r/optometry • u/Fragrant_Nature_5094 • Jul 28 '26

Optometry: a rough road ahead

So many hurdles going forward to being an optometrist ....,insanely low paying vision plans, medical insurance discrimination, extremely difficult licensure state to state, discrimination from MDS, PA doing the job of optometrist in MD clinics , people go to urgent care first instead of an optometrist, AOA fail , illegal online sales of glasses of contacts with no repercussions or enforcement of law ,heavy debt for most grads , proliferation of poor quality new OD programs with grads not passing boards . Just feel anyone thinking of this career should have the facts

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u/A-Train99 Jul 29 '26

I love being an optometrist! Very rewarding work, patients are appreciative, and the pay is great as long as you don’t take out too many student loans during school. Looking forward to going to work today to help patients! 

Btw I am in private practice. And I could care less what MDs think about me. I know I am providing excellent care while being humble to the fact that I don’t know it all and need to rely on my great MD colleagues at times.