who will be applying for optometry? (1 Viewer)

[mrs grasshopper]

also what are the pros and cons of optometry?

 

[Paradox1345]

I second that

 

[Dr_Fresh]

i really have no idea. but i once heard that they one things they do are eye tests and sell glasses. if u wanted to do the surgery etc, you have to do it thru a med degree.

 

[ninjapuppet]

i would say that the main advantage of optometry over many other allied health professions, is that optometry is funded fairly well under the national medicare system. you can visit an optometrist without a doctor's referral.

Patients of other allied health professions such as physiotherapy, chiro, podiatrist, etc etc may be entitled to 5 sessions per year with the doctor's referral under Medicare's EPC (ehanced primary care)

basically, if you open up a clinic, its relatively easier to get patients and build your numbers up quicker than other professions. secondly, you can sell glasses and make a nice income stream from that. if you're dodgy, you can sell sunnies via health fund rebates too.(not recommended)

cons: due to equipment costs, it would be more expensive to open up initially, compared to a GP surgery, physio clinic, podiatrists clinic...

its fairly easy to see that in expensive rental areas such as westfileds, you will see numerous optometrists because they can afford that sort of rent. if you see doctors in shopping centres, they're usually hidden away in some corner where the rents are cheaper.

 

[extensorindicis]

Just to add that you don't need a referral from a gp to see a physio, not sure if ^^ was saying that, but just clarrifying. Most patients have private health insurance and the pay for physio's is still high. stats from my other thread suggests 115k is average after expenses for reception etc etc

I think the pay is 55.10 per eye prescription i think? and commission from lenses and frames so optom is very good in that respect - per customer good return. Similarly for physio its about 70-80 bucks per patient for intial consult and 65ish for each subsequent session (treatment is usually 4-5 sessions).

Also at shopping centres you don't see private practice optom's opening up its nearly impossible to afford the rent at westfields if your owning your own, usually you see franchises at westfields where an optom owns the store i guess but under a franchise where the franchise lets say specsavers, opsm etc pays them a salary (tops at 85-90k) and they pay for marketing, rent, etc etc

correct me if im wrong ninja puppet.

 

[lillil]

I used to consider Optometry before but in term of job prospect, I found out that it is at risk like pharmacy. Optometrist is the middle band between the highly qualified opthalmologist (eye doctor - has a MBBS) or the TAFE qualified optician who main job is to make lenses. Currently, it has the second highest salary after dentists for new graduates. Hope that help. Btw, all of this information is sourced from: Optometry prospects - Med Students Online