Texas Optometric Women's Network (TOWN)

We asked the questions and you answered our surveys. Now it's time to come together and talk about your issues locally. TOWN is designed to gain insight on how women optometrists are meeting challenges and shaping the future of the profession. Please share your insights and concerns by emailing Sarah at TOASarah@austin.rr.com

NEXT MEETINGS:

Texas Women in Optometry Survey

Significant findings for the women ANSWERING the survey:

The majority of you chose optometry because it is a career that is best suited for family life; you wanted to help people and were often encouraged by your own optometrist or by family members who are optometrists to go into the field.

Many female optometrists in Texas are enjoying the career opportunities they hoped for when they graduated from optometry school.

Over 70% of you ARE where you thought you would be in your careers when you graduated and if you are not usually it is because family obligations have slowed you down.

When planning for the future, 45% want to continue to grow your current practice, while almost a fourth of you are planning on opening a private practice.

You are very active women. Over all the majority are working full time (35 hours or more/week) (67.6% members & 53.4% non-members)

• 46% of you are owners or partners in your practice
• 19% work for an independent practice
• 7% work for an ophthalmologist
• 12% are corporately affiliated owners or lessees
• 4% work for an optometrist who is corporately affiliated
• 3% are educators

You are volunteering in your communities:

• you are doing volunteer work (98.5% of members & 76.2% of non-members)
• you are volunteering close to home, i.e. church, schools, Lions Clubs, etc.
• you volunteer "because you want to help others, for the sake of your family and out of a sense of civic duty
• 40% of you volunteer more than 10 hours/week

Most of you chose the type of practice you are in based on the ability to be your own boss or the ability to work around family needs and work in urban areas, 68% work in cities of 100,000 or more.

You are a very diverse group:

• 63% of the responders are Caucasian, 21% Asian, 11% Hispanic, and 4 % Black.
• 74% are under the age of 44
• 62% have children
• 80% are married
• 64% are members of TOA, the younger you are the more likely you are to be members. And if you are a member then you are more likely to attend a local Society meeting (71.7% vs 37.2%)