do an EKG right after he checked my blood pressure and adjusted my asthma medication.
:oops:
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ps --- I check blood pressure on ALL of my patients. I've already referred one patient with moderate hypertension to her PCP.. she called to thank me.
 
Originally posted by FuturePA
That is great. So do you also learn spinal manipulation. Heck, you can be my primary care physician. ...
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Yes, so could your dentist and pharmacist. All professional programs include coursework on a lot of topics that aren't part of a practitioner's usual daily work. No need to be sarcastic.
 
We check the BP on every patient that walks through my father's doors. This is a simple thing, but the body is all related, an OD can't understand just the eye w/o an extensive background of the rest of the body.

We catch people's hypertension all the time. A lot of men don't go to a PCP much, but they come into the OD because they can't see the small sports score in the corner of the screen. This gives us a chance to catch some medical problems. No, we can't treat them, but nether can a PA w/o a MD/DO sign off. We are able to refer them to someone who can.

The other day my dad caught a brain tumor the patient's PCP missed.

He diagnosed a brain clot in my sister even after she had gone to the MD three times and had an MRI.

Last year he caught a blocked brain shunt (spelling???) in a 13 year old girl after she had already gone to a PCP complaining about a head ache.

Yes, we do check eyes, but we also save and better a few lives here and there.

FuturePA-
What is your problem? Christie stated the classes she was taking and the topic she was learning about. No where did she say she could do a PCP job. Why do you attack, do you have a turd stuck sideways? ;)

This is not just my opinion, this is fact! :oops:
 
As far as insurance coverage, it is big plan by the OD's to rip you off. I think your question need to be addressed to the insurance companies.

By the way, a lot of time a forien body removal be an OD will be covered by insurance because it is a medical procedure, not an optical one.

A side note, I have seen a number of failed forien body removals by MDs. Most of them are by ER docs. Funny thing, they told the patient to go to their eye doctor...an OD!
 
Originally posted by FuturePA

**Please tell me how your dad diagnosed a brain tumor. Is he a Neuro optometrist? Out of scope of practice
:oops:
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It's called a visual field. Bitemporal hemianopsia is pathopneumonic of a pituitary tumor. I'm only a second year student and I know that. You have to order an MRI (which yes, ODs CAN do!) and then the radiologist would diagnose it. (based on the ODs referral for the MRI)

NOT out of the scope of practice!! ODs catch brain tumors (From visual field defects ) ALL THE TIME!! They caught a brain tumor in a second year student at UHCO back in the late 90's by doing visual fields on him. (he was practicing for a lab and caught his own tumor.. talk about scary!)
 
....and it was so peaceful for a couple of days:confused:
 
yes, the old visual field test. Yes, it can help check for eye disorders related to brain tumors, glaucoma, and peripheral vision loss, just to name a few. Good job.

Good night, I have to get some rest. :clap:
 
Here's a good idea. I've been on this forum only a month and i"ve contributed NOTHING to SDN. I've only accomplished riling up the OD students and pissing of the OD moderator.

Hmmmmmm not the best of plans. :mad:
 
I belive you may be alittle idealistic cpw. Dont be hard on yourself. Stay the course and I will back off. It is not my intention to antagonize, but I have done that tonight and I apologize.

I will rest and wish you all luck. Be the best ODs you can be and I mean that sincerely. :)
 
I just have to make a comment, it is against what I normally do, but I don't care anymore. Has everyone noticed that the thorn in our paw is going to be a PA. This is not even a medical student, not that they have the right either, but my god...just a PA.

"Doctor docotor, I think little Sally has allergies. Please look over my exam findings and let me know if I can write her an Rx for Clarinex. I can't do it myself because I only went to school for 2 additional years so I need you to sign off on it."

Everything is out of your scope of practice unless there is a doctor hanging around to sign off on you, or as I like to call it, PA-sitting.

To all other PA readers, this not intended to offened you, just FuturePA. I have a good friend in a PA program and I know she is learning a lot. She is going to be great!


By the way my treatment for your fecal impaction is to BLOW IT OUT YOUR .....
:laugh:
 
I don't recall any of us saying we were primary care physicians. However, many OD's do consider themselves primary care providers FOR THE EYE. Not the whole body. As an OD, no, obviously I won't be giving someone a physical.

