Many factors go into choosing a medical specialty such as optometry, including personal history, clinical interests, duration of the training involved, career opportunities and financial and work-life balance considerations. New research now provides individuals who might be considering becoming an optometrist with information about the profession and how it might fit into their interests, skills, career goals and lifestyle aspirations.
Nearly 325 optometrists participated in the “Career Considerations in Optometry” survey conducted by Jobson Research® in conjunction with Latinos en Optometry and Transitions Optical Limited. Qualified participants with anywhere from two to over 20 years of experience responded to questions about some critical factors that might help influence an individual’s decision to pursue a career in optometry. It’s important that students thoroughly evaluate their career options and make a well-informed decision about what will satisfy them personally and professionally,” says Latinos en Optometry Advisory Board member Diana Shechtman, OD, FAAO. “We hope the findings from this survey will inspire students to consider pursuing a career in optometry.”
THE FIELD OF OPTOMETRY
Optometry is a growing field, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting 9% employment growth between 2022 and 2032, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.1 More than half (54%) of respondents report being very satisfied with being an optometrist, and most (69%) agree that they have a great deal of security in their position (i.e., know where they stand; certain of their future professionally; confident of their income and need for services in the future).
The field of optometry is also experiencing a growing emphasis on specialization to meet the changing needs of patients. A majority of respondents (67%) described themselves as primary eye care providers while one-third identified themselves either as a primary optometrist with subspecialty skills (30%) or a subspecialist (3%). Top subspecialty areas included Dry Eye (65%), Cornea and Contact Lenses (64%), Ocular Disease (55%) and Glaucoma (51%).
About one in five (20%) believe the need for optometrists and optometry subspecialties will increase significantly in the future, while about half (46%) believe it will increase slightly and 22% think it will remain about the same. “Optometrists have the opportunity to explore a variety of career paths that go beyond traditional clinical practice with opportunities in various sectors, including corporate, academia, research and public health,” adds Latinos en Optometry Advisory Board member Sandra Juarez Fortenberry, OD, FAAO, Dean for the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry.
As visual impairment rates are expected to increase in the U.S. by 2050, especially among minority populations, diversifying the optometry workforce can help reduce disparities in access to vision health care. One in five (12%) respondents believe there will be a significant increase in the need for optometrists with diverse ethnic background, while more than half (53%) agree that there will be at least a slight increase. “A diverse optometry workforce can help improve access to and quality of vision care for all patients, especially for underserved minorities,” adds Dr. Shechtman.
Among other key findings:
Creativity/Innovation & Technology: About one-third of respondents (34%) say optometry provides a great deal of opportunity for creativity and innovation; nearly half (48%) say advances in optometry are frequently changing, allowing them to change the way they diagnose, manage, and treat eye-related problems.
Personal Time/Work-Life Balance: More than half of respondents (56%) say their work provides them with a great deal of flexibility in controlling their schedule and the amount of time they take off from work. About half (52%) of optometrists surveyed are highly satisfied with their current work-life balance, with men slightly more satisfied than women (56% vs. 50%).
Income: Four in ten respondents (43%) say they are highly satisfied with the compensation they receive as an optometrist while nine in ten (9%) say they are very dissatisfied. Men (53%) are significantly more likely to report being highly satisfied with their compensation than women (35%).
Patient Relationships/Continuity of Care: While some specialties such as surgery might have a one-time interaction, most optometrists surveyed (82%) say they have a great deal of returning patients and the majority (78%) agree that Optometry provides them with a great deal of opportunity to see the end results of diagnosis/treatment.
Collaboration: Collaborative efforts between optometrists and other healthcare professionals ensures comprehensive and specialized patient care through shared responsibilities and complementary expertise. Four in ten (43%) respondents say Optometry provides a great deal of opportunity for collaboration with other optometrists or other medical specialists.
“Partnering with Latinos en Optometry allows us to engage directly with growing a diverse community in optometry,” says Arlene Barringer, senior marketing manager at Transitions Optical. “Our goal is to use these results to create additional resources in creating awareness and consideration of optometry as a profession, while also addressing the need for diversity and inclusion in the field to improve patient care.”
To download a copy of the “Career Considerations in Optometry” Executive Summary visit LINK.
For more information about Latinos en Optometry and to become a member, visit www.latinosenoptometry.org.
Featured photo credit: Getty Images, andresr
