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THE UNIQUE SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

Advice for Young Me: Part 2

Six things I wish I knew then that I know now.

RYAN L. PARKER, O.D., ARDMORE, OKLAH.

Through seven years of private practice, I’ve learned much of the business side via on-the-job experience. Although it’s all worked out, I would have preferred a smoother transition from optometry school graduate to business owner. If I could travel back in time, this is the advice I’d give to my pre-practice self:

1 Believe in yourself.

I feared that once I began practicing, I’d encounter conditions I’d never seen. This fear prompted me to accept jobs after my 2004 graduation with which I wasn’t happy.

I quickly realized that I had the skills to diagnose and treat patients on my own.

Optometry school has prepared you well for clinical practice. Don’t accept a job because it ensures you’ll have back up.

Left: Dr. Parker as a fresh-faced graduate. Right: Dr. Parker today.

2 Learn managed care.

I knew I’d have to deal with managed care, but I had no idea that learning how to survive it, let alone thrive despite it, would be so challenging.

When you visit practicing O.D.s, ask them, “What do you do to ensure that you’re providing the best care, while also maximizing revenue?” Take copious notes.

To succeed in private practice, you must know the criteria for choosing to be a plan provider and the rules of each plan you choose.

3 Acquire knowledge on training and keeping staff.

Your staff is a representation of you and your practice. If you don’t provide them with proper training, set expectations and respect and acknowledge their contributions, your practice suffers.

Ask practicing O.D.s you visit, “How do you train your staff?” and “What protocols have you implemented in your practice to retain great staff?” Again, take a lot of notes.

4 Obtain education on patient scheduling.

You won’t have lots of time to see patients when you practice. Therefore, ask practicing O.D.s, “How do you schedule patients to ensure that they, regardless of the reason for their visit, receive the care and time they deserve?”

Know what you can delegate to staff and how many patients you need to see in a reasonable amount of time to make a living. (See “Financial Foundations,” page 56.)

5 Learn retail.

Patients can buy their glasses and contact lenses anywhere. Get into the customer mindset, so they buy from you.

Start paying attention to how you are treated as a customer. Ask yourself what you like, and try to recreate that in your optical.

6 Take care of business.

You, like so many optometry school students, are so focused on optometry’s clinical side that you’re forgetting the business side. When you start visiting O.D. practices, ask business-related questions. Better yet, call alumni and ask whether you can shadow them (the more the merrier) for a couple hours and spend 15 to 20 minutes asking questions at the day’s end. Arrive with a list of business-related questions, and add to this list during your visit. Private practice has a business side. Be around people who do it, and ask them how they do it. OM

DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE PRACTICE? E-MAIL JENNIFER.KIRBY@PENTAVISIONMEDIA.COM. OM OFFERS AN HONORARIUM FOR PUBLISHED SUBMISSIONS.