Steve Nelson, OD

A consulting client had a few questions about a patient who came into her office. A contact lens patient wanted to use his Spectera third-party coverage, and the receptionist told him it was no problem.

Who are we? I had to ask myself that the other day because there was a discussion on online optometry forum ODWire.org about how patients are more apt to see the nurse practitioner at CVS for their conjunctivitis than the OD. That evolved into all manner of unpleasant realizations about optometry.

I recently read a blog from a first-year ophthalmology resident talking about how ODs shouldn’t be performing medical treatments. I’ll leave his utter ignorance of his own lack of knowledge aside for just a second and address the responses by my esteemed colleagues Drs. Ernie Bowling and Mohammad Rafieetary. You two are both extremely knowledgeable and way too nice.