I’m a new grad interested in seeing unique or challenging cases (not every case but I’d like to see a few per month) and publishing case reports on those cases. I’m not interested in “prestige” but I’d just like to do it for fun and to really push the limits of my knowledge. I feel like academia offers this opportunity but always comes with a research requirement, and I have no desire to do research. I feel that od/md would let me see more complicated cases but wouldn’t allow enough time for this. Is there any other option that I’m not aware of?

Hi. I was hoping if I could have some advice whether it's worth doing the Aston professional doctorate post graduate degree as an optometrist or the stand alone modules ?

In addition, which modules would be beneficial to do as a stand alone that would be useful for community optometry. It seems as though everyone is doing IP/medical retina or glaucoma. Thank you!

Hi, a few weeks ago I asked how many gazes the UK based optoms would do in a routine eye exam, today I have three different ones.

For context, I am a newly qualified optom, and ophthalmoscopy constitutes probably 75% of my testing time, and 99% of my anxiety. In an attempt to understand what is expected of us in the UK, I pose these questions:

1. Which VOLK lens do you use for routine undilated slit lamp ophthalmoscopy?

2. How far out into the periphery do you see?

3. How are you supposed to tell (at speed) the difference between a naevus and a normal cluster of pigment?

I ask the second question because the law in the UK is terribly TERRIBLY vague about what constitutes a sufficient health check. I will often see the pigmented bays of the ora serrata during undilated VOLK with a digital wide field, but having watched other optoms at work, I'm not convinced that this is normal. Because the law is so vague, I'm uncertain as to what is actually expected of us. I'm almost certain that I can image more than a whole direct ophthalmoscopy routine in the primary gaze alone using a digital wide field, so what is really expected of us?

I found the law, if anyone is interested:

From the optician's act:

[An optometrist has a duty:] to perform such examinations of the eye for the purpose of detecting injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere as the regulations may require

From the GOC's rules relating to injury or disease of the eye. [It is an optometrists' duty during a sight test:] "to perform, for the purpose of detecting signs of injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere– (i)an examination of the external surface of the eye and its immediate vicinity, (ii)an intra-ocular examination, either by means of an ophthalmoscope or by such other means as the doctor or optician considers appropriate, (iii)such additional examinations as appear to the doctor or optician to be clinically necessary

So I would be ok doing a diffuse illumination in primary gaze for external eye ' then primary gaze only ophthalmoscopy and I'd be legal?

If you've got this far, thank you. I appreciate everyone's input, but if you could identify which country you're from it would be helpful, as the UK and US particularly have very different optometrists and (I assume) expectations of them.

Starting a new optometry clinic cold start and need a commercial real estate. Any recommendations?

I wanted to know how a day in an optometrist who works in a myopia clinic looks like. It seems cool to have a specialty. Also wanted to know if that would potentially increase salary. Thanks!

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to share a cool new feature. You can use your iPhone accelerometer and gyroscope to calibrate a distance eye chart at any distance and then control it with your Apple Watch. I coded the entire thing with the help of AI, you can see it in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO-HK0iKPI8

I use it while I'm on call in the hospital to check distance vision in bed bound patients. And I think its just cool.

Thanks for letting me share the video!

Would a lesion along the optic nerve only result in total monocular VF loss or it possible to see a hemianopia/quadrantanopia on the affected eye?

I nearly missed this RD Monday, thought it was swelling but it's floppy retina. Huge altitudinal VF defect, onset 3 weeks ago. See the ripples in the inf/temp retina. Optos doesn't make it very obvious.

Pt saw the retinal doc Tues and didn't go for the face down gas bubble. Retinal doc didn't insist.

https://preview.redd.it/zit4wugwl1ge1.jpg?width=3828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7d7f89341b5908eaf30a96d87753f1f2f169f1a

Hey! I’ve been working for a few weeks now and I keep questioning everything. I’ll go home and sleep and rethink everything I did. Every time a patient calls with questions about the Rx I gave or wanting changes or changing their mind I feel so bad about it like I did something horribly wrong even though they’re not upset about it.

Is this Normal in the beginning? I feel stupid having so many questions :(

Would love to hear any advice yall have.

the NBEO fiasco has me concerned about passing boards in the future. is it better to complete the OEBC to ensure that i have income to pay back student loans (~350K CAD)? i have heard that the OEBC is relatively easier than the NBEO. i am concerned about potentially failing the NBEO and being unable to practice and generate income.

ultimately, i do intend to practice in the US, but an H1B is obviously not guaranteed. i am also unfamiliar with the competitiveness for an H1B after graduation. taking both exams would be annoying, but delaying my license seems worse. any insight is appreciated!

the table below depicts the pass rates for the OEBC, which significantly vary each year. i assume the 2019-2020 year was heavily impacted by covid.

https://preview.redd.it/q0gb30acrsfe1.png?width=2056&format=png&auto=webp&s=4646c01114e7a6e50b70d24e3058271abd294a9a

