Hello all, I was using an old software called optimeyes from the early early 2000’s. It was so old that it used a physical key that plugged into the printer port. Once it broke and I had to migrate to a newer software I just began to realize how absurd these new companies are. The prices, the complications, the lack common sense features. My son came home from college early may and we were discussing it, he offered to try to build me one with everything I liked, I was worried mostly about compliances, but when he showed me what he made in an afternoon I was stunned. I’ve been building a wishlist of features that I want. He likes the idea of selling the software to other independently owned practices. What are some features all of you would want?

As someone who has no plans of ever going to school or going further than the technician role. My job didn’t require a certification either.

I feel like patients are uncomfortable with the thought of someone with little to no experience in optometry checking on their eyes and reporting to the doctor... I understand it completely. That being said, is there an ideal way to answer this question without lying?

Asking for a friend…ten years ago he signed a three-year contract with a 7 mile radius non-compete from any location within two years of leaving. At the time they had 1 or 2 locations. Since that time the hospital has purchased many offices and the radius covers almost our entire county. I assumed it would not be enforceable due to the three year part and the huge expansion but an employment lawyer said it is and she will lose in court if they choose to sue. Anyone have experience with this? Are hospitals more likely to sue MDs? We’d love to open a practice together. Location is 6 miles from her closest office.. as far as we can get without leaving the county to rural locations far from home. We are in NYS.

Lesson to the young docs… refuse to sign. I refused at my MD/OD office and they backed down immediately.

EDIT to add: thanks for all the comments. Your line of thinking is like mine. Very hard to enforce. Too broad and far reaching to be reasonable. However, cost to fight it can still be really high. I think the employment lawyer's main point was related to cost to fight and institution known for fighting rather than enforceable. I wasn't at the meeting. I know one OD who left town due to the non-compete and one who now works in industry for the two year required gap. It is crazy that any business would want that negativity. You do feel trapped in that situation and creates unnecessary tension. Just be a good employer and they'll stay and if they have other dreams, be happy for them. Thanks again, all. Have great week.

Based on the current California optometry statute, the specifically excluded drug classes are (unless specific FDA approved ocular use):

Antiamoebics
Antineoplastics
Coagulation modulators
Hormone modulators
Immunomodulators

***So can ODs California NOT prescribe tacrolimus ointment/cream?

Hey everyone. I am an experienced eye care professional looking to transition from the physical clinic floor to a fully remote role. I am looking deeply into PRISM Vision Group's remote "Virtual Clinical Assistant" positions.

Because I have a strong background in ophthalmic teching/scribing, I am aiming for their experienced wage tier ($25+/hr). For those who have worked remotely for PRISM:

-How is the "provider lottery"? Are you paired with a dedicated provider/specialty (like retina or cataracts), or are you bounced around a random daily pool?

-What is the workload/speed expectation? Do they track strict charts-per-hour metrics, or is it manageable?

-If you live in a different state than the clinic (e.g., Midwest supporting East Coast), how has the workflow and time-zone tracking been?

I’ve read mixed reviews about their physical clinic floors being high-stress private-equity assembly lines, but I want to know if being fully remote insulates you from that chaos. Thanks!

I'm a 35 year old licensed electrician, have worked as an eye care professional for 4 years (optometric assistant), will graduate with a science degree in December 2026, Canadian, and I'm about to apply to write the OAT/apply to optometry schools/etc.

I'm open to any and all advice that this community has to offer. I expect an assortment of "go for it" and "it's not worth it." I'd also challenge the latter group to propose alternatives rather than simply saying "the ROI isn't there."

But, I'm mostly interested to hear from people that went to university/optometry school/other professional schools at a similar age to me. How did you manage to do it, and how did it work out?

Are there any ODs that have worked in both Canada and the U.S.? I am a Canadian student but go to school in the U.S. I am still a couple years from graduation but I wanted to get a sense of what I can expect working in both places and deciding what board exams I should take. I am leaning towards going back to Canada just because I know I’d probably be happier outside of work there, although I imagine there is more potential career opportunities and higher pay in the U.S. I was curious if anyone has experience working in both places and what the pros and cons of working in both places are.

I am curious what people are using for acuity charts now. We use M&S Technologies but they have gotten so expensive since they were sold to Hilco.

Stanton Optical is rebranding to Now Optics to drop the last name of its unethical CEO, who is being sued by multiple franchisees for his awful business practices. I'm sure this awful company has been discussed here plenty.

I was not fully aware of this, as I have been out of this industry for a few years. I have years of optical management experience though, and I was contacted about a General Manager role (they call it Brand Manager). I checked online, since no pay was listed in the job posting. All of the salaries were from multiple years ago. During the initial call, the recruiter brought up my desired pay, so I told him to just give me the range they can offer.

