You probably didn't see this one coming, but one of the biggest challenges new optometrists face is having an income for the first time. Living on loans for so many years of school, your first paycheck is an amazing luxury. And then every 2 weeks you get another one. But having an income can be a serious trap; we've all worked hard to get to this place where we finally can do things, buy things, travel, eat out, buy a new doctor appropriate wardrobe. With the luxury of having money for the first time comes a new problem -- you need to decide what to do with it. There is a strange paradox of having a great paycheck coming in (feeling you've made it!), but being deeply in debt from undergrad and professional school loans (nope, actually you are really, seriously broke still). Managing your money properly in those first few years after getting your first job can set the stage for your future financial success. Today's guest is Dr. Syed Hussain, the writer behind the informative and extremely readable financial strategies blog for professional students, The Broke Professional.  A 2009 graduate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University, Dr. Hussain has worked in nearly every type of modality of eyecare. He saw himself and fellow classmates struggle with financial decision making and planning after graduating, despite having good paychecks, and decided to do something about it!

Dr. Syed Hussain

Why did you decide on optometry? 
I come from a family of pharmacists which drove me to optometry since they warned me not to become a pharmacist.  All joking aside, I always wanted to work in the healthcare field and wanted a position that wasn't super stressful, has plenty of practice options and great income potential.  Optometry seemed like the best choice to me and still does.



You've worked in private and corporate settings.  What made you to decide corporate optometry was right for you?
I have been working full time in a corporate setting since 2010.  I enjoy corporate practice because I can still fully treat patients how I'd like and have free time outside of work to spend time with family and pursue my other passions (like blogging!).  

Negotiation can be so intimidating for new doctors, so I was thrilled to get a chance to pick the brain of optometrist Mark Phebus, the expert behind 20/20 Consulting.  Wouldn't it be great if you had your own personal coach with years of negotiating experience to guide you through your contract and help find ways to maximize your offer? That's Mark.  He's a graduate of Indiana University School of Optometry with a residency in primary care and ocular disease and now practices in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Since he began practicing, he's worked in both private and corporate practice optometry, and learned firsthand the importance of negotiating his own contract in the trenches of these experiences.  He sat down with us to answer a few questions about how to make the most of your negotiation.

I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of optometry students from my alma mater, the Southern College of Optometry earlier this week, and ever since then I have been thinking about the transition from student to practicing doctor.  It was not too long ago that I was in the classroom learning the techniques and skills that I utilize every day in diagnosing and treating my patients.  For all of those optometry school students out there, the rest of this blog post is for you!

My Graduating Class from SCO!

Best Advice for new (or soon to be new) grads:

• Take a deep breath; you are more than prepared to see your own patients!  By the time you get to the end of your fourth year of optometry school you have logged so many hours in patient care that you will have seen an example of almost every case that walks through your door.  And you have the advantage that all of this experience both from externships and classroom time being fresh in your memory.  If you are concerned about your diagnosis, you can always triage with a fellow optometrist (whether they are at your practice, mentors from school, or fellow peers from your optometry school days) or refer to a local ophthalmologist that specializes in that area of eye care. 
• Use your youth to your advantage.  Most new graduates are in their late twenties, and your patients are going to notice your relative young age.  Some more kindly than others.  For as many times that I have had patients ask me: "just how old are you?", I have had someone else (or sometimes even that same person by the end of the exam!) compliment me on how thorough I was.  Patients appreciate a new doctor's willingness to explain and patience with their questions of concern or during the refraction.  As one of my patients recently put it, "I can tell you aren't jaded yet, and I appreciate that!"
• Trying to build a reputation (and a good patient base)? Two ideas that can win you a lot of patient loyalty:
• 1) Always send a thorough referral letter or examination report to other doctors that you are triaging care.  The patient also appreciates it when you take time to send their primary care doctors a thorough report if you are following ocular manifestations of systemic conditions.
• 2) Call back your patients to follow up!  Have a red eye?  Call your patients in a day or two to make sure they are doing better.  You won't believe the positive response you get from this simple act!