Potential Optometry Students 2016
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Original post by KK Slider
The bigger chain companies are more like that, yes, but I work as a receptionist at an independent opticians, and the optoms have loads more time with patients and it's a lot less stressful for them, so it depends.where you work. Also you can work in hospitals and for lens companies etc, so there's lots to think about x
I work in high-street practice as part of a large chain, and at times we are also under immense pressure to push glasses even where not entirely necessary to increase sales.
Original post by liverpool786110
I work in high-street practice as part of a large chain, and at times we are also under immense pressure to push glasses even where not entirely necessary to increase sales.
Are you an optometrist or a dispenser?
Also anyone already on the Optom course, what is the workload like?
Original post by ALittleLost25
Are you an optometrist or a dispenser?
Also anyone already on the Optom course, what is the workload like?
Also anyone already on the Optom course, what is the workload like?
An Optical Assistant lol, working over summer. Tbh, the workload for first year is really quite chill so long as you're used to working hard over A levels, I can't really say its much different, dare I say I found it slightly easier!
****OPTOMETRY IS A TERRIBLE CAREER CHOICE - DO NOT DO IT ****
My Background: I graduated in 2008 and qualified as anOptometrist in 2009, I have been qualified 7 years. Since then I have worked asa resident for all large chain providers (Specsavers, vision express, opticalexpress, boots, Tesco). I have also locummed in over 20 practises. I did myresearch before choosing Optometry including work experience and reading up butafter 7 years I have concluded: Optometry in the UK Is terrible career choice.Period. There are many reasons for this which I set out below:
#1 You will not be seen as a “eye specialist” Optometryis presented very misleadingly by UK universities: They present it as though willbe some kind of “eye specialist who treats eye conditions and checks vision”.Believe me, you will not. 90+% of Optometrists work in a RETAIL setting whereyou will be expected purely to sell glasses or contact lenses. The generalpublic do not even think about going to YOU as an optometrist for eyeproblems/disease. They go to their GP or Hospital A and E and to be fair whyshould they go to you as an Optometrist?? All YOU can do as an Optometrist iseither refer them To their GP or hospital so why shouldn’t they just go straightthere? You have no power to given them a prescription of any type of eyemedication apart from Chloramphenicol which they could easily just buy from aPharmacist without you****unless you study independent prescribing for 2 years postgraduate– which less the 5% of Optometrist do as it is a lot of hard work andresponsibility and will get NO extra pay for doing it compared to a normalOptometrist, so why would most people bother? – They don’t. These days evenpatients have caught on to the fact that you are just a “glasses salesmen/women”as they often call us.
#2 You will have extreme sales pressure As I said,90% of Optometry graduates will work in retail, and you will have incrediblystrong sales pressure thrust upon you by often unqualified managers who have nooptical training themselves. Also it is worth adding that even qualifiedmanagers or Optometrist practice owners themselves encourage this terriblepractise. I have been qualified 7 yearsand it was basically the same everywhere I went, you will have targets like forexample you need to get 70-80% of patients to buy glasses per day. AnyOptometrist out there will tell you this is incredibly hard to do most of thetime. For example if you see an old pensioner who tells you they can’t affordglasses (which they often do) are you really going to FORCE them to buy glasseswhen they don’t need them/ or maybe already have glasses in good condition. Thisis what you WILL be expected to do. And if you do not you will be berated bysales managers. In some places it’s so bad the sales managers come and talk tothe Optometrist after every patient they see to ask/berate why they didn’t “convert”the patient (get them to buy glasses). If you say to the sales manager things like“they didn’t need them” or “they couldn’t afford them” they berate you and tellyou “YOU SHOULD OF DONE BETTER” In almost all practises having high sales figuresis the ONLY way to get a pay rise, In every Interview I have had the firstquestion you are asked is “what is your conversion rate for glasses sales” or “whatyour current sales targets are”
#3 You will not be not respected by other Optometrists orthe public: I can’t tell you the amount of times someone in thepublic/patient has asked me “Do you need a degree to do this job?” These days patientshave caught on to the fact that you are mostly just a “glasses salesmen” asthey often call us. The general public just do not recognise this isprofessional job which requires you to complete a tough and challenging degree.Furthermore the lack of unity if the profession is a joke, Optometrists do notrespect each other in the slightest, I can’t tell you how many times I have heardone Optometrist bad mouth another in front of patients!!! You don’t really seeDoctors bad mouthing each other in front of patients since they have that mutualrespect but it does not exist in Optometry – no one cares.
