It was supposed to be a relaxing and educational evening. Great food, good wine, and a fantastic speaker with a helpful message. This Continuing Ed event was packed, MDs and ODs mingling in groups, chatting about the industry, nursing their cocktails—two sets of well trained medical professionals interacting on a professional level.
But it didn’t last for long. An Optometrist commented to an Ophthalmologist about her tremendous volume of prescriptions of a certain eye drop. The Ophthalmologist says something about how dangerous it is that she is allowed to prescribe anything. Another Optometrist piles on, and before you knew it, World Wrestling Federation night at the Steak House. Dr. Pain has Dr. Sting in a figure four, Dr. Flair is coming off the top rope with an atomic elbow, someone is crushing a metal chair over Dr. Hulk’s head, and the Doctor with the mask is shouting something about “his turf.”
OK. I’m exaggerating a bit, but the MD/OD turf war continues, and I really do get it. Livelihoods and important questions about how to effectively care for the greatest number of patients, appropriateness of care, scope of practice, etc are at stake. These are not easily answered questions.
But here is the thing, I have spent years working with both groups, and interestingly, my experience is that 95+% of the time, “down in the trenches,” MDs and ODs work very effectively together. They realize that both groups are needed, and they need each other. Most realize that each has their own slice of the market, and peaceful co-existence is the norm. Despite that, however, there is a public and political tug of war over these questions that continue today.
So, where do we go from here? How can we foster cooperation at the National level between these two important organizations? Who and where are the leaders attempting to answer the most important question of all: How will Ophthalmology and Optometry effectively work together for the benefit for the most important group of all?
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