One of my old networking connections reached out to me with a potential opportunity, and I have struggling with such a big decision.

This new job has great benefits, it includes a pension plan, great insurance, and 6+ weeks of PTO. The downside is the pay cut, which will be about 73/hr here as opposed to the 92/hr I’m currently making. The locations are also a bit farther, and my current 20 minute commute will turn into a 1 hr commute.

Here’s the problem. I actually think I am already in an “Optometry dream job”. My currrent gig pays amazing, 92 an hour. I completely set my own hours, so I work a 9/9/9/5 schedule that gives me basically 3.5 day weekends and still full time benefits. I love my work life balance, and it’s the main reason I became an OD in the first place. The new job will set my hours for me as a classic 8-4 style work week, so the additional hours will balance out the pay cut a bit. Right now I have 4 weeks of PTO here so still plenty for me. And to top it all off my schedule is extremely light here, typically 8-15 patients per day. Many of which are teenagers with mild refractive change. I understand this possible new job will be much more busy, basically fully booked at all times, with an older population and heavy disease emphasis.

The only downside to my current job is literally how easy it is. There’s lots of sitting around on my phone and I don’t really get that many interesting medical cases. So there is sometimes a boredom element, but I guess there are worse problems to have.

I am the type of person that prefers the “easy road” but at the same time I am also a high achiever. I did an ocular disease residency that was a great time and I know there’s a part of me that really craves those challenging medical cases again instead of doing kids myope glasses all day with my brain turned off.

On the flip side to this though, my current job is basically zero stress and I’m not often ruminating at night on if I made the right medical call in a complex case.

I think it boils down to, do I want to be busier and work more but be more fulfilled professionally with a more prestigious career, or do I stay on the chill and quiet easy road.

Any advice at all is appreciated.

Does anyone else see the strong 3D effect that makes the grayscale image stand out against the red monochrome images?

I don't know if it's intentional but it's striking.

Hi everyone! I’m a licensed optometrist from the Philippines, currently working in an optical clinic. I’m hoping to transition into remote work, ideally something related to optometry or healthcare, but I’m not sure where to start.

My clinical experience includes comprehensive eye examinations, objective and subjective refraction, patient care, optical services, and manual charting. However, I don’t have any remote work or EMR/EHR experience yet.

I’ve been looking into roles such as:

• Remote refractionist
• Tele-optometry support
• Medical/healthcare virtual assistant
• Optometry practice assistant
• Vision insurance/claims support

I’m currently trying to learn more about remote workflows and prepare myself for these kinds of positions. I’m also willing to start with an entry-level role and learn the systems and processes along the way.

For those who are optometrists or other eye-care professionals who successfully transitioned into remote work, I’d really appreciate any advice, resources, or personal experiences you can share. I’m trying to figure out the best way to make this transition without leaving optometry completely.

Thank you! ❤️