4# You will have to work weekends and bank holidays Youwill be expected to work either Saturday or Sunday or sometimes both!. Thiswill likely cause havoc in your personal life as most people (whichprofessional jobs) work Monday to Friday, so forget about ever going out onFriday nights. You could say “so what doctors work weekends?” That’s right theydo but their pay reflects that and is higher on weekends, whereas you as aresident Optometrist will not receive any higher pay for weekends, you willjust be expected to as that is the norm. Also Doctors/Police etc who work weekendsare emergency services which we need - selling someone glasses is not anemergency service (see point #1)
5# You will not be wealthy or have a comfortable lifestyle:Pay in Optometry is terrible, it is now common for newly qualifiedOptometrist in/around London to start on 27k or lower, and there is no yearlyincrease like you get in other jobs. I know Optometrists who haven’t had a payincrease in 5 years or even longer and the only way to get pay increases inmost places is by having high sales figures, which apart from beingimmoral/unethical is extremely difficult to do. On average after 5 years qualifiedyou will be on about 40-43k which is of course higher than the UK average butyou will need to work very hard for it. This includes severe sales pressure(point #2) never having weekends off (point #3). On the other hand had I havefriends who didn’t even go University and work in fields like recruitment whoalready earn more than that. The reasonpay is so low is two things: 1. too many Optometry graduates for what wasalways a niche field. 2. Large multiples like Specsavers pushing down salaries
6# You will have repetitive job What you do will beEXACTLY the same from the day you qualify to the day you retire. I have putthis point last as to be fair, having a repetitive job isn’t the worst thingloads of jobs are repetitive but it is INCREDILY BORING if you’re the kind ofperson to get bored quickly. My experiences relates to retail Optometry (which is where90% of optometrists will go), my friends who are loccuming also tell me thesituation is getting worse locum rates going lower and lower (there is actuallya recent petition about this – I have no experience of working hospitalOptometry where tiny minority will go but from what I understand pay is oftenlower then retail optometry. Also most hospital posts are part time so youwould need to string together a hospital job and maybe a part time retail oneto make a decent living.
CONCLUSION: THINK VERY VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE CHOOSIING TOSTUDY/BECOME AN OPTOMETRIST THERE ARE A LOT OF CONS/DISADVANTAGES. MOSTOPTOMETRISTS I HAVE MET BADLY REGRET THEIR CHOICE BUT ARE TRAPPED (LIKE I AM) a
My Background: I graduated in 2008 and qualified as anOptometrist in 2009, I have been qualified 7 years. Since then I have worked asa resident for all large chain providers (Specsavers, vision express, opticalexpress, boots, Tesco). I have also locummed in over 20 practises. I did myresearch before choosing Optometry including work experience and reading up butafter 7 years I have concluded: Optometry in the UK Is terrible career choice.Period. There are many reasons for this which I set out below:
#1 You will not be seen as a “eye specialist” Optometryis presented very misleadingly by UK universities: They present it as though willbe some kind of “eye specialist who treats eye conditions and checks vision”.Believe me, you will not. 90+% of Optometrists work in a RETAIL setting whereyou will be expected purely to sell glasses or contact lenses. The generalpublic do not even think about going to YOU as an optometrist for eyeproblems/disease. They go to their GP or Hospital A and E and to be fair whyshould they go to you as an Optometrist?? All YOU can do as an Optometrist iseither refer them To their GP or hospital so why shouldn’t they just go straightthere? You have no power to given them a prescription of any type of eyemedication apart from Chloramphenicol which they could easily just buy from aPharmacist without you****unless you study independent prescribing for 2 years postgraduate– which less the 5% of Optometrist do as it is a lot of hard work andresponsibility and will get NO extra pay for doing it compared to a normalOptometrist, so why would most people bother? – They don’t. These days evenpatients have caught on to the fact that you are just a “glasses salesmen/women”as they often call us.