And honestly, a PA's one to talk about scope of practice.


:rolleyes:
 
To clarify,
Last year I went to my doctor's (whom I never see, I am always shunted off to the PA) complainign of intestinal distress. It wasn't a pretty situation. The PA, WITHOUT EXAMINING ME OR SUGGESTING THAT A DOCTOR SHOULD, told me I could have cancer and scheduled me for a scoping. Let's just say that scopings aren't pleasant--and there wasn't anything wrong with me (which I am deeply thankful for). However, I spent nearly three months scared out of my mind thinking I was dying and then underwent a painful, unecessary procedure. I complained very much afterwards and threatened malpractice, especially because a nurse told me (in confidence) that the PA had told her she just didn't want to have to perform an examination she found unpleasant. I was given apologies by the supervising MD who said that the PA had clearly erred. So I guess I'm a little biased.

And although this is no more than an anecdote, I've got plenty more if anyone's interested--including PAs writing me wrong scripts that nearly landed me in the hospital, mistaking my asthma for a panic attack, etc...

Of course, this is not saying that Future PA will have any sort of incompetence or that the other PA's out there will.

Moral of the story: Let's clean our own backyards before starting on those of others, shall we?

Eyegirl.
 
rpames, thank you!

He's going to be a PA, and we're still giong to be Doctors! :laugh: :laugh:
 
"Look for the US News best graduate schools magazine in the bookstore. I know they rank PT, OT, NP, MD, Pharmacy, along with law, business, and engineering schools.

I cannot remember if they listed PA schools in there because at the time I was looking at the magazine I was finishing up my pre reqs to apply to MD/DO school. I have since decided to go the PA route without regret."

posted by futurepa in jan.


w/out regret huh? best of luck being a lifetime asst., and i sincerely mean that. next time i have an ingrown toenail i'll be sure to look you up! :laugh:
 
I think that it is great that "some" (minority or majority?) OD's check BP ALL the time (the OD's in Vancouver certainly don't do any of that). It is also very interesting that some visual field defects and maybe increase in intracranial pressure secondary to brain tumors are detected by OD's (however, using the words, "diagnosing brain tumor ALL THE TIME," is going a little too far).

Also, the use of a doctor as a title is subjective and nobody needs to argue over it. PhD's call themselves doctors. Podiatrists call themselves doctors. And if Optometrists go to school for 4 years after a Bachelor's degree, heck, they can call themselves doctors too! They need an appropriate title for their education!

However, I still have to raise the issue of whether it really takes 4 years after bachelor's to be an OD? I am sure that you learn a lot about basic science, but in med school, they can teach the diseases of the whole body in two years and then use the last two years as pure apprenticeship (albeit, you don't get paid but you pay the schools tuition). So why 4 years to learn about the eyes and the related systemic diseases? There are tons of diseases out there that are not related to the eyes.

In some countries, optometrists are health care personnel who has gone to junior college to get a certificate before working. Hence, the lack of respect shown by some members of the society.

In a sense, do you feel that you are being ripped off and force to take an education (and pay extra 2 years of tuition) that might be beyond what you really need for your job?

And again, if U of Houston's OD schools have, as one poster said, 4 semester of pathology, how can the one in MI or CA only have one (or two?) semester of it? Is there a true standard to OD schools out there?

And, again, having a board exam to pass does not mean much. If someone who goes through only one semester of pathology can pass the board as the person who had studied optic pathology for 4 semesters, then is the board that hard? Is it stringent enough to weed out the sketchy students?
 
FurturePA- do you read post before you make comments? Eyegirl did talk to the sup MD about the dumb PA, she said this in the post. Perhaps you need an eye exam.
PAs can do about the same as an MD and it is cheaper.
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You say ODs are doing things w/o proper training and then you say the above qoute? So you believe a PA with 2 years of medical knowledge is more qualified to make a medical decision than an OD with 4? Give me a break!

I'm not saying an OD should make medical desions outside of their field, but I would take their advice over a PA's in a second.
 
Originally posted by Thewonderer
However, I still have to raise the issue of whether it really takes 4 years after bachelor's to be an OD? I am sure that you learn a lot about basic science, but in med school, they can teach the diseases of the whole body in two years and then use the last two years as pure apprenticeship (albeit, you don't get paid but you pay the schools tuition). So why 4 years to learn about the eyes and the related systemic diseases? There are tons of diseases out there that are not related to the eyes.

