The plight of the employed optometrist

How has optometry become such a dire career choice in the UK? Why would almost no optometrist be able to recommend it with a clear conscience to a bright-eyed sixth-former with the right A levels?

Money might be an obvious answer. After graduation and tough professional exams, the starting salary for optometry is poor with no prospect of rising to a level comparable with similar professions. Older optometrists will have experienced a drop in real income of about 30-40 per cent over the last 15 years.

Yet money is only part of the problem. Many – perhaps most – employed optometrists are being bullied at work by often non-professional managers. The optometrist’s worth is today judged on the basis of two criteria: tests per day and conversion rates. Often no secret is made of this and, even at a job interview, it is clear that the answer to these two questions is all that matters.