“Doctor” Title Under Fire in Some States

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“Doctor” Title Under Fire in Some States

A lot is happening on the political front in our wonderful profession, and as always, the American Optometric Association (AOA) is doing a good job keeping us abreast of most issues. This post from the AOA’s website gives us a great summary of the current challenges, battles, and victories.

As most of us have heard, legislation has been proposed that seeks to block, limit, or discourage optometrists from being referred to as doctors or physicians in a few states, including Florida, Connecticut, and Texas. This isn’t the first time such legal verbiage has been attempted. A decade ago, a national effort backed by the American Medical Association attempted to pass the “Not a Doctor” legislation known as the “Sullivan bill” and was soundly defeated by the AOA and its affiliates.

Garnering perhaps the most media attention is the Florida bill filed in the state Senate on February 9, which relates to health care practitioners' titles and abbreviations used in advertisements, communications, and personal identification. It states that, “Only physicians may include titles and abbreviations or medical specialties in their advertisements.” Although the bill does not specifically reference optometry, any proposed ban on using the term “physician” in any way could potentially conflict with the hard-won physician status that optometrists currently enjoy under federal law.

Despite the drama in the sunshine state (and others), legislative wins reflect the growing role that Doctors of Optometry fulfill in primary eye health as well as in vision care. In 2022, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took a pro-patient access and pro-provider stance, which allows veterans to seek the care of optometrists whose state scope laws allow them to perform invasive eye procedures under the VA’s Community Care Program. Also of note is the fact that the VA is developing new standards of practice for Doctors of Optometry and other health care practitioners in the VA system that optometry leaders are cautiously optimistic about.

Finally, a recent bipartisan bill, the VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act has been introduced to Congress. If approved, it would add Doctor of Optometry to the list of physician-level providers at the VA, putting them on par with medical doctors, osteopaths, dentists, and podiatrists.

CAN YOU RELATE

I recently read the book So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport, which sheds light on the common “follow your passion” thought process regarding job searches and career decisions. It illustrates that the true path to doing the work you love lies in becoming a craftsman of the work you are already doing, collecting important and specialized skills along the way and taking full control of your day in the process. Fortunately, most of us in the optometric profession truly love our work and enjoy helping our patients see their best each day. However, I believe much of the book's value lies in how its messages can be applied to benefit our staff and support teams.

Take, for example, when the author says, “whether you love your work or not is mostly based on expertise and experience.” He emphasizes something called the “self-determination theory” or “intrinsic motivation,” which he believes is correlated with being satisfied at work. This is dependent on autonomy (sense of control over your work/time/environment), competence (the feeling that you’re actually good at your work and are valued), and relatedness (how you connect with other people at your job).

I’ll be applying these lessons, and many others from the book, at the office to help my team continue to develop a passion for our incredible profession. This book is a must-read in my opinion!

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Elderly Penguins Receive Custom IOLs in “World First” Surgery

We have an eye-related feel-good story for you this week! Earlier this year, three elderly king penguins at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore had cataract surgery, in what is believed to be the world’s first procedure of its kind. Gladys Boo, BSc, BVSc, BVMS(Hons), DACVO, MANZCVS, who took part in the surgeries, called it “a milestone in veterinary medicine” and used custom-made IOLs from Germany that contained precise measurements to fit each penguin’s eye, a process that took 2 months to complete!

Zookeepers and veterinarians said they observed “an increase in responsiveness and activity levels” in the penguins following their surgeries. They have since made a full recovery. (Read more.)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Look for the good, practice finding the good, and you’ll see it more often.”

—Tim Ferriss, author, podcaster, and lifestyle guru