meet the challenge of education, and on to happier, fuller lives ahead," says Dr. Bing. Combine your skills with social service. Such has been the choice of Dr. Elizabeth E. Caloroso, of Glendale, Calif., who spends a major part of her professional life working with people with social and financial problems in addition to their ocular ones. Her interest in public service is summed up this way: "There is little equality in the contents of wallets or bank accounts. But much of the world's beauty and many exciting happenings are free for the seeing. I am happy to make the world available to those in need." Or, be a teacher of optometry. Across the Nation, colleges and schools of optometry have given Lady O.D.'s the chance to combine that profession with a love for teaching. Dr. Margaret Dowaliby, associate professor in clinical optometry at the Los Angeles College of Optometry, says, "This is a wonderful association for a woman. Working closely with students and other faculty members leads me to many friends, social and professional. Watching our young graduates go on to make their ways professionally, rising as leaders in their communities and making lives more enjoyable for the public they serve, is the teacher's great reward. Optometry has equipped me with two professions: teaching, which is my first love; and a private practice enabling me to share the subsequent valuable experience with my students." These examples from real life illustrate a few of the professional avenues open to the woman optometrist. But this career opportunity holds many other special appeals for women. Take Dr. Dorthea M. McCoy of Wichita, Kans., who says: "As a professional in a community like Wichita, I have many opportunities to be of service. There are so many things to be done and not enough people who want to do them. Optometry has given me a full, professional career with enough time left to pursue outside activities to the fullest. In fact, I am certain my professional background provides the springboard into the multitude of community services and activities which I so thoroughly enjoy." This comes from a lady O.D. who is a member of her National, State, and local optometric group and is a member of a standing committee for the American Optometric Association. She serves her own community through her sorority, her church, and her service club of which she is past president and district vice governor. She finds herself in constant demand as a public speaker. Her example illustrates professional standing-community leadership-hand in hand. HUSBAND-WIFE PROFESSIONAL TEAM Drs. Ruth P. and Warren G. Morris of Toledo, Ohio, illustrate the married couple in optometry. They graduated from the Ohio State University School of Optometry and set up their office in Toledo. Dr. Ruth likes to talk about the husband-and-wife aspects of their profession : "Lots of married couples would give anything to be able to work together and we're lucky to be set for just that as long as we wish. I have my patients. He has his. And some come into the office to ask for either of us. We share the same interests around the clock and, thanks to optometry, my own financial security has enabled me to employ help to take care of the homemaking chores I dislike and I've enjoyed the other household duties as a desirable hobby." Optometry offers an outstanding career for women. In a growing nation, uncrowded optometry will need approximately 27,000 practitioners by 1970. A woman optometrist can set up a general practice, affiliate with an already established practice, or she can specialize in one of many fields. She can work the years that seem best suited to her, take leave for parenthood and return when she wishes. The minimum 5-year college training in optometry is the way to a world of professional standing and income. Throughout her training and her professional career, the lady O.D. is accepted and treated as an equal by her male colleagues. For this is a field in which women as well as men are both needed and wanted. It is an exciting, challenging, rewarding, and dynamic profession of service to people. If this booklet makes you want to know more about the opportunities in optometry, write to the American Optometric Association. Ask for the brochure, "Planning Your Professional Career in Optometry," which lists colleges and their entrance requirements, shows figures on potential income, and describes fully the opportunities awaiting both men and women in this rapidly growing profes OPTOMETRY SEEKS BRIGHT YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A REWARDING, EXCITING PROFESSIONAL CAREER In a growing America (213 million population by 1970) professional people are increasingly in demand. Begin to prepare yourself now. Thinking about a career which will provide you and your family with a livelihood is only the starting point. You will want that, and in fair measure, to be sure. Consider also the hours a career will demand of you, the time it will leave you to spend with your family, and whether those hours will be controlled by you or someone else. Consider the satisfaction of serving people, and of the prestige and respect such service may gain for you. Think of the health factor, your own and that of the people you will be serving. For each type of career in your thinking, consider surroundings in which you would expect to work. Query your optometrist on these many considerations, and learn firsthand about the attractive and rewarding professional career optometry offers you. Here is a scientific field devoted to the conservation and correction of man's most precious sense-vision. The human eye has evolved over a period of half a billion years. Next to his brain and heart, the eye undoubtedly has helped man to become the highly sensitive and miraculously adaptive creature that he is. Beyond helping to bring him many advantages in his creative work, the eye also adds to man's pleasure of being alive because he can discern shape, color, and dimensions which bring a world of beauty into focus. When you are serving, helping people, giving relief and care to the eyes of the aged, aiding the middle aged to see better, opening a child's eyes to the wonders about him, offering counsel and help when youngsters have reading problemswhen these become your daily experiences, you will know the great rewards and inner satisfactions which characterize this inspiring field