Are You Still in the Right Eye Care Practice?

Let me ask you something real quick. When was the last time you felt excited walking into your Eye Care practice? If you’re staring at the screen trying to remember… that’s your first sign.

We’ve spoken with dozens of licensed Optometrists over the last year—some fresh out of school, others ten years deep in the game. The pattern? Burnout. Micromanagement. Feeling underpaid and undervalued.

“Where you work as an Optometrist matters just as much as how well you do your job.”

So if you’ve been silently wondering whether you’re in the right spot… this article is your gut check. We’re about to dive into ten signs your current eye care practice might be doing more harm than good for your career (and sanity). Whether you’re a few months in or years deep, this list will help you assess whether it’s time to stay, speak up, or start looking elsewhere.

Why Knowing When to Leave an Eye Care Practice Matters

No job is perfect. But when your Eye Care practice consistently drains more than it gives, it’s time to check in with yourself. Because knowing when to leave isn’t quitting—it’s protecting your long-term potential.

Let’s look at the biggest red flags to watch for.

[Related Article: 9 Employer Red Flags to Look Out For]

1. Your Eye Care Practice Doesn’t Support Work-Life Balance

A healthy Eye Care practice should respect your time outside the clinic. Period. That means:

• Clear hours that don’t constantly bleed into your personal life.
• Flexibility for family, rest, and (gasp) hobbies.
• Reasonable patient loads that don’t feel like a conveyor belt.

When you’re constantly overbooked and under-rested, your performance slips. Patient care suffers. You suffer. Optometrists are healthcare professionals, not machines. If your current Eye Care practice is treating you like one, run.

2. Your Eye Care Practice Lacks Career Growth Opportunities

 When’s the last time you learned something new at work? If your growth has been flatlined for months (or years), your Eye Care practice might be holding you back more than you think.

A forward-thinking Eye Care practice should encourage you to grow—not guilt-trip you for wanting more. Whether it’s leadership training, a subspecialty focus, or simply better clinical tools, you deserve to work somewhere that’s as invested in your future as you are.

If your goals are getting bigger but your practice feels smaller… you know what to do.

Related Article: Continuing Education to Advance Your Optometry Career (A Guide)

3. Your Eye Care Practice Has High Turnover Rates

A revolving door at your Eye Care practice isn’t just a staffing issue—it’s a sign of deeper dysfunction. Whether it’s toxic leadership, unrealistic demands, or just zero accountability, high turnover usually points to an environment where people aren’t supported—or respected.

It messes with more than just morale. So if you’re the longest-tenured person in the building and you’ve only been there 14 months… It might be time to rethink your current Eye Care practice.

4. Your Eye Care Practice Doesn’t Value Your Input

The best practices don’t just tolerate input—they seek it out. They know that the people closest to the patients (that’s you) have the clearest view of what’s working, what’s broken, and what could improve. When you’re not being heard, you’re not being valued—and when you’re not valued, it’s only a matter of time before you burn out or check out.

If you’re starting to feel invisible in your own workplace, that’s a sign your Eye Care practice isn’t the right one for your voice, your growth, or your peace of mind.

5. Your Eye Care Practice Offers Below-Market Compensation

Optometrists are in demand. Salaries are rising. Practices are offering sign-on bonuses, CE stipends, relocation support, and juicy benefits to attract talent. If you’re still being offered pre-pandemic pay with zero incentives and a “free parking spot” as a perk… yikes. You spent years studying, training, and investing in this career. 

You deserve to be paid accordingly—not guilt-tripped into accepting the “honor” of working under budget.

6. Your Eye Care Practice Uses Outdated Technology or Equipment

If your EHR system crashes twice a day and you’re manually documenting everything. That’s not vintage or charming. That’s frustrating. You can’t deliver modern care with ancient tools—and you shouldn’t be expected to.

In today’s fast-paced optometry world, patients expect more—and so should you. A modern Eye Care practice should equip you with tools that help you deliver high-quality care efficiently. Technology evolves for a reason. It improves care, it saves time, and it helps you do your job better. If your current Eye Care practice isn’t investing in modern tools, it’s not just holding itself back—it’s holding you back.

