If your practice is facing optometry or ophthalmology recruitment challenges we have some tips for you.
Over the years, ophthalmology and optometry recruitment has become increasingly competitive in many parts of the country. Take a look at this study by the journal Ophthalmology, citing an estimated 30% workforce inadequacy, by 2035, for ophthalmologists. Even outstanding practices with strong reputations sometimes find it difficult to attract ophthalmologists and optometrists, particularly in certain specialties and geographic areas.
It is understandable for practices to wonder whether compensation alone is the primary issue when recruiting becomes difficult. However, in our experience, the reasons are often far more nuanced.
Today’s physicians are often evaluating mentorship, culture, schedule flexibility, efficiency, professional growth, and quality of life just as carefully as compensation. At the same time, many practices already possess strengths that candidates value greatly — they simply may not be communicating those strengths clearly or presenting the opportunity in a way that resonates with today’s generation of ophthalmologists and optometrists.
The encouraging reality is that many recruiting challenges can often be improved through clearer communication, realistic expectations, organized recruiting processes, and a better understanding of what physicians are looking for as they evaluate career opportunities.
Compensation Matters — But Physicians Are Evaluating the Entire Opportunity
Compensation will always play an important role in ophthalmology and optometry recruitment. After all, physicians understandably want to feel valued for the years of training, sacrifice, and commitment that their careers require.
At the same time, compensation alone rarely determines whether a physician ultimately accepts or declines an opportunity.
Many ophthalmologists and optometrists today are evaluating the entire practice environment, including scheduling expectations, technician and scribe support, efficiency, patient flow, mentorship, PTO, CME support, flexibility, physician turnover, and long-term growth opportunities.
In some situations, a slightly lower compensation package may still attract excellent candidates if the practice environment is healthy, efficient, collegial, and professionally rewarding. In our experience, physicians consistently value collaborative and supportive workplace cultures. Conversely, even very competitive compensation packages may struggle to overcome concerns related to burnout, excessive workload, lack of support, or unclear expectations.
Increasingly, physicians are asking themselves not only, “What will I earn?” but also, “What will my day-to-day professional life actually feel like?” and “Can I genuinely believe in this organization’s mission and vision?”
Mentorship and Practice Culture Matter More Than Many Practices Realize
For many younger ophthalmologists and optometrists, particularly new graduates and fellowship-trained physicians entering practice, mentorship remains tremendously important.
The transition from training into full-time practice is exciting, but it can also feel uncertain and overwhelming at times, particularly during the first several years after residency or fellowship. Many physicians are looking for environments where questions are welcomed, growth is encouraged, and leadership is accessible.
In ophthalmology especially, younger surgeons often value opportunities where they can continue developing surgical confidence while learning from experienced colleagues. Knowledge sharing matters. Similarly, many optometrists appreciate collaborative environments where they feel supported clinically and professionally as they continue refining their approach to patient care.
Practice culture also tends to influence recruiting success more than many organizations initially realize.
Physicians often pay close attention to how team members interact with one another, how organized the practice feels, whether staff morale appears healthy, and whether they can realistically picture themselves building long-term relationships within the organization.
These qualities are difficult to quantify, but they often shape how candidates feel about an opportunity long after the interview process ends.
Smaller Markets Can Recruit Successfully — The Opportunity Often Needs Context
Some practices located outside major metropolitan areas understandably worry that geography alone will prevent them from recruiting successfully. While certain locations can certainly present additional challenges, many smaller communities continue to attract excellent ophthalmologists and optometrists every year.
In our experience, physicians are often evaluating far more than population size alone.
For some candidates, a smaller market may offer stronger surgical volume, greater autonomy, lower cost of living, shorter commute times, stronger community relationships, outdoor recreation, a more balanced pace of life, or a better place to raise a family and settle down. Others appreciate the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in an underserved area where their skills are deeply valued and patients are genuinely grateful.
Many physicians also appreciate practicing in communities where they can quickly become an important and trusted part of the local healthcare landscape. In certain markets, doctors may also value practicing in areas with less overall competition, where there is significant patient demand and a genuine community need for additional eye care services.
At the same time, practices in smaller markets often benefit from helping candidates see a fuller picture of the opportunity.
