| Re: Eye Docs at the Mall....Just As good?
I think that the doctors at the mall are optometrists, not ophthalmologists. Ask either profession, and they'll tell you there's a huge difference. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (M.D.s), and they are trained to perform eye surgery and to treat diseases of the eye. They also prescribe glasses and contacts. Optometrists are not M.D.s; they prescribe glasses and contacts and treat some eye diseases. Personally speaking, if I had an eye disease (e.g., glaucoma, eye condition related to diabetes), I'd consult an ophthalmologist. If I needed new glasses, I'd see an optometrist--they have more training in getting the prescription right.
You asked who are better--optometrists at the mall or those practicing elsewhere? It's been my experience that the doctors who have been practicing for awhile tend to be better at getting the script right than doctors just out of school. But there are always exceptions. (I would have lied, too, on that drivers' ed question about where my eye exam was done, since it was obvious which response was preferred. Maybe it was written by the spouse of an optometrist in private practice.)
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