The craziest optometry stories of 2015

We’ve already shared our most-read stories for the year, but now it’s our turn to share our favorite stories from 2015-and boy, did we have some fun this year.

Our editorial goal has always been to bring you, our readers, the highest-quality practical advice. But this year, we tried to get creative and add a little fun into the mix. 

#Dressgate

Read the story: #Dressgate: ODs explain why people see this dress in different colors

For about 48 hours last February, the Internet was on fire with an argument surrounding one image of one dress. Was it white and gold (you’ll never convince these Optometry Times editors otherwise)? Or was it black and blue?

We weren’t there to solve the mystery, but we wanted to know more about the science behind the controversy. Why were so many people seeing the dress in certain colors, while another large group was convinced it was the other colors?

We went to the experts to find out. Read that story HERE.

Related: Optometry's biggest stories of 2015

Online optometry school….really??

Read the story: Online optometry school to launch

It just so happened that April 1, 2015, fell on a Wednesday-which also happens to be one of our email newsletter days (Wait-you don’t get our newsletter? What are you waiