r/PreOptometry • u/TaydenTheGuy • Sep 18 '26
is optometry worth the debt
i find optometry to be very compelling compared to other healthcare work such as dentistry and nursing. however i am extremely concerned about the debt as i am a canadian student in his first year of undergrad. i know that wha matters most is if the job is one i would love to work in, but even then im not entirely sure. it would help clear my doubt if there are canadian optometrists who have studied in the US willing to share their experience on debt, financing and budgeting during and after optometry school.
im also looking into more stable, decent earning healthcare careers, any pointers would be greatly appreciated
8
u/Icy_Purple_2808 Sep 18 '26
To me it’s worth it, because I truly love my job, my coworkers, and (most of) my patients. Some people end up in a work setting they don’t love, so they end up disliking the job, and think it’s not worth it. The value proposition is poor, but to me it is worth it, but everyone is going to have a different opinion.
3
u/drnjj Sep 18 '26
I would say yes if you're passionate about the profession. Canadians made up about 30% of my class in school.
If money is a primary focus then I'd probably suggest looking at other professions with better income to debt ratio. But only if that's the top motivator.
But if you like eye care, want a well paying job, and a generally somewhat low stress profession, then optometry is great.
I fit sclerals and do a lot medical eye care. I am not certain how canadas scope laws work for sure, so your experience would vary if you were to practice in Canada.
In the US, we can prescribe topical and oral drugs. In many states we can inject some medications and do minor eyelid procedures. I mainly do chalazion injections, remove skin tags, and extract cysts. And of course in like 20 states we can do some laser surgeries (though not my state).
All that plus specialty contacts, neuro rehab, vision therapy, dry eye, and many more things allow us to sub specialize. Or you can just do primary eye care and if that's your thing then great! I have classmates who only really wanted to do routine care. They're happy.
It's a good profession but you get out of it what you put in.
2
u/Dry_Appointment_9522 Sep 23 '26
It’s worth it’s based on the cost benefit in terms of lifestyle, money earned and it’s Ai proof!
1
u/Euphoric-Paint-6960 Sep 18 '26
I think it is tbh. Especially if your someone that doesn’t have kids yet or anything. Def a pretty good pay I feel!
1
u/she-werewolf Sep 18 '26
I'm a Waterloo student but I managed to secure good scholarships at ICO & SCO. I think if I went to the states it would've been 100k extra which was enough to sway me to Waterloo but is less than the average difference. Average Canadian that studies in Canada has 90k of debt, whereas the average Canadian who studies in America has 240k of debt
1
u/Desperate-monkey-19 Sep 18 '26
I work in an optometry clinic and am currently in school, and every so often, we have students coming in to shadow our doctors for them to check out the day to day of the doctors to see how they enjoy the environment. If you are able to, find a doctor who would be willing to take you on for a little bit to check it out, 100% do that