7. Your Eye Care Practice Has a Negative Workplace Culture

If you find yourself mentally rehearsing conversations before asking for time off, or dreading shared lunch breaks because the tension is that thick, you’re not in a healthy environment.

When your Eye Care practice is steeped in negativity, collaboration dies. Communication suffers. And the emotional weight of the job becomes heavier than the clinical load itself. You end up doing damage control—on your team and yourself—before you even see your first patient.

Your workplace culture should support you, not drain you. It should lift your energy, not make you fantasize about faking a flu just to get a break. So ask yourself this: Am I energized by my environment, or exhausted by it? If it’s the latter, your current Eye Care practice may be costing you more than your sanity.

8. Your Eye Care Practice Doesn’t Align With Your Values

For many Optometrists, the tipping point isn’t always about money, scheduling, or titles—it’s about integrity. When your values clash with your practice’s business model, no paycheck is big enough to make that disconnect feel okay. When your Eye Care practice doesn’t align with your personal or professional ethics, it creates internal tension. The kind you carry home with you. The kind that makes you lose sleep at night. The kind that slowly pulls you away from the profession you once loved.

Value-driven work isn’t a luxury. It’s a non-negotiable. And you deserve to find an Eye Care practice that sees the same line in the sand you do—and refuses to cross it.

9. Your Eye Care Practice Isn’t Transparent With Expectations

Clear expectations are non-negotiable. And yet, so many Optometrists are stuck in roles where:

• Job responsibilities keep expanding without warning.
• Performance reviews are vague, inconsistent, or straight-up nonexistent.
• Goals change weekly—sometimes daily—with zero context.

This kind of chaos doesn’t just make it hard to succeed—it makes it hard to feel safe. You’re left second-guessing your performance, watching your back, and wondering if you’re ever “doing enough.”

You deserve clarity. Not just about what your role is, but how success is defined, how growth is supported, and how your contributions are evaluated. If your current practice can’t—or won’t—offer that? It may not be the right fit.

10. You’ve Outgrown the Mission of Your Eye Care Practice

You got into optometry because you care about people, outcomes, and quality care—not because you wanted to feel like a cog in someone else’s bottom line. But lately, the mission of your Eye Care practice doesn’t seem to line up with the kind of professional—or person—you’re becoming. 

Outgrowing a practice doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means you’re growing. And growth isn’t something you should apologize for—it’s something you should chase. So if you’ve been feeling like the mission of your Eye Care practice no longer matches your own… that’s not just a sign. It’s your nudge to start looking for a place that does.

What to Do When Your Eye Care Practice Isn’t the Right Fit

So, what happens when you’ve read the signs, checked in with yourself, and the verdict is clear: this isn’t it?

First off, don’t panic. Realizing your current Eye Care practice isn’t the right fit isn’t a failure—it’s a turning point. And that turning point? It’s where growth begins.

Here’s how to move forward with purpose (and a solid plan):

1. Get Clear on What You Want

Use your current experience as data. What isn’t working? What would a supportive, growth-oriented Eye Care practice look like to you? Think about:

• Your ideal work schedule
• Professional development goals
• Type of practice setting (private, corporate, clinical)
• Culture, values, and leadership style

2. Update Your Resume + LinkedIn

Even if you’re not job-hunting tomorrow, start polishing your personal brand today. Highlight your strengths. Add certifications. Reclaim your professional story.

3. Start Networking (Quietly)

Reach out to peers, mentors, or recruitment specialists who know the Eye Care industry inside and out. You don’t have to blast your job search—just start exploring.

4. Partner with a Specialized Recruiter

(👋 Hi, that’s us.) Eye To Eye Careers only works with Eye Care professionals. We don’t toss your resume in a pile—we match you with Eye Care practices that align with your skills, your values, and your goals.

5. Stay Professional Until You Pivot

Even if you’re mentally checked out, maintain your professionalism. Give notice when the time comes. Keep bridges intact. Your reputation is part of your long game.

Final Thoughts? Trust Your Gut 

The right Eye Care practice is out there. One that challenges you, supports you, and respects the career you’ve worked so hard to build. You don’t have to settle for less just because it’s comfortable or “not that bad.”

So trust your gut. You know when it’s time. And when you’re ready to make the leap? We’ll be right here to help you land exactly where you belong.