Click to expand...

1) Yes, it really does take 4 years after a bachelor's degree to become an OD. There is even talk of expanding the degree to 5 years because they simply can't fit everything in. I take 21 credit hours of class/semester, which is actually 34 hours of actual instruction time per week with all of the labs. This is comparable to hours at most med schools. As you can see, we are not simply twidling our thumbs or taking things at a slow pace.

2) You mention that med schools teach the whole body in two years and the last two years consist of apprenticeship. If you knew anything about OD curriculum, you would know that optometry programs use a similar curriculum. We spend two years learning the whole body (yes, whole body), plus the eye-specific courses such as ocular anatomy, optics, and vision science. Do we know the "whole body" as well as a med student? That's debatable, but probably not. Do we need to know the whole body? Yes, but not to the same extend of a med student. The last two years are spent in a clinical setting rotations specific to eye area specialties, much the way a med student would rotate through different medical specialties.

3) A large amount of the 4 years is spent learning the vast array of technology and instrumentation related to the eye, that the average med student has no need to learn. These instruments include the direct opthalmoscope, the binocular indirect ophthalmoscope, the retinoscope, the keratometer, the lensometer, the phoropter, the autorefractor, the Goldmann tonometer, the corneal topographer, retinal cameras, nerve fiber layer analyzers, lasers, and more. While some of these instruments are easy to use and interpret, others are not and require years of practice to become proficient at.

I hope that these explanations answer your question, "So why 4 years to learn about the eyes and the related systemic diseases?" Optometry students learn things med students would never have to, and med students learn things optometry students would never have to. It takes equally long (4 years) to learn the things that both are required to learn plus each professions' unique skills.
 
The Wonderer,

Yes, it really takes 4 years to complete Optometry school!

Here at PCO, we spend 2.5 years in class learning all sciences, plus going to clinic, and 1.5 years in Externships!

As primary eye care providers, we need to know not only frequently encountered eye diseases, but we need to know conditions by virtue of their morbidity or mortality.

"The point I made in one of my earlier post was that there are other healtcare providers who can do the job of an optometrist with training and bring down the cost of healthcare."

Um, only if they go to 4 years of Optometry school! :rolleyes:
 
Future PA
As you will no doubt note when you REREAD my post, it does in fact say I did complain to the supervising MD. I did in fact "put up." I did take responsibiltiy for what happened. In fact, I did a consultation with a malpractice lawyer, who informed me that the situation would be highly expensive and would drag on for a very long time. It just wasn't worth it to me, spending more time dealing with what has already caused me so much pain.

I do believe optometrists are primary care providers for the eye. We're not just refracting machines, we do often catch systemic diseases that show up in the eye, such as the extra blood vessels brought on by diabetic retinopathy. We do a whole bunch of screening tests you probably do not know about. Then, we refer these cases out to a specialist....now what is it PCPs do...I believe they treat what's within their scope and then refer the cases they do not have the knowledge or equipment to treat to a specialist. I am interested to know why you believe we are not primary eye care providers---please provide something more coherent than "hahahaha" . Do most people see an OMD if they have a sore eye, or if they need an eye exam? No. We are the first line in eyecare.

Personally, I am perfectly happy to stay within my non-surgical scope. I'll be happy to refer patients that I can't help to the OMDs .They're a great part of the medical society


Eyegirl.
:rolleyes:
 
Also, PAs cannot do what a doctor does!! THey have two years of education, for Christ's sake. This is why they scare me.

Eyegirl
 
So FuturePA, is it fun defending your field? I bet it is not, I know I don't like arguing with you. Perhaps you should leave this forum. You have not made a legitamate comment or changed anyones mind.

By the way, so one PA stuck a scope in a patients leg. I guess they should get rid of the 2 additional years MD/DO go to school and through away the meaningless 3-7 year residencies. Give me a break. I'm not saying an OD can do the job of an MD/DO, but I am saying an OD is closer to a MD/DO than an a PA.

