Men and Women Are Created Equal Funny Patient Stories Watch Where You Aim
In the August 2005 editorial, you asked: What will women do to optometry? The answer is they will practice it, just as I have for the past 20 years. A Doctor of Optometry by any appearancewhether short or tall, thick or thin, old or youngis a Doctor of Optometry. We are defined more by our style of practice than by our appearancegender included.
What if there are more female optometrists, and they seek employment? When did employee become a bad word? As opportunities for recent graduates to enter traditional optometric private practice dwindle, as they certainly have in the past few years, more graduates of both genders are seeking employment. With the amount of student debt they carry, how can you blame them?
One of the great aspects of our profession is that it allows for a more balanced lifestyle than traditional medicine. One reason I went into optometry was just that; I wanted a life outside of my work. Optometry is ideally suited to allow any individual to work less than a full schedule, contribute to the welfare of the general public and still earn a decent income.
Some of you will likely disagree with my perspective. Wonderful! Isnt it great that we live in a country in which we can disagree! However, I would encourage anyone who sees this new paradigm and does not like it to provide gainful employment to our new graduates, female and male, at wages that allow debt reduction and some degree of lifestyle. Mentor them, and mold them into the optometrists of the future.
I know many male and female optometrists who have gone on to work for LensCrafters, Wal-Mart and Doctors Value Vision, and they do an outstanding job of practicing primary-care optometry. The quality of their work has more to do with the individual than the setting.
The things that bind us are greater than the things that separate us. Still, we dont need to ignore our differences. Be a man of integrity. Be a woman of honor. Bring these, along with all your other unique characteristics, to your work. Do what is best for your patients. Leave the rest at the door.
This is not to ignore the individual characteristics or practice desires we each bring to the mix. If a man wants to work three days a week, or a woman wants to work less than a full schedule, whats the problem? It may take a bit more creativity and flexibility, but what is the problem with that?
Finally, we carry enough professional baggage. Lets deal with this particular issue without creating a new subset of victims. Evolution happens.
Howell M. Findley, O.D.
Lexington, Ky.
Leave His Cataracts Alone!
Early in my practice, an elderly couple presented for exams, and I referred both of them for cataract surgery. The wife underwent cataract surgery first. A few days after her surgery date, I called to ask how she was doing. She replied, Its awful! Now I can see all those wrinkles I never knew I had! And, honey, that ol man (meaning her husband) has no need to know about them at our age. So, could you call and cancel his surgery?
Linda Crannell, O.D.
I recently examined an educated, intelligent man who had a relatively advanced maculopathy. He said his disease caused anything he looked at to be obscured behind a dark, fuzzy circle. His primary complaint: The cross-hairs of his rifle scope were blurred, and he wanted a new prescription to clear up this picture.
My response: So, you only use your high-powered rifle to shoot what you cant see? His reply: And Im good at it too!
I made sure I was standing off to one side when talking to him.
Ric Munz, O.D.
Wake Forest, N.C.
