Comments on: Optometry Perks?

By: Dominck Maino, OD, MEd

Dominck Maino, OD, MEd — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:43:32 +0000

Whine, whine, whine! This is America! If you spent less time whining and more time figuring out how to be competitive, you wouldn’t whine quite so much. Optometry is an awesome career. But just like anything else, you have to work it! BTW, as far as the costs go….a medical education costs, as does a dental or podiatry education….sometimes more than optometry. You can be successful and happy….I am.

By: optoblog.com » Blog Archive » Are You Sure You Want to Be an Optometrist?

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 07:04:44 +0000

[...] Optometrist? I saw this list over at PookieMD’ blog, and I think you should add it to your list of considerations before applying for optometry school, because many of the challenges facing PCPs also relate to [...]

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:04:44 +0000

hi david, i just stumbled across your blog today and am happy to find someone to commiserate with. i graduated from puco in 2005…and am still paying down my enormous student loans…and incidentally, also worked for ihs (residency program in arizona)…and moonlighted at sam’s club and costco…i can definitely relate to everything you’re saying. a year after my residency, i got incredibly lucky…i walked into a group practice adjacent to (and owned by) an optical chain (eyemart express) that allows its leasing ods to sell contacts. we have six ods and a patient base of over 100,000, so we stay busy. although the profit margin on contacts is not nearly as much as glasses, it’s still pretty amazing how much more you can make on a daily basis (and there’s no cap on the income). wal-mart and 1-800-contacts can sometimes beat our prices (by a few bucks) because of the sheer volume they sell, but some patients prefer the convenience of buying contacts straight from us after their exam (we stock almost all the brands…our inventory is enormous). sharing a lease with several other ods is great (we have 8 exam lanes) because we can split the expenses and have really flexible schedules. the chain takes a percentage of our income, but does all the maintenance (we just got remodeled last month). anyways, just wanted to suggest maybe looking into a lease-sharing situation if wal-mart will allow that or leasing with a chain that allows contact lens sales. or, if you’re really brave, opening up shop with a few buddies so you can sell everything yourself! in conclusion…thanks for creating this site, i look forward to visiting it often.

By: David Langford

David Langford — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:03:17 +0000

That’s such I nice thought. Wow, to think I’ve been wasting all my time giving eye exams to poor people.

Look, we can’t all set up niche practices selling $800 glasses to Governor Palin.

By: Lamar Johnson

Lamar Johnson — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:20:34 +0000

Thanks for blog, good insight into the issues facing optometrists today. On that note, the time-revenue model most optometrists practice under does lead to the natural conclusion that you have to work longer and longer to increase revenues. However, there are some fundamental changes you can make that will increase your revenue per patient and more importantly generate continual positive word of mouth. Clearly, there is a perception issue that optometrists face but other professions face some of those same challenges. To thrive an optometrist should take a look at how THEY view their business. Do they view it as a an ongoing communication that is designed to nurture a relationship or is it a point of service/transactional type concern. You wouldn’t know it by watching the news but the fastest growing group in America is the mass affluent group. This group has different expectations than the “norm” but rewards meeting those expectations handsomely. Those are just two things to consider when thinking about optometry as a business. HOW you view yourself and your business will determine HOW it rewards your efforts. Thanks for blog, keep it up, I always look forward to your posts.

By: David Langford

David Langford — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:57:54 +0000

A little off topic, but my only concern would be that a one year supply of Focus Dailies is a lot of bulk (720 contact lenses packaged in 8 bigger boxes), and I know backpackers usually like to go lean since space is at a premium.
On the other hand, being in a foreign country and uncertain of healthcare availability, you want your eyes to be as healthy as possible to avoid eye infections/allergy eyes, etc, and single use lenses are arguably the healthiest.

You could have gone with a two week lens that you actually replace every two weeks. Maybe I’d make it a high oxygen lens that you can sleep in sometimes like Acuvue Oasys. But then you would have to buy solution…so that would take up bulk in your pack.

Maybe you could have gone with the Focus Night and Day and just sleep in the darn things and not take them out for one month. That way you could avoid the bulk of contact lens solution and just have a small sample bottle when needed once or twice a month. But then if you are going to be swimming in lakes or streams, that could be a risk for infection while wearing the contacts.
It’s all a compromise. No one right answer either.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:33:07 +0000

That’s pretty funny! I have never thought through the life of an optometrist in those ways.

I am so glad I found this blog. It seems like you have a lot of passion the profession and you will be able to offer your opinion.

My husband and I are leaving on September 30th, to begin backpacking all around the world to various countries for a year or so. We have decided to go with Focus Dailies.

Leave us a comment with your thoughts, http://www.nomadbackpackers.com

Was this the right decision? Are their better “daily wear lenses” out there? Do you think we will regret not going with the 1-2 week lenses? What advice would you offer us to keep our eyes safe and healthy as we backpack? Etc. Really any thoughts or comments that you or other optometrists have for us would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!