Women in optometry: 50/50?

Optometric Management, Dec 2002 by Rodemich, Karen, Levoy, Bob

Statistically speaking, optometry isn't a

man's world anymore. According to "Caring

for the Eyes of America 2000," before 1980, nearly

all optometry school graduates were male, so females still make up less than 25% of practicing optometrists today. A re

cent survey of 10 of the nation's optometry schools reveals that in eight, women made up at least half of the 2002 graduating class. Yet these women enter a profession traditionally dominated by men. How

will they fare? To answer this question, Optometric Management interviewed female O.D.s to gain their perspectives on how they were treated while in school and while practicing, and what advice they

have for other women. But first, here's how they got started.

The making of a female O.D.

Having parents in medicine (her mother a nurse, her father an anesthesiologist), Maureen Weldon Ka

mons, B.S.N., O.D., of Pittsburgh, Pa., wanted the best of those worlds, but with a little tweaking. She welcomed a flexible schedule

and the opportunity to own her own practice that optometry offered. "My father spent a lot of time away from home and on call - that's why I wanted to be a healthcare provider with a regular schedule," says Dr. Kamons.

Marjorie S. Ross, O.D., of Battle Creek, Mich., found her calling when she received vision training from an osteopathic ophthalmologist who suggested she look into optometry.

Growing up, Paula R. Newsome, O.D., M.S., EA.A.O., of Charlotte, N.C., wanted to be a doctor. Later on, she found that optometry is an interesting profession that would enable her to have a career and a family.

Janet E. Summers, O.D., M.H.P., of Oakmont, Pa., was influenced by her high school job working for an optometrist. She entered college as a Spanish major and later combined both interests when she worked for a time in a Spanish-speaking community.

Claudia House, O.D., of Moon Township, Pa., says she wanted to become an O.D. since she was about 15. She wore glasses as a child and wanted to know how the eyes work.

These women forged their careers with determination and they moved beyond opposition and discrimination to become successful.

Encountering discrimination

Dr Newsome, who was the first black female O.D. to practice in her state, had a college professor who said that women should be barefoot and pregnant. "No one was bashful about saying that," she says.

In the real world, Dr. Newsome went to a bank for a loan to start her practice. "The bank was reluctant," she recalls. "Of course it's illegal now, but they asked me if I planned on getting married and having children."

Dr. Summers had a similar experience when a bank wanted her father to co-sign her initial practice loan and when one of the faculty members at her school said that women in optometry schools were wasting a spot that a man could have had.

Dr. Kamons believes that discrimination is often directed more toward a younger woman than to a middle-aged woman. She herself sees less of it today than she did 10 years ago.

Dr. Kamons doesn't think she gets equal treatment when buying equipment, having it serviced, getting a fair deal on real estate or negotiating a lease.

Dr. Ross, who was one of two women who graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1951, says, "My only encounter with discrimination occurred shortly after graduation. An established older practitioner said he'd offer me a job if I was a good typist because he was losing his office girl. I replied that I'd consider it if he'd make the same offer to any of the men."

Figuring in a family

For many women, having a family is a priority and a daunting challenge while maintaining a career. Dr. Kamons says that many of her male classmates were able to start families earlier, but the females had to wait until they were established.

"As a solo practitioner in a private practice setting, it's a constant worry about whether there will be any complications during the pregnancy or after the child is born that will require your full attention. If this is the case, the practice wouldn't survive," remarks Dr. Kamons.

She was four years into solo practice when she and her husband decided to start a family, and at the time, she wasn't even working 40 hours. Dr. Kamons also worked for a commercial optometric practice on the side. She quit that job when she had her first child and worked about 20 hours each week in her own practice. The hours have gradually increased over the years and she now puts in about 25 to 30 hours each week.

Dr. House, who works four days and two evenings each week, says her life is easier because she's not balancing a family.

Others achieved that balance with a supreme dedication to their family and professional lives. For example, only five weeks after delivering by Cesarean section, Dr. Newsome returned to the office. She fixed up a play area at her office and hired someone to watch her daughter at work.

"I didn't sacrifice anything when I started my family," she says. Now a divorced, single mom, she cut back on community involvement and she says she's always tired, but a positive attitude keeps her going.