#2 You will have extreme sales pressure As I said,90% of Optometry graduates will work in retail, and you will have incrediblystrong sales pressure thrust upon you by often unqualified managers who have nooptical training themselves. Also it is worth adding that even qualifiedmanagers or Optometrist practice owners themselves encourage this terriblepractise. I have been qualified 7 yearsand it was basically the same everywhere I went, you will have targets like forexample you need to get 70-80% of patients to buy glasses per day. AnyOptometrist out there will tell you this is incredibly hard to do most of thetime. For example if you see an old pensioner who tells you they can’t affordglasses (which they often do) are you really going to FORCE them to buy glasseswhen they don’t need them/ or maybe already have glasses in good condition. Thisis what you WILL be expected to do. And if you do not you will be berated bysales managers. In some places it’s so bad the sales managers come and talk tothe Optometrist after every patient they see to ask/berate why they didn’t “convert”the patient (get them to buy glasses). If you say to the sales manager things like“they didn’t need them” or “they couldn’t afford them” they berate you and tellyou “YOU SHOULD OF DONE BETTER” In almost all practises having high sales figuresis the ONLY way to get a pay rise, In every Interview I have had the firstquestion you are asked is “what is your conversion rate for glasses sales” or “whatyour current sales targets are”
#3 You will not be not respected by other Optometrists orthe public: I can’t tell you the amount of times someone in thepublic/patient has asked me “Do you need a degree to do this job?” These days patientshave caught on to the fact that you are mostly just a “glasses salesmen” asthey often call us. The general public just do not recognise this isprofessional job which requires you to complete a tough and challenging degree.Furthermore the lack of unity if the profession is a joke, Optometrists do notrespect each other in the slightest, I can’t tell you how many times I have heardone Optometrist bad mouth another in front of patients!!! You don’t really seeDoctors bad mouthing each other in front of patients since they have that mutualrespect but it does not exist in Optometry – no one cares.
4# You will have to work weekends and bank holidays Youwill be expected to work either Saturday or Sunday or sometimes both!. Thiswill likely cause havoc in your personal life as most people (whichprofessional jobs) work Monday to Friday, so forget about ever going out onFriday nights. You could say “so what doctors work weekends?” That’s right theydo but their pay reflects that and is higher on weekends, whereas you as aresident Optometrist will not receive any higher pay for weekends, you willjust be expected to as that is the norm. Also Doctors/Police etc who work weekendsare emergency services which we need - selling someone glasses is not anemergency service (see point #1)
5# You will not be wealthy or have a comfortable lifestyle:Pay in Optometry is terrible, it is now common for newly qualifiedOptometrist in/around London to start on 27k or lower, and there is no yearlyincrease like you get in other jobs. I know Optometrists who haven’t had a payincrease in 5 years or even longer and the only way to get pay increases inmost places is by having high sales figures, which apart from beingimmoral/unethical is extremely difficult to do. On average after 5 years qualifiedyou will be on about 40-43k which is of course higher than the UK average butyou will need to work very hard for it. This includes severe sales pressure(point #2) never having weekends off (point #3). On the other hand had I havefriends who didn’t even go University and work in fields like recruitment whoalready earn more than that. The reasonpay is so low is two things: 1. too many Optometry graduates for what wasalways a niche field. 2. Large multiples like Specsavers pushing down salaries
6# You will have repetitive job What you do will beEXACTLY the same from the day you qualify to the day you retire. I have putthis point last as to be fair, having a repetitive job isn’t the worst thingloads of jobs are repetitive but it is INCREDILY BORING if you’re the kind ofperson to get bored quickly. My experiences relates to retail Optometry (which is where90% of optometrists will go), my friends who are loccuming also tell me thesituation is getting worse locum rates going lower and lower (there is actuallya recent petition about this – I have no experience of working hospitalOptometry where tiny minority will go but from what I understand pay is oftenlower then retail optometry. Also most hospital posts are part time so youwould need to string together a hospital job and maybe a part time retail oneto make a decent living.
CONCLUSION: THINK VERY VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE CHOOSIING TOSTUDY/BECOME AN OPTOMETRIST THERE ARE A LOT OF CONS/DISADVANTAGES. MOSTOPTOMETRISTS I HAVE MET BADLY REGRET THEIR CHOICE BUT ARE TRAPPED (LIKE I AM) a
(edited 7 years ago)
Also before anyone asks me why I typed all the above.