I highly dought the opticians did most of the tests, but even if they did, how is that different than a DDS? Everytime I go to the DDS I see him maybe 90 sec. The hygenist does everything. I don't think any less of the DDS.

Leave and never return!!!
 
rpames-not siding with future pa because he is making an ass of himself...just wanted to clarify how most pa's practice(myself included). we have our own dea #s and do not have to ask permission to write prescriptions. most of our pts are never seen by an md, there is no requirement that we present our pts as long as we are working within our scope of practice-this varies person to person based on experience, etc. for instance I have worked in EM for 16 years and my official scope of practice in the E.D. is " may evaluate and treat patients with ambulatory, urgent, or emergent medical or traumatic presentations".. "supervision" for the most part means an md/do signs our charts within 1 week.
peace
 
emedpa - I'm sorry for attacking PAs. I have no hatred or any ill feeling toward PA, just FuturePA. I have very little knowledge of the PA profession, just like FurturePA has NO knowledge of optometry. The only reason I bashed PAs is to piss him off. As you said, he is making an ass of himself and I wanted to give him a dose of his own medicine.


A note to FuturePA:
I guarantee a PA would smoke you in MD/DO school especially on the clinical aspect.
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Right...I would smoke a PA, NP, or anyone else in the class regardless of their degree. As far as clinical knowledge, I could kick most anyone. I have a friend who's father is an MD and brother is a DO, she, on more than one occation, asked me for medical advice. I'd smoke your butt with half my brain tied behind my back.
 
rpames,

In GENERAL, a PA is actually practicing in a capacity more similar to a MD than an OD would be; hence the title physician's assistant.

On the other hand, an OD makes for a great opthalmologist's assistant and this is why we she the two grouped together quite often in practice...
 
Okay, rpames, let's take a deep breath now...

Let's try to get this forum back to it's normal, calmer level and save the user bashing for the Lounge. I like to try and moderate as little as possible... but this thread is getting out of hand. Yes, I know I contributed to it a little bit but I don't like to see people spouting off about a profession they're totally ignorant of. (which is why I left the PA comments alone.. I know nothing about PA's other than my anatomy professor in undergrad taught a night school class for PA's)

So, to make a long story short (too late) let's try to keep the bashing to a minimum. If anyone has anything CONTRUCTIVE to say about optometry I (and many other OD students here) would be happy to answer questions about the curriculums at OD schools. I even posted UHCO's curriuculm on another thread which obviously some of the OD bashers never bothered to read or they'd realize how ridiculous they sounded.

Okay, I have to get back to typing up notes for my contact lens class. (yeah note service money) ;)

Have a good night everyone!
PEACE!!!
cpw
 
I agree about a return to normalcy, though I am proud to see such a long thread here on the typically ho-hum optometry board. For a few days here, this board has been on speed, which was probably legally prescribed by some PA. I would like to return to my non-posting cave now.
 
This thread has degenerated to the lowest form of discussion. The bottom line is this. Who knows what will happen in the future. Perhaps, ODs will one day gain the right to perform LASIK and some minor refractive surgical procedures. It is already happening in certain states. I hope those ODs who choose to perform these surgical procedures receive adequate training through whatever means necessary as to ensure the patient's well being. I hope to God this never happens. However, the political clout of this field is strong and full of corrupt and unscrupulous individuals.

FuturePA give it a rest...rpames, get real
:rolleyes:
 
Yes, this has gotten out of hand. I will cease fire. I have never posted like this before. Emotion has taken over.


I apologize and ask for forgiveness! I did go to the Nova , UH, and Southern websites and learned more about optometry





:clap:
 
I dont think I would normally reply to this kind of trolling discussion but here I am...

I think everyone is allow to have their own opinion but just remember dont start pulling each other's hair out...

come on, we are adults......sometimes this OD vs Opth.MD war or whatever you want to insert into them made me think we are no different than bunch of 8yrs old fighting for that candy bar.
 
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OD graduate in the PH, thinking of going into Opticianry or OD in Canada
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0
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lmod
L
O
  • Question
After doing MS in vision science how to practice OD
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shevchenko277
shevchenko277
Oculopathy
Gift for my boss (OD)
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SPECtacular.13
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C
if practices start to transition to telehealth, what does this mean for employees whom aren't ODs?
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4
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MattGellerOD
MattGellerOD
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