Attention Eye Glass/contact Wearers:

[MissScripture]

So, I'm starting to have to do the whole "be an adult" thing, and I have discovered I desperately need new glasses (there is something wrong when you see better without your glasses than with!). I have no idea even where/how to find a good eye doctor. Is there anything specific I should look for in an eye doctor/clinic?

[MIKolbe]

make sure they refrain from calling you 'four-eyes'.

other than that, they should be ok.

[JenDeMaria]

You should find one that accepts your insurance

[AudreyGrace]

As long as they're legit and know what they're doing..

[Lisa]

Walmart typically has good (or at least not bad) eye doctors, is pretty reasonable, and accepts most insurance.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Lisa

[Lil Red]

ask your friends. stay away from wal-mart (the debbil).

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1304901670' post='2238867']
ask your friends. stay away from wal-mart (the debbil).
[/quote]
Wal Mart ruined my car. No way will I trust 'em with my eyes!

[Teen_Catholic]

Costco has been pretty good for my mom and me.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Teen_Catholic' timestamp='1304906727' post='2238884']
Costco has been pretty good for my mom and me.
[/quote]
I liked Costco, too. Haven't been there for contacts in quite a while, though

[HopefulBride]

What Lisa said. I go to walmart for mine (mostly because the doctor there is catholic and is the brother of my pastor) Personally I try to find catholic doctors for everything...

But aside from that you can go to walmart for your exam or even your campus. I am not sure how big your campus is but you may have a clinic there where certain office are offered. The key to getting a good deal is to shop around. Don't think just because you got your exam somewhere you have to fill your prescription at the same place. About three years ago when I needed new glasses, I got my exam at walmart and there was a store having a sale not far from where I lived, I filled my prescription there.

Good luck on your search.

[Sarah147]

Top docs would be those that also do eye surgery or eye therapy. But, you can find good docs that work in classy eyeglass stores; that's where I go now.

Speaking of glasses, I had an awful experience recently where the new glasses were causing headaches and eye pain, and were made everything look off balance. Turns out that the doc put the astigmatism info for each eye in the opposite boxes. Thankfully, when I visited him again, he figured out what he did and replaced the lens free of charge, as they ought to.

[IcePrincessKRS]

I have been to WalMart eye doctors a few times. Places like LensCrafters (if you have those near you...) are generally reliable as well. Free standing practices not attached to a chain might be harder to pin down how good they are unless you can ask someone around you who wears glasses which doctor they go to (I've done that a couple times, too... we're a military family, I change doctors every couple of years).

The last two times I've gotten my eyes examined it's actually been at WalMart because when I called the other eye doctors they didn't answer their phones (or hung up on me and THEN didn't answer when I called back). That's how I found my dentist, too. I looked up who took my insurance, called the two in town who did. The first didn't answer the phone, the second one did. lol Now, if I were going to get eye surgery or something I would be a little more discerning and shop around some more for a doctor, but to look through some pieces of glass and tell them which letters are the clearest... I've never had a BAD eye doctor.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='IcePrincessKRS' timestamp='1304974594' post='2239242']
I have been to WalMart eye doctors a few times. Places like LensCrafters (if you have those near you...) are generally reliable as well. Free standing practices not attached to a chain might be harder to pin down how good they are unless you can ask someone around you who wears glasses which doctor they go to (I've done that a couple times, too... we're a military family, I change doctors every couple of years).

The last two times I've gotten my eyes examined it's actually been at WalMart because when I called the other eye doctors they didn't answer their phones (or hung up on me and THEN didn't answer when I called back). That's how I found my dentist, too. I looked up who took my insurance, called the two in town who did. The first didn't answer the phone, the second one did. lol Now, if I were going to get eye surgery or something I would be a little more discerning and shop around some more for a doctor, but to look through some pieces of glass and tell them which letters are the clearest... I've never had a BAD eye doctor.
[/quote]
I've only ever had 2 eye doctors, and the 2nd was the son of the first, who took over his practice when Eye Doctor Senior retired. The only bad experience I ever had at the eye doctor was when I was in about 2nd grade, and they had to do the eye drop thing to dilate your pupils. I got the doctor SUPER annoyed with me, because I kept closing my eye the split second before the drop would hit it!

I mostly just wanted to make sure there weren't any special things to look for in an eye doctor, like any special certifications or anything. Thank you to everyone for the suggestions.