The point is to help prospective students not make the same mistakes I did, Optometry is presented very misleadingly by universities. Me and the MAJORITY of my qualified colleagues regret doing it.
This might help someone as it is COLD HARD INFORMATION, which no university or lecturer in going to tell you, the intention is to help. Remember at the end of the day universities are BUSINESSES - there goal is to ATTRACT you to the course - not to give you a realistic idea of prospects after.
If you dont believe me, print this off and show it to any qualified Optometrist who you know well and will be honest with you. Its very unlikely they wouldn't agree with the majority of what ive said
The point is to help prospective students not make the same mistakes I did, Optometry is presented very misleadingly by universities. Me and the MAJORITY of my qualified colleagues regret doing it.
This might help someone as it is COLD HARD INFORMATION, which no university or lecturer in going to tell you, the intention is to help. Remember at the end of the day universities are BUSINESSES - there goal is to ATTRACT you to the course - not to give you a realistic idea of prospects after.
If you dont believe me, print this off and show it to any qualified Optometrist who you know well and will be honest with you. Its very unlikely they wouldn't agree with the majority of what ive said
(edited 7 years ago)
'you will not be wealthy or have a comfortable lifestyle'
Then you go on to say that after only 5 years you could be on £40k? Were you hoping to be sailing on your own yacht or something? Thats more than comfortable for a 9 to 5, laid back easy job.
Sounds to me that you're just bad at your job and resent everyone else.
Then you go on to say that after only 5 years you could be on £40k? Were you hoping to be sailing on your own yacht or something? Thats more than comfortable for a 9 to 5, laid back easy job.
Sounds to me that you're just bad at your job and resent everyone else.
Original post by ALittleLost25
'you will not be wealthy or have a comfortable lifestyle'
Then you go on to say that after only 5 years you could be on £40k? Were you hoping to be sailing on your own yacht or something? Thats more than comfortable for a 9 to 5, laid back easy job.
Sounds to me that you're just bad at your job and resent everyone else.
Then you go on to say that after only 5 years you could be on £40k? Were you hoping to be sailing on your own yacht or something? Thats more than comfortable for a 9 to 5, laid back easy job.
Sounds to me that you're just bad at your job and resent everyone else.
Its not a 9-5 job. Most optometrists work 9-6 or often 10-7 or even 12-8 including unsociable hours like saturdays or sundays every week. You also have to work bank holidays in most places with no extra pay. Not exactly a typical 9-5 job isit?? In most jobs ive had you also dont get a lunch break if you are running behind (which will 100% happen as companies cram in as many appointments possible for profit)
Coupled with extreme targets sales pressure and stress in most places. Id rather have a typical "9-5 job" as you describe and be on less
And its not a laid back job there is every increasing threat of litigation from patients and many of my colleges have first hand experience of this. The problem is on the one hand you are supposed to be a clinician and on the other hand businesses want you to be salesman, IT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST this happens in all companies and the GOC (general optical council regulatory body) are powerless to stop it - in fact most of the GOC directors are practice owners themselves who secretly encourage it.
Im probably the only qualified (7 years) Optometrist in the whole forum - I tell it like it is - COLD HARD FACTS - which I wish someone would of told me. Ask any qualified Optometrist you know well about what I have written (not someone you dont know very well who will sugarcoat it for you). Again ask the same Optometrist if they would ever recommend the career to anyone?
(edited 7 years ago)
Mate what's the alternative, if I want to work in The healthcare field with my grades the only options are optometry, pharmacy and a handful of others, you can't frame it as a bad career choice if you don't show how the alternative is better, so I ask you what is the alternative what do you wish you had gone in to?
Original post by Hamza999Hamza
Mate what's the alternative, if I want to work in The healthcare field with my grades the only options are optometry, pharmacy and a handful of others, you can't frame it as a bad career choice if you don't show how the alternative is better, so I ask you what is the alternative what do you wish you had gone in to?
Be honest with you mate I really dont know what the alternative is.
Im just saying KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING INTO and work out whether you could deal with/ be content with what ive described
Original post by optometrist123
Be honest with you mate I really dont know what the alternative is.
Im just saying KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING INTO and work out whether you could deal with/ be content with what ive described
Im just saying KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING INTO and work out whether you could deal with/ be content with what ive described
I'd disregard this persons advice. I mean he claims to have graduated in 2008 yet still hasn't learned the correct use of, 'Your', and, 'You're.