Candidates who have never visited a particular community may know very little about the schools, housing market, recreational opportunities, nearby cities, or overall quality of life. Helping physicians understand what daily life actually looks like in the area can sometimes make a meaningful difference during the recruiting process.
Candidate Experience Quietly Shapes Recruiting Success
In a competitive recruiting environment, candidate experience matters more than many practices realize.
Physicians today are frequently evaluating multiple opportunities simultaneously, particularly in high-demand specialties and geographic regions. Delayed communication, unclear timelines, lack of follow-up after the site visit, prolonged contract discussions, or disorganized interview processes can sometimes create unnecessary uncertainty for candidates.
Most physicians understand that recruiting takes time and that practices are balancing busy clinical schedules alongside hiring efforts. However, candidates generally appreciate clear communication, responsiveness, and transparency throughout the process.
Simple things often matter:
Prompt follow-up after interviews
Clear explanations of next steps
Organized interview itineraries
Transparency regarding timelines
Consistency in communication
Timely offers following the site visit
Even highly qualified candidates who are genuinely interested in a practice may begin to feel uncertain if the process becomes confusing or prolonged.
Over the years, we have seen excellent practices lose strong physician candidates simply because communication slowed, follow-up became inconsistent, or the offer process took too long.
Transparency Builds Trust
One of the qualities physicians consistently seem to appreciate during the recruiting process is honesty.
That includes candid conversations about compensation models, call schedules, patient volumes, growth expectations, partnership pathways, staffing support, physician turnover, and the realities of day-to-day practice life.
Most physicians are not expecting perfection. They understand that every practice has strengths, pressures, and operational challenges. In many cases, candidates actually become more comfortable when practices communicate openly and realistically about both the opportunities and the challenges associated with the position.
Transparency tends to build trust, and trust plays an enormous role in long-term recruiting success.
Successful Recruiting Often Reflects the Overall Health of the Practice
Successful physician recruiting is rarely about a single factor alone.
Over the years, we have seen ophthalmology and optometry practices recruit successfully in both highly competitive metropolitan areas and smaller underserved communities. In many cases, the practices that consistently attract strong doctors are not necessarily the ones offering the very highest compensation packages, but rather the ones that communicate clearly, support physicians well, foster healthy workplace cultures, and create environments where doctors can genuinely envision building a long-term future.
Today’s ophthalmologists and optometrists are often evaluating far more than salary alone. They are considering mentorship, scheduling, patient care philosophy, leadership, professional growth opportunities, family considerations, lifestyle, and overall quality of life.
For practices, that can feel challenging at times — but it can also create meaningful opportunities to differentiate your organization in genuine and lasting ways.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ophthalmology and Optometry Recruitment
Why is it becoming harder to recruit ophthalmologists and optometrists?
Ophthalmologists and optometrists have more career options available to them today than ever before, and demand for eye care services continues to grow across the country.
An aging population, increasing demand for medical and surgical eye care, and continued population growth are all contributing to greater need for ophthalmologists and optometrists in many markets. At the same time, there is a well-documented physician shortage in the United States, including within ophthalmology.
In an average year, roughly 500 ophthalmologists complete training nationally, and many continue on to fellowship training in subspecialties such as retina, glaucoma, cornea, pediatrics, or oculoplastics. As a result, many private practices — including highly reputable organizations in attractive locations — find physician recruiting increasingly competitive.
This is one reason many ophthalmology practices are also expanding their medical optometry teams, which has significantly increased demand for experienced optometrists in many regions as well.
What are ophthalmologists and optometrists looking for in a job opportunity today?
The physicians we speak with are usually evaluating far more than compensation alone.
Location remains very important for many candidates, particularly if spouses, children, family considerations, or lifestyle preferences are involved. Beyond geography, physicians often value collaborative and collegial work environments, scheduling flexibility, realistic call expectations, professional growth opportunities, strong mentorship, and supportive leadership.
Many ophthalmologists and optometrists are also evaluating productivity incentives, partnership opportunities, long-term financial upside, signing bonuses, relocation assistance, and the overall reputation of the organization.
Increasingly, physicians want to join practices where they feel supported professionally, respected personally, and confident that patient care remains the central focus of the organization.
Does compensation matter most when recruiting physicians?
Compensation is certainly important, and practices recruiting physicians should remain knowledgeable about current market conditions and compensation trends.
However, in our experience, compensation is rarely the single deciding factor for most ophthalmologists and optometrists.