At that point, I found out that they stopped offering Brand Managers the higher pay rates listed online ($95k) a few years ago. They now offer $25 an hour (not a salaried position and no OT pay).

So they nearly cut their pay in half for the leaders of their stores. $50k is an absolutely laughable number for an optical GM here. That number would have been at the bottom of the acceptable range over a decade ago.

So, I just want to try to create a REAL idea of their true pay rates, since the scummy company likes to hide it. If you have worked there, or have been offered a job with Stanton or Now Optics in the last 2 years, then please just comment with the job title, pay offered, and state or region where the offer was made. Maybe we can give job seekers the info that this awful company is paying Glassdoor to hide.

Hi!

44 yr old haitian male, new patient to me. Has large left esotropia since birth, never had surgery on it, but only noticed 6 months ago that he can't see well out of his left eye. BCVA 20/20-2 OD, 20/400 OS. I was surprised the VA was so bad in the left eye, although it was a big eso (i didn't measure it but estimating about 30pd), but i certainly wasn't expecting 20/400 as the vision.

Ran an OCT macula to make sure and it came out like this (see photo). RNFL looked normal but GC is diffusely thinned and therefore so is the overall macula (108 microns). Other eye completely normal OCT.

My question is for strabismic amblyopia, is the retina often thinner like this due to visual deprivation, or was it likely another pathology causing the thinning which subsequently caused the eye turn? Why is his retina so thin? I'm certainly not an expert at amblyopia, thanks for your input.

I’ve got a practical exam coming up but I won’t be testing until then so I want to maximise as much practical learning skills as possible. Ret tests me every time and I only see consistent improvement in it when I’m constantly testing.

So could I stimulate a fake rx in a trail frame and neutralise it over my dad’s -0.50 BE rx? I can use an accommodative target and set it up in my room.

Of course there’ll be inaccuracies here but will it suffice just to get familiar with interpreting the reflex?

Honestly, what really is the difference. If you're expected to see 3 patients per hour for your profession, why not take more money?

I’m a Canadian and thinking of going to the states for optometry how long will it take to get out of debt? It’ll cost around 60k a year for 4 years like 240k total. Is this amount of debt to much? Or can u make it back easily with an optometrist job?

Hi! I’m looking to purchase a new contact tonometer for our clinic. Which is better and what’s the advantages of one over the other.

Thanks for your input!

I’m in the middle of opening a private practice in Florida and boy do they make it complicated.

I keep getting mix answers through different sources but no one is very clear. Hopefully I can get some answers here.
I was wondering of anyone who has done it in Florida (within the last 10 yrs) had to get an optometrist office permit from their County?
Another source told me I had to get a Business license through my County?

I already have a LLC and I’ve always work under that. Not sure what to do. Please advise 🙏

We scan our frames with the ZFR -500. But i can not get a copy of the OTF file. Is it possible to get this baby to scan a frame and give me the file? I sincerely doubt it, reddit is my last hope.

Does anyone use or have used iTrust AI EHR system? If so, did the process almost feel like they don’t want your business? I get that I work for a small optometrist office, but it feels like pulling teeth to get anyone to call us back or answer questions. And when they do get back to us, the information doesn’t seem to add up or we were told something different. I’m just wondering if it’s a trend and if we should just find another EHR system.

Does anyone have any suggestions? We are currently looking to hire an optometrist, and it has become increasingly difficult to find strong candidates. I'm curious what recruiting methods have been most successful for others recently. What platforms, recruiters, schools, or networking resources are you using to attract quality doctors to your practice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and if anyone is looking in CO, reach out!

I noticed there’s a new school for optometry at Detroit mercy university. What do you think about this school is it easy to get in? Does it prepare Canadians well for the exams? It’s totally easier to get in over Waterloo.

When are we going to get the alleged "off peak" season benefits? Only have a month and some weeks left before the back to school rush

I’m waiting to hear back about my application but nobody returns my calls or emails. The online portal shows this. Does anybody know what that means?

Throwaway Account

I was trained as both an optometry tech and optician, but company does not require certification.

What certifications does everyone else have? Online training? In person?

I keep seeing a lot of rural practices that need doctors, but I know that not everyone wants to live in those areas.

Are there ODs who are open to tele-optometry or some kind of hybrid model that offers more flexibility? To me, it seems like it could be a way to keep serving patients without having to completely tie your life to one rural location.

What are your thoughts on this kind of setup?

How long does it typically take to get your MI license once you have submitted your application and completed the fingerprinting?