Now and Then

Chad M. Swanson's and Scott C. Neuman's survey of the Southern California College of Optometry (SSCO) classes of 1997­2000 mirrors earlier ones by Emily Henricks and Joyce Spiry (who in 1996 surveyed the SCCO classes of 1988­1992) and Carl Cottrell and Harvey Ledesma (who in 1998 surveyed the SCCO classes of 1993­1996). Comparing the three surveys offers some interesting observations of optometry's evolution over the last 13 years.

One noteworthy trend involves the size of populations among which the SCCO graduates choose to practice. Compared with Henricks's and Spiry's findings, Cottrell and Ledesma discovered that both men and women from the 1993­1996 classes tended to shift away from urban areas and into small towns and rural settings. Swanson's and Neuman's 2004 survey subsequently found that women are moving from small towns and rural settings into suburban areas. The recent study also found that men from the 1997­2000 SCCO classes are practicing more in urban settings than before and less in suburbs, small towns and rural outposts.

Modes of practice likewise have changed over the years. Henricks and Spiry noted that 64.1% of the men and 30.4% of the women from the 1988­1992 classes worked in private practice. Two years later, Cottrell and Ledesma unveiled a major shift, reporting that 39.5% of men from the 1993­1996 classes worked in private practice while the percentage of women in private practice remained fairly constant. Swanson and Neuman now report that 50.8% of men and 38.0% of women work in private practice.

Further inferences may be drawn from the number of employed O.D.s. Henricks's and Spiry's study of the 1988­1992 SCCO classes found that 20.9% of men were employed by O.D.s, M.D.s, HMOs and commercial outlets, while 39.6% of women practiced in such settings. Both of those figures increased in Cottrell's and Ledesmas's survey of the 1993­1996 classes, with 54.0% of men and 57.7% of women employed in such a manner. The rate of employed women later shot up (74.7%) in Swanson's and Neuman's survey of the 1997­2000 classes, while the share of employed men eased slightly (50.8%). Many of these respondents indicated that they worked in more than one practice mode, which is why the numbers exceed 100%.

Finally, it's worth noting that Swanson's and Neuman's survey of the 1997­2000 SCCO classes found a significant increase in the income levels of both men and women. Henricks and Spiry surveying the 1988­1992 SCCO classes discovered a median salary range for men of $55,000­$65,000 and for women $45,000­$55,000. Cottrell and Ledesma noted an equal median range for both men and women from the 1993­1996 SCCS classes of $55,000­$65,000 -- stagnant for the men but an increase for the women. Swanson's and Neuman's survey of the 1997­2000 classes showed higher incomes for both men ($85,000­$95,000) and women ($75,000­$85,000). The statistical modes have climbed over the years as well, reaching $105,000 for men and $75,000­$85,000 for women in the most recent survey.

--Chad M. Swanson and Scott C. Neuman

Happy in Helena

Helena, Mont., optometrist Bill Hasquet, O.D., enjoyed a cardinal advantage over many of his Southern California College of Optometry classmates. Long before he graduated in 1997, he knew exactly what he wanted to do and where he wanted to do it.

Dr. Hasquet, now 33, had a 2-year associateship leading to a partnership already set up for him in a thriving three-O.D. practice where two of the partners were soon to retire. He'd abandoned plans to become an accountant during his undergraduate years after talking with optometrists in his hometown of Shelby, Mont. (pop. 3,500), a small town that's produced more than 20 O.D.s in the last 40 years. Their advice guided him to health care -- an inspired career choice.

"I wanted to go into a profession where I'd deal with people one-on-one," says Dr. Hasquet, a former college football player and now the married father of two small children. "I really enjoy interacting with patients and making a difference in their lives. That's probably the most rewarding aspect of this profession."

Optometry has brought Dr. Hasquet financial rewards as well. His two-partner practice, of which he owns a 50% share, grosses $1.8 million yearly. "My partner and I are proactive and creative enough to remain competitive in a continually changing healthcare market. The income is one of the pleasant surprises about private practice," he says.

Dr. Hasquet's equanimity over carrying a hefty debt to buy into his practice comes by example from his father, a farmer and rancher who raised 15 children while "in debt up to his eyeballs," Dr. Hasquet recalls. "He was always investing in his own abilities and his work ethic. I guess when you do that, you're pretty much confident that you're going to do whatever you want."

Already planning long-range career goals, Dr. Hasquet envisions setting up satellite clinics in rural areas throughout Montana, aiming to give young O.D.s a chance to get a fresh start. Such a move comes as no surprise. It's just the kind of small-town, civic-minded support that got Dr. Hasquet established in the first place.