Original post by optometrist123
Also before anyone asks me why I typed all the above.
The point is to help prospective students not make the same mistakes I did, Optometry is presented very misleadingly by universities. Me and the MAJORITY of my qualified colleagues regret doing it.
This might help someone as it is COLD HARD INFORMATION, which no university or lecturer in going to tell you, the intention is to help. Remember at the end of the day universities are BUSINESSES - there goal is to ATTRACT you to the course - not to give you a realistic idea of prospects after.
If you dont believe me, print this off and show it to any qualified Optometrist who you know well and will be honest with you. Its very unlikely they wouldn't agree with the majority of what ive said
The point is to help prospective students not make the same mistakes I did, Optometry is presented very misleadingly by universities. Me and the MAJORITY of my qualified colleagues regret doing it.
This might help someone as it is COLD HARD INFORMATION, which no university or lecturer in going to tell you, the intention is to help. Remember at the end of the day universities are BUSINESSES - there goal is to ATTRACT you to the course - not to give you a realistic idea of prospects after.
If you dont believe me, print this off and show it to any qualified Optometrist who you know well and will be honest with you. Its very unlikely they wouldn't agree with the majority of what ive said
I can understand where you are coming from, because yes the big high street businesses are extremely sales based and want to make lots of money. But there are alternatives; I work as a receptionist in an independent opticians owned by Leightons and the story is completely different. Our customers will even ask to see certain optometrists again because they value their opinion and trust them so much.
I also think that you have to love what you're doing though. It may be boring and repetitive at times but the fact is that day after day we will be helping people to see, we will be improving people's quality of life, and we have the ability and knowledge to save their sight; surely you feel some sense of accomplishment about this? I know that being able to help people see is one of the reasons I will be studying this degree, I can't wait to make a difference to people's lives, if you don't feel that way then I don't think you should be doing optom.
Original post by optometrist123
Also before anyone asks me why I typed all the above.
If you dont believe me, print this off and show it to any qualified Optometrist who you know well and will be honest with you. Its very unlikely they wouldn't agree with the majority of what ive said
If you dont believe me, print this off and show it to any qualified Optometrist who you know well and will be honest with you. Its very unlikely they wouldn't agree with the majority of what ive said
I can understand where you are coming from, because yes the big high street businesses are extremely sales based and want to make lots of money. But there are alternatives; I work as a receptionist in an independent opticians owned by Leightons and the story is completely different. Our customers will even ask to see certain optometrists again because they value their opinion and trust them so much.
I also think that you have to love what you're doing though. It may be boring and repetitive at times but the fact is that day after day we will be helping people to see, we will be improving people's quality of life, and we have the ability and knowledge to save their sight; surely you feel some sense of accomplishment about this? I know that being able to help people see is one of the reasons I will be studying this degree, I can't wait to make a difference to people's lives, if you don't feel that way then I don't think you should be doing optom.
Does optometry require a lot of physics and maths? Because im currently contemplating whether to drop maths at A level, leaving me with just my AS qualification in Maths? And then study bio, chem and psychology.
Original post by thefailurelife
Does optometry require a lot of physics and maths? Because im currently contemplating whether to drop maths at A level, leaving me with just my AS qualification in Maths? And then study bio, chem and psychology.
It certainly does, make sure you keep those two throughout A level, you'll regret it if you don't because the majority is maths/physics orientated.
Original post by liverpool786110
It certainly does, make sure you keep those two throughout A level, you'll regret it if you don't because the majority is maths/physics orientated.
But i was looking at the course and what it covers for e.g at uni of man and it doesnt seem to have a lot of physics and maths
Original post by thefailurelife
But i was looking at the course and what it covers for e.g at uni of man and it doesnt seem to have a lot of physics and maths
A lecturer at Aston said to me that if you can do the maths in chemistry a level then you should be fine (I haven't done maths I did bio and chem)
Original post by thefailurelife
But i was looking at the course and what it covers for e.g at uni of man and it doesnt seem to have a lot of physics and maths
Some maths, mainly biology
Really scared!! Hope I get into city!!!
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Original post by bioloves
Me too! I hope I get into Aston.
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Anyone else firmed Bradford for optometry?
(edited 7 years ago)
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