Optometrist v Opthamologist

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Which do you use? I only need to get a new contact and glasses prescription. I have drs here who are opthamologists who I have gone to since I started wearing glasses, they are really nice and professional and I feel really comfortable with them. However, it will cost about $200 to pay these nice men a visit.

In NY I went to the little stand on Ave A where I'm assuming the guy was an optometrist bc I think it cost around $90 for a visit. This guy actually ran out on me in the middle of a consulation when it was announced that Britney Spears was shopping next door. I guess I can't really blame him, but no high marks for professionalism there.

Should I go someplace like Lenscrafters or some such? Also, my vision worsens by about -1 each time I visit the doctor. How far can this go before I am blind?

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 14 April 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

I think the opthamologists' time is more valuable due to wide variance in education (med school is like 2-3x longer than optometry school?)

I've used both, but thankfully, my optometrist gets much more of my time (1x/yr.)

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 14 April 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

My grandpa is a retired opthamologist, so he wins.

― I DESIRE...MACARONI NECKLACES AND SOAP SCULPTURES (Matt Chesnut), Thursday, 14 April 2005 23:24 (twenty years ago)

mary if you're getting a new prescription i wd assume you're also getting new glasses? usually optometrists will check your eyes for free if you agree to buy glasses from them. this optician/optometrist combo service has always worked for me a treat in the past. i go to sal moscot on 6th and 14th, but most places have this deal. there's no need at all to go to an opthamologist unless you've got a real medical prob with your eyes.. i can understand wanting to go back to people who are nice, though!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 15 April 2005 01:43 (twenty years ago)

SOL MOSCOT RULES. there is one on delancey. that's where i went for contacts and new lenses for my frames.

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 15 April 2005 01:48 (twenty years ago)

i was horrified to find a mobile phone outlet installed on the ground floor of 6th/14th, where the display cases of frames used to be!! apparently they've been squozen up onto the second floor entirely now. they are still very nice though. i can't believe i said "sal" - of course it's SOL.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 15 April 2005 02:09 (twenty years ago)

I think optometrists are basically just, like, technicians or something; they can check your eyes to see what kind of vision you have and write you up a prescription for glasses, but they don't know how to do things like operate on your eyes or treat your eyes if you're a diabetic. These are things I believe an ophthalmologist (correct spelling) can do.

I know it was an ophthalmologist who did my LASIK but I used to visit optometrists when I needed to have my eyes checked prior to getting new glasses, so... yeah.

― The Spirit of Sam Endicott (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 15 April 2005 03:31 (twenty years ago)

I read nice things about Sol Moscot, but I kept going to pop fans at Ave A. Tracer, I had to buy fashion-y glasses at Selima so a no-go on the free check-up thing. I made an appointment with the nice doctor-y people just to make sure I have no problems, in the future (assuming all is well) I will not be a glasses snob and I will patronize an optometrist.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 15 April 2005 04:23 (twenty years ago)

Optician!!

I think it's time I got new glasses.

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 15 April 2005 07:32 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha I just led a medical writing workshop and none of us (all medical writers/editors) could spell the MD one correctly!

For the record, it is oPHTHalmologist. Odd too have so many consonants uninterrupted by vowels. I bet most ophthalmologists can't spell their own profession correctly. You should test them.

― quincie, Friday, 15 April 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

Odd too have so many consonants uninterrupted by vowels.

that is what you call a multiple diphthong!

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 15 April 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

I work in medical education and spend a lot of time typing ophthalmology etc. It's my second favorite to spell, after orthopaedic surgery.

― adam (adam), Friday, 15 April 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

I don't have to type "ophthalmology" too often at the moment, but it's burned into my brain after a heavy minutes-writing session a year or so back.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 15 April 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

Adam you must be in the UK, cause us heer americuns do'nt spel it dat weigh.

― quincie, Friday, 15 April 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

OK another factor in favor of of my ophthaLmologist in VA--he is a suburban hottie. Unfortunately, he was too busy so I had to be seen by the other doctor, who I forgot was swarmy. For $189 he barely answered any of questions. I asked him about blurriness when reading--he told me to use eye drops. Seems my eyesight has finally stabilized though--or he was just too lazy to write me a new prescription. I asked him if it was a good idea to strain my eyes all day reading, he said, Fine, fine! In the future I will see a specialist whose name I can spell.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 15 April 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

orthopaedic/orthopedic
paedophile/pedophile

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 15 April 2005 20:28 (twenty years ago)

Adam you must be in the UK, cause us heer americuns do'nt spel it dat weigh.

I am most definitely in the US. The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons rocks the extra "a" and who am I to tell them any different? Ortho guys are fucking dicks.

― adam (adam), Friday, 15 April 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

optometrists: owners of S&M eye machines
opticians: make glasses
ophthalmologists: prescribe eyedrops and act surly, apparently

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 15 April 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

optometrist : ophthamologist :: physical therapist : physician

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 15 April 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

Dear people who spell words with "ae" in them when you can as easily do it with only the "e":

The Empire is over. Get over it.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Sunday, 17 April 2005 03:07 (twenty years ago)

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