Other considerations often carry just as much weight, including location, practice reputation, mentorship, schedule flexibility, collegiality within the workplace, efficiency, staffing support, long-term growth opportunities, and overall quality of life.
In many cases, physicians are asking themselves not only whether the compensation is competitive, but also whether they can genuinely envision building a satisfying long-term career within the practice.
Can smaller communities still recruit ophthalmologists and optometrists successfully?
Yes — although recruiting to smaller communities can certainly present challenges in some situations.
At the same time, many physicians are actively looking for opportunities that offer a lower cost of living, shorter commute times, less congestion, strong community relationships, outdoor recreation, and a more balanced overall lifestyle.
Some smaller communities also offer physicians the opportunity to become busier more quickly, develop strong patient relationships, and play an important role within the local healthcare community. In certain markets, doctors may also appreciate practicing in areas with less overall competition, where there is significant patient demand and a genuine community need for additional eye care services.
Practices in smaller communities are often most successful when they help candidates fully understand both the professional opportunity and the lifestyle advantages their area may offer.
How long does physician recruitment typically take in ophthalmology and optometry?
Recruiting timelines can vary significantly depending on a number of factors.
Geographic location certainly plays a major role, but so do compensation structure, practice reputation, mentorship opportunities, scheduling flexibility, partnership potential, physician turnover, staffing support, technology, surgical volume, and overall practice culture.
Certain ophthalmology subspecialties may require particularly lengthy searches simply because the number of available candidates nationally remains limited.
In many situations, practices that communicate clearly, move efficiently through the interview process, and present well-organized opportunities tend to recruit more successfully over time.
Why do some physician candidates decline otherwise strong opportunities?
This is one of the most common questions practices ask during the recruiting process.
In many cases, physicians are simultaneously interviewing with multiple practices and carefully comparing a wide range of factors. One opportunity may offer a more flexible schedule, stronger mentorship, earlier partnership potential, higher expected surgical volume, better work-life balance, or simply a location that feels like a better fit personally or professionally.
Sometimes candidates connect more naturally with the physicians or leadership team within one organization compared to another. In other situations, a physician may believe another practice offers stronger long-term career growth or financial upside.
Recruiting is highly relational, and physicians are often trying to determine not only where they can work, but where they can genuinely see themselves building a future.
What helps eye care practices recruit doctors more successfully long term?
Long-term recruiting success often begins with clarity, transparency, and realistic expectations.
Practices should honestly evaluate whether the opportunity they are presenting truly supports the physician professionally, financially, and personally over the long run. Physician candidates are often evaluating culture, leadership, mentorship, workload expectations, support staff, scheduling, and philosophy of care just as carefully as compensation.
It can also be extremely helpful when physician candidates already have personal ties to a particular region through family, friends, prior training experiences, or lifestyle preferences.
Perhaps most importantly, practices that communicate openly about both the strengths and challenges of the opportunity early in the process often build stronger trust with candidates and improve long-term retention after the hire is made.
Successful Recruiting Often Reflects the Overall Health of the Practice
Successful physician recruiting is rarely about a single factor alone.
Over the years, we have seen ophthalmology and optometry practices recruit successfully in both highly competitive metropolitan areas and smaller underserved communities. In many cases, the practices that consistently attract strong doctors are not necessarily the ones offering the very highest compensation packages, but rather the ones that communicate clearly, support physicians well, foster healthy workplace cultures, and create environments where doctors can genuinely envision building a long-term future.
Today’s ophthalmologists and optometrists are often evaluating far more than salary alone. They are considering mentorship, scheduling, patient care philosophy, leadership, professional growth opportunities, family considerations, lifestyle, and overall quality of life.
For practices, that can feel challenging at times — but it can also create meaningful opportunities to differentiate your organization in authentic ways.
Reach Out to Us Anytime
At OjO Recruitment Agency, we have spent years listening carefully to both physicians and eye care practices across the country. Those conversations continue to shape our perspective on long-term recruiting success, physician retention, and the importance of finding the right fit for both the doctor and the practice.
If your practice is currently navigating the challenges of ophthalmology or optometry recruitment, OjO Recruitment Agency would be happy to have a confidential conversation about your goals, your market, and the type of physician you hope to attract long term. Reach out to us anytime at info@ojorecruitment.com.