About 8 months ago the practice I worked for over 8 years was bought out by MyEyeDr. and against my better judgement I elected to stay after they "sold" me well on how I will have so many opportunities. I was told we were the only practice that had Envision and I would be the for front for helping to start up other dry eye care centers at other offices. Well 8 months and nothing as matter of fact our patients that were coming for treatments have declined. Has anyone else been given false promises from them. They claim to not be traditional corporation giving freedom to do things but it not the case. I only stayed because the doctor I worked for begged me to stay and MED gave me a hefty pay offer. They want numbers in sales before they will do anything. The GM here is nice but she seems to not really know much about this eyecare business which is frustrating! She has management experience but not in eyecare so i don't get it. But i couldn't be the GM and tech and do treatments so it just isn't a good situation. It's like all the personal care and charm went out the door after they took over. Guess I will be looking for another job at an independent doctors office where people matter. I was just curious if anyone else experienced this and did they stay and it worked out or give up on MED's BS?

Hi hope you guys are well, I'm planning on going into optometry as a mature student, and recently i had joined an optical assistant job for experience around a month ago. I have been doing adjustments here and there. However, recently, one of the customers' glasses, I was heating up, the lenses ended up crazing. What makes it worse is that these glasses were $500... My colleagues have said its fine, but my boss might fire me.

Have you all seen this scoring scandal with December’s Part II? What do you think is going on? Wrong key used?

hello! i’m interested in pediatric optometry, and i saw that optometrists can see patients as young as 6 months old, but do you need to do residency to be able to do that? or do optometrists learn how to do eye exams on kids that young in optometry school? i’m still pre-optometry so im curious.

Hi! I saw this 46yo wm in office recently. No flashes of light/floaters. Pt was seen by retina in 2020 and released (pt couldn't remember what eye, what the diagnosis was and couldn't get records). I dilated as well and no holes/tears. Since it's inf temp and very dome like and well-delineated I believe this is retinoschisis? Still sending them to retina but they won't take him for a month or so. Want some opinions on this, thank you in advance!

https://preview.redd.it/od7usat8jyee1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f25f92099986f33a617b1f481ef9f4c1930393e5

I have recently come into a terrible situation that is requiring all the resources I can acquire to get through. How did any manage to successfully sell their optometry equipment for a fair price in a relatively fast time period, I have the full gambit of equipment and my practice does not require me to supply my own so it has been unused for a few months. I would appreciate all serious feedback.

I’m a fourth-year OD student 4 months away from graduation. I thought it would be funny to see the total amount of stuff I’ve studied over the last 4 years.
(NOT PICTURED is my iPad with 39gb of PowerPoints, lecture notes, homework, and endless number of digital textbooks and lab manuals.)

I decided to do this after seeing ignorant people in the Noctor subreddit saying that optometrists only learn about “glasses and contacts” and supposedly don’t study disease.

Hi there! I found a residency spot in this clinic, and their phoropter has no Jackson’s cross cylinder but two extra things that God knows what they do!

How should I start practicing refraction now? What do these do?

I searched online for days, but it seems that no one faces such an issue.

Maybe not a question per se, but maybe more of a confession? I work at a PP and we offer the optomap opposed to dilation for a charge. When people select dilation, unless there’s a new floater or worry for a detachment, tear etc. I only do 90 and extended 90. No BIO. In my defense- I’ve gotten VERY good at extended 90, and during my disease residency, most the ODs only did extended 90 as well. How bad should I feel about this? lol

Was offered role with potential to buy into group. Not really sure what this means and how fronting money to private equity group can be recouped or how to capture ROI. Anyone with experience doing this as an associate? Pros/Cons? Seems like you tie up funds with no guarantee of making money or way of getting paid out? Am I missing something? They are really selling this as a benefit to be able to buy in.

Hello Optometrists,

I am a current student Optometrist (in the UK) and we're being asked to decide whether we would like to study Medical Retina Studies or Glaucoma Studies (with limited space for each) in our final year.

I find Med Ret interesting however we have been told it is majority content and case study examinations and Glaucoma involves practical examinations too (which seems for favourable for the majority).

They have outlined the benefits of Med Ret as;

- Interpreting OCT, FFA and ICG 

- Managing Wet AMD patients

- Managing diabetic patients 

- Managing patients with vein occlusion 

- Confidence in management and referral of medical retina and macular pathologies 

And Glaucoma studies as:

- Improving practical techniques: GAT, optic nerve head assessment, pachymetry, OCT analysis, van Herick, Smith’s technique and visual field understanding. 

- Detecting Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma Suspects and learning about Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma 

- Differentiating Glaucoma from other optic neuropathies 

- Confidence in management and referral of glaucoma related pathologies. 

I really am not sure which one to chose as I find interest in both. Is there one that you would suggest as more important? Or would just advise me to chose?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you :)

Hello everyone,

I am a sophomore undergraduate student studying cell and molecular biology that plans to apply to optometry school once I graduate. Do you guys have any pointers on how to find an optometrist to shadow or any available opportunities?

I am looking for a opportunity in the Santa Clarita, CA region

Thanks!

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Does getting a higher mag lens like 78D or Super 66 really make a difference for retina assessment as an optometrist? When you can just turn up the mag in slit lamp while using the regular 90D or run an OCT through it