Pupillary Pathways

Have you ever wondered if you’ll be stuck in clinic all day every day after graduation and boards?

You can be if you want to, but there’s always room for more! In this day and age, optometry is dynamic. Many are pursuing Non-clinical jobs as side hustles.

Have you ever thought about what else you can do with an optometry degree? Though there are many options in clinical care, there may be a number of reasons you would like to branch out.  Whether you’re waiting on board exam results and looking for a job, or in limbo for your state license, a job as a Medical Science Liaison may be right for you. 

So what is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) and what do they do?

Optometry offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to practice settings and environments. However, from a new graduate’s standpoint, it’s hard to get an honest representation of a practice setting without actually spending time within.

Some students never have exposure to a particular practice setting until after graduation when it’s time to look for a job. Knowing what you’re getting yourself into is a very important part of the initial job search.

Here are some pros and cons compiled by anonymous docs that can help you determine which common practice setting is right for you. This post is intended to help guide the initial job search. By no means does this replace the value of actual experiences!

I recently read an article in Women in Optometry that had polled a group of optometrists about their satisfaction with their career choice. The results were shocking to me. I couldn’t believe that almost 50% of optometrists who were asked “If you were to start your career in optometry today, what path would you take?” stated that they would “not choose optometry.”