So You Wanna Be An Optometrist?

Thinking about optometry as a career choice? Before you listen to all the hype about how bright the future is, consider what many recent grads have to say. I'm 4-5 years out of optometry school and definitely wish I would have done something else with my money. Optometry was a very poor investment for me and many of my colleagues share my regrets. You might save yourself some serious disappointment by watching this 5 minute video. You might be surprised what you see! Some of the slides are long so you may have to use the pause button! Enjoy......

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[StayAwayFromAnOD]

@ random99998 It's almost comical, though. I've gone on studentdoctornetwork to try and present a different perspective to people considering and OD. What I discovered is, pre-optometry students believe they know more than practicing ODs do about the field. It's amazing how blindly allegiant some people will be once they are convinced of something. The AOA says it's a great field so it must be true! I guess they'll figure it out like I did, after it's too late.

[StayAwayFromAnOD]

@ random99998 Totally agree on the insurance situation. Vision plans are matching the ridiculous prices given away at WalShart, Sams, etc. The retail side of optometry is contributing to its demise, which may be part of their plan. How nice would it be if Walmart, Sams, LC, etc could employ opticians to refract for glasses/CLs? Why have an OD when you don't need one? I truly believe the entire profession is fading away before our eyes. I don't know what ODs will be doing in another 15-20 yrs.

[StayAwayFromAnOD]

One of the most common arguments I hear (almost always from preoptometry and OD students) is that if the situation is so bad, why are newer grads not defaulting on their loans? The reason=>IBR. Everyone's on IBR these days, blissfully unaware that their loan balance steadily increases every month by 1000-2000K. People are adding 12-24K to their loans per year and don't even know it. IBR allows you to pay as little as 0.00 per month, feels great while you're in it, but it sure hurts afterwards.

[StayAwayFromAnOD]

@ random99998 Nice to see another "truth-seer" out there! It's amazing to me that anyone is still crazy enough to even apply to an OD program with everything that's going on in the field. The degree cots literally dozens of times what it cost 25 years ago, but the adjusted pay is actually lower. Sooner or later, it will get bad enough that people see the problem. I think one reason is that the "bubble" hasn't burst yet for education and the IBR loan repayment plans will only make things worse.

[StayAwayFromAnOD]

@ttiiyy Oops, looks like I mis-numbered #6) as #5) - In essence, repeating #5) Damn, you're rubbing off on me. I found this little comment session relaxing and quite enjoyable. Please make another 9 or 10 posts at your earliest convenience, just screen for mindless repetition and irrationality. Oh, and watch the capitalizing, I'll give you some feedback on it after your next round of postings and we'll see how you do. You just don't want to come off like Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers.

[StayAwayFromAnOD]

@ ttiiyy Just a final thought for now. When you capitalize words in a post for emphasis, be consistent about it. Moreover, try to really think about which words you capitalize and what effect it will have on the readers "inside voice." When you randomly emphasize words, you end up coming off a little imbalanced. Also, in a related topic, "lasik" doesn't need to be capitalized. When I send a patient out for lasik, if I yelled it out, my patient would be a little thrown off. Just a suggestion.

[StayAwayFromAnOD]

@ttiiyy (Ranting response cont'd) #5) What industry is easy, you ask? Hmmm...I'd say internet porn. Oh, and coffee stands. I know some people who've made a killing with coffee stands. Don't know anyone in the porn industry, though. You seem like the type that might have gotten her face pushed up against the inside of a car windshield once or twice, maybe you know someone in the internet porn field? God, this is great, responding to your irrational rambling is more fun than I thought.

[ShytFerBraynes]

Damn, I had just quit aviation school because I knew pilots are jobless, and i thought starting my prereq's for optometry but I have been seen allot of bad fuss about it and thought, Hmmm.. what about physician's assistant... I know they dont have the doctor in front of their name, but I want an educated person's opinion about it. Thank you in advance!

[Toxicjazzlove]

Dental School it is then.....

[fordkd1]

I've been looking into going into the OD profession. I am planning on applying this summer. I was going into optometry for all the same reason you listed above. I just graduated with my bachelors this dec. and I have been actively looking for a job that I cannot find because their aren't any out there. So, I was just going to go ahead and apply this year. I just have a few questions for you. What college did you go to? Where do you live now?

[Bryco264]

@stinklewink84 Thanks for this

[mdbowan]

How sad. How despairing. Real optometry isn't like that at all, but MEDICAL optometry is.

[kibbt5224]

.. wow its funny because yesterday i had just gotten all excited about going into optometry school. this was so depressing, thanks for the info and warning us future people

[DrBottomable]

@ crimng1 The debts for dentists & MDs are about 15% higher, but starting salaries and type of work available for them are far better. Per diem for DDSs is around 500-600 for new grads. New ODs get half that, if they're lucky enough to find work. What is most troubling for ODs is the overwhelming influence of commercial practice, a force that has been intentionally squashed by dentists and MDs. The three fields may seem similar on paper, but I speak from experience in saying that they're not.

[crimng1]

I have family in several other health fields (medical, dental, etc) and optometry debt is generally on the lower end. Starting salaries can be lower for optometrists who can't find FT positions, but the same can be said for nurses, dentists, and doctors who are PT. Jobs are harder to find for everyone, post-grad degree or not. All fields are struggling, but you borrow money to pay for school to avoid minimum wage struggles. Everyone has it rough.

[otissumnerbrown]

I am an electrical engineer, but I have many helpful friends in optometry. I USED to be a "critic" -- but no more. I truly did not realize that you run up $150,000 BEFORE you can collect any money from the public. I could not take that kind of "pressure". Thanks for the video, and good luck to you! Otis