of optometry. FINANCIAL RETURNS ARE GOOD The income of an optometrist is limited only by his professional skills and the efforts he puts forth. His income should equal that of other professional men in his chosen community. It is not uncommon for an optometrist to produce an annual net income of $11,000, the 1958 average, after a few years in practice. These are financial returns from a profession where you are in command of your own office and time, can set appointed hours for persons to come to you for services, can arrange your calendar to include regulated vacations, and where you do not face forced retirement. OPTOMETRY CURRICULUM College level subjects in which you would become adept include: eye. Physiology-a study of the body's normal functions. Psychology of vision-provides knowledge of the mental processes involved in seeing. Physics and mathematics-to provide knowledge of light and the effect of lenses on light. Physiological optics-provides knowledge of the function of the visual mecha nism. Geometrical optics-knowledge of lenses. Mechanical optics-knowledge of ophthalmic glass, lens grinding, adaptation, and fitting. Theoretical optometry-knowledge of the principles of examination and refraction. Practical optometry-knowledge of the procedures and techniques of examination, refraction and analysis-to determine your patients' visual status and needs. Human anatomy, bacteriology, biology, and chemistry-through which you acquire knowledge of bodily functions and changes. General pathology-by which is acquired knowledge of the relationship of bodily disorders to vision. Visual training-to help you reeducate and develop the visual skills and ocular coordination. Measurements of fields of vision-by which you can detect signs of actual or impending pathology. Fitting contact lenses-by which you adapt modern "invisible" lenses fitted over the eyeball and under the eyelid. Vision for education-by which you are enabled to safeguard the vision of a child and assist him in learning. Vision in industry-by which training you can work for ocular efficiency for safety and productivity. Telescopic spectacles-by which training you can aid the visually subnormal. As you can see, many fields of service are open and waiting for you. COLLEGES The following colleges can prepare you for your career in optometry and your State board examinations in the State of your choice: Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago, Ill. Los Angeles College of Optometry, Los Angeles, Calif. The Massachusetts College of Optometry, Boston, Mass. EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK FOR OPTOMETRISTS U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics OPTOMETRISTS (D.O.T. 0-39.92) NATURE OF WORK Optometrists examine eyes and perform other services to safeguard and improve vision. They use special instruments and tests to find and measure defects in vision and, when needed prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses (invisible lenses), and eye exercises or other treatment that does not require drugs or surgery. Most optometrists supply their patients with the eyeglasses prescribed, though some do only minor repair work, such as straightening frames or replacing nose pieces on glasses. A few optometrists specialize in work such as fitting persons who are nearly blind with telescopic spectacles, studying the relationship of vision to highway safety, and analyzing lighting and other conditions that affect the efficiency of workers in industry or business. A few are engaged primarily in teaching, research, or a combination of the two. Optometrists should not be confused with ophthalmologists, oculists, or dispensing opticians. Ophthalmologists and oculists are physicians who specialize in the medical and surgical care of the eyes and may prescribe drugs or other treatment, as well as lenses. Dispensing opticians (see index) fit and adjust eyeglasses according to prescriptions written by ophthalmologists or optometrists; they do not examine eyes or prescribe treatment. WHERE EMPLOYED Most of the 17,000 optometrists employed in 1962 were in private practice. However, some were salaried employees, working as assistants to established practitioners or for health clinics, hospitals, optical instrument manufacturers, or government agencies. A few taught in colleges of optometry or served as optometrists in the Armed Forces. Optometrists are located chiefly in large cities and industrial areas, where many people are engaged in office work or other occupations which tend to create or emphasize vision problems. About 40 percent are in five States-California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Many small towns and rural areas, especially in the South, have no optometrists. TRAINING, OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, AND ADVANCEMENT A license is required to practice optometry in all States and the District of Columbia. Applicants for licenses must be graduates of an accredited school of optometry and pass a State board examination. In some States, only graduates of certain schools of optometry are admitted to these examinations. A student planning to become an optometrist should, therefore, choose a school approved by the board of optometry in the State where he expects to practice. There were 10 schools of optometry in the country in 1963. Applicants with the necessary qualifications have an excellent chance of being admitted to one of these schools. At least 5 years of college are needed to become an optometrist. The usual requirement is 2 years of preoptometry education in an approved college, followed by 3 years of training in an optometry school. However, completion of a 4-year course is required by some optometry schools after the 2 years of preoptometry study which are a prerequisite for admission. Preoptometry cources include mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry, as well as English and other liberal arts courses. Students in schools of optometry have both classroom and laboratory work, as well as an opportunity to gain professional experience in the clinic run by the school. Most schools award the degree of doctor of optometry (O.D.), but some confer bachelor's degrees in science or optometry instead. Optometrists who wish to specialize often take additional training. A master's or Ph. D. degree in physiological optics or in a related field is usually required for teaching and research work. A prospective optometrist should have a liking for mathematical and scientific work, the ability to use delicate precision instruments, mechanical aptitude, and good vision. In addition, to become a successful practitioner, he must be able to deal with people tactfully. The majority of optometrists start either by setting up a new practice or by purchasing an established one. Some begin as assistants to established practitioners, and young graduates are frequently advised to do this in order to acquire experience and the funds necessary to equip an office. EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK Employment opportunities for new optometry graduates are expected to remain favorable throughout the 1960's. During this period, the number of new gradnates is likely to be considerably less than the number of experienced optometrists who retire or stop practicing for other reasons. As in the past, opportunities to set up a new practice will generally be best in small towns and in residential areas of cities, where the new optometrist can easily become known and where competition is not as keen as in large business centers. Communities, especially in the South, that have no optometric services available will also offer opportunities for new graduates. A good office location is of major importance for a successful practice. The optometrits should consider the number of optometrists and medical eye specialists in the vicinity, in relation to size, occupations, age, and income level of the population in the area. The Over the long run, the demand for eye-care services will continue to grow. importance of good vision to efficiency at work and in school is becoming more widely recognized; eye strain has been increased by many aspects of modern living; and the use of eyeglasses has come to be generally accepted. The volume of eye-care services needed will also be increased by the anticipated growth in population, especially by the expected sharp rise in the number of older people -the group most likely to need glasses-and because of the growing number of people employed in white-collar occupations. Although the expanded demand will be met in part by medical doctors who are eye specialists, optometrists will continue to supply a substantial proportion of all eye-care services. Women optometrists, who constitute about 5 percent of the profession, have many opportunities to work as salaried assistants in the field of visual training. Those in private practice have been particularly successful in work with children. EARNINGS AND WORKING CONDITIONS In optometry, as in some of the other health fields, a low income must be expected during the first few years of practice. As a practice becomes established, earnings usually rise significantly. In 1962, over half the optometrists had annual net incomes between $7,000 and $20,000, according to the American Optometric Association. Newly graduated optometrists employed by clinics or other optometrists earned an average weekly salary of $160 in early 1963, according to the limited data available. Experienced optometrists generally received $200 or more a week. Optometrists practicing in towns and small cities have higher average earnings than those in large cities. However, some successful practitioners in big cities have very high incomes. Although optometrists in salaried positions may at first earn more than those who go into practice for themselves, the situation is likely to be reversed after a few years of experience. Working hours in this profession are usually regular. Since the work is not strenuous, optometrists can often continue to practice after the normal retirement age. WHERE TO GO FOR MORE INFORMATION Additional information on optometry as a career is available from: American Optometric Association, 4030 Chouteau Avenue, St. Louis, Mo. Information on required preoptometry courses may be obtained by writing to the optometry school in which the prospective student wishes to enroll. The board of optometry in the capital of the State in which the student plans to practice will provide a list of optometry schools approved by that State. Dr. WALDMAN. Thank you. I am Dr. Nelson F. Waldman, a practicing optometrist in Houston, Tex., and chairman of the American Optometric Association's Committee on Vocational Guidance. I am also president-elect of the Texas Optometric Association. Optometrists fill a public health need which can be met from no other source than by utilization of their services. They supply two-thirds of all vision care to the general public of the United States, and in the Armed Forces this percentage is closer to 85 percent. Most Americans requiring vision care are dependent on the availability of members of our profession. In addition, most preventive work in the field of vision care is performed by optometrists. Their services are essential to the health and well-being of the American people, the missions of the U.S. Armed Forces and of civilian space and other scientific endeavors, the production of vital military and related equipment and materials needed for national defense, and to the development of skills and the improvement of educational techniques among students and workers. Optometry is the only profession specifically licensed in all the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the outlying possessions of the United States to deal with refractive and visual anomalies. Yet, just as demand on the optometrist's services expands, the number of optometrists is, in fact, declining in proportion to the population curve which is ever turning upward. So that when you read in the 1960 census figures that there are 16,044 optometrists practicing in the United States, and that this was a gain over the 1950 census of 9.6 percent, you have to keep in mind that proportionately our profession is declining. Incidentally, the same census revealed that dentists gained 10.1 percent and physicians and surgeons 18.9 percent in that same 10-year period. We now have about 17,000 practicing optometrists for a population of 191 million-or 1 optometrist to every 11,250 Americans. The accepted minimum ratio of optometrists to population is 1 practitioner to every 7,000 Americans. To reach that ratio and to provide the barest minimal vision needs for our people-civilian and military-we need 10,000 additional optometrists. |