Is Optometry on the Same Path as the Legal Profession? Charles F. Mullen 1 Despite Oversupply of Practitioners Law Schools  Opened 19 New Law Schools Since 2000 with More Planned and Increased Enrollments at Existing Schools Optometry Schools and Colleges  Opened 7 New Optometry Schools Since 2008 with More Planned and Increased Enrollments at Existing Schools 2 Consequences of Increased Supply Law Schools  Underemployment and Unemployment of Graduates • 45% of Graduates Unable to Find Full Time Positions  A Serious Decline in Number of Student Applicants • Down 37% from 2010  Less Qualified Students Being Admitted  Even Prestigious Law Schools Find it Necessary to Employ Up to 17% of Their Graduates 3 Consequences of Increased Supply Optometry Schools and Colleges  Increased Annual Graduates from 1127 in 1997 (Supply Equaled Demand) to Over 1800 at Full Enrollment  Only 1.4 Applicants per Entering Seat  40% of Recent Graduates Practice at Two or More Part Time Locations  Optometrists Practice at Only 68% of Capacity 4 Conflicting Manpower Data  Rand-1995, Abt-2000 and Lewin-2014 All Indicated Significant Surpluses of Optometrists  Lewin Study Indicated a Current 12,672 FTE Excess of OD’s  Bureau of Labor Statistics Projects High Demand for Optometrists (24% Increase) Encouraging New Optometry Schools Validity of Source Data and Assumptions? 5 Concerns About Assumptions in Manpower Studies  • • Will Expanding the Scope of Practice Absorb the Excess of Optometrists ? What Treatment Capabilities Will Be Added? It Took 43 Years, Significant Resources and Political Capital to the Reach Current Level Of Practice  Will the Aging Population Significantly Increase Demand for Optometric Services?  Some Say the Decline in Applicants is Just a Normal Cyclical Downturn and Not Permanent? 6 Proactively Address the Oversupply of Optometrists   Reduce Enrollments at All Schools and Colleges of Optometry Adjust Revenue and Expense Projections 7 External Agencies  Demand Correction of Bureau of Labor Statistics Projections  Insist the ACOE Develop Quantitative Accreditation Standards Similar to Medicine and Dentistry Ability to Provide the Quantity and Diversity of Clinical Training Encounters Must be Demonstrated • 8 Curricula Measures  Make An Optometry Career More Attractive and Control Debt by Shortening the Length of Education for O.D. Degree and Board Certification  Thus Developing a Clinical Training Model to Potentially Qualify for GME 9 Explore Alternative Strategies  Mergers with Other Optometry Colleges  Expand Educational Offerings to High Demand Health Care Providers  Innovative Programs with Health Sciences Centers or Universities 10 Public Health Approach to Oversupply     Increase Demand for Optometric Services by Addressing Need for Eye Care in Inner-City and Rural Areas Only 20% of FQ Community Health Centers Offer Optometric Services Estimated 5,000 FTE Optometrists Needed Inclusion of Optometry in Federal Incentive Programs: Loan Forgiveness, Scholarships, NHSC and Practice Start-Up Support is Essential 11 Primary References On www.charlesmullen.com 12