Job Description
I have the opportunity to work in three different modalities which is great because it gives variety. Working in a hospital setting allows me to meet and care for a different population and can be quite rewarding and fulfilling. Working in a refractive center exposes me to the newest technology. And working in a private practice setting exposes to me what most optometrists do.
Pros
1) Security/Stability-The need for eye care will always be there. Plus with the baby boomers, there will be plenty of patients who will need care. Experts are also projecting about a 20% growth in job in the next 10 years.
2) Variety-There are plenty of avenues one can take within the field of optometry. Most do open their own practice but you are definitely not limited to that. There are opportunities in hospitals, military, surgery centers, industry, research, academics, etc. You also meet a diverse group of people everyday.
3) Schedule/Hours-There are no crazy hours here. Pretty much 8-5 or 8-6 job. When patients are done, you go home. You can work as many days as you want or as few especially if you have your own practice.
4) Depending on which modality you get into, optometry can be an extremely rewarding career.
Cons
1) Working weekends-This is something they never told us in optometry school. As a fresh graduate, there is a 99.99% chance that you will be working Saturdays and/or Sundays. Just be prepared.
2) Inconsistent work schedule-Especially for new graduates in areas where there is a larger pool of optometrists (mostly big metropolian areas), starting out, you will most likely be working in several practices/offices. It is very difficult to find a full-time job initially. Often times, you will be commuting quite a bit from one office one day to another the next day.
3) Better one or two? Better one or two? Repeat, repeat, repeat. It's true. Again depending on the modality, this job can be quite monotonous.
Company Size
250-500 employees
Pay Range
$100,001-$120,000
Years in Job
2
Education
Bachelor's; Optometry School
City
San Francisco
State
CA
