While my time as a young OD is quickly dwindling, I find my-self somewhere between being a practice owner/employer looking for an associate doctor, as well as still hanging on to my youth as tightly as possible. Balancing what was the “norm” when I graduated and comparing that to what’s considered acceptable by today’s standards is vastly different.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what the newest generation of optometrists expect and want, I’ve got the inside scoop. This is from working with hundreds of students at each optometry school’s private practice clubs on behalf of Vision Source and iCare Advisors. Here’s what new graduates desire:

The latest technology

New graduates want to practice in an office comprised of the latest and greatest in technology in all facets (refractive, contact lens, disease management, etc.) of a primary care practice. This is probably because they’ve been trained on much of this equipment in school, and new technology has become a way of life for these folks.

Evenings and weekends

Getting up to see patients on a Saturday was never a major hinderance to me. Newer graduates, however, are typically fiercely protective of their evenings and weekends. Despite possibly being able to earn a higher wage for weekend hours, new ODs are saying “no, thank you” to Saturdays and/or Sundays.

Time for elaborate vacations

Traveling has always been an interest of mine. While I’ve been to some amazing places, the younger generation definitely has me beat! Adventures to places like Costa Rica, Ibiza, Prague, Croatia, and the Amalfi Coast are becoming increasingly common for them. Time for these elaborate vacations is something many new graduates are looking for.

High pay

New optometrists want their employers to “show them the money.” (If you’re picturing Tom Cruise in “Jerry Maguire,” yelling into the phone, congratulations! You’ve just dated yourself! Most new graduates do not know that movie reference.) Specifically, they’re expecting to be paid significantly more than seasoned ODs remember being compensated right out of school. The official dollar value expected varies drastically state to state and rural vs. urban areas, so I won’t get into the weeds here.

Additionally, new ODs desire the option to choose their own adventure (examples being straight salary, salary + bonus, minimum daily guarantee with percent of revenue, or straight percentage of revenue). Some want the stability that a salary provides, while others want the opportunity to earn more with higher volume or through providing patients with unique offerings, such as in-office treatments.

Final thoughts

Most new ODs are working backwards to see how much they need to live, travel, and pay their student loans. This debt isn’t the employer’s fault, but we do need to take into account the student loan burdens most graduates face when considering compensation. Paging “Jerry Maguire…” OM

DR. O’BRIEN is the owner and optometrist at Denver Eye Care & Eyewear Gallery in Denver, NC. She is heavily involved with student programming through private practice clubs and the Vision Source NEXT program, and works with iCare Advisors as a consultant to help others pursue their cold-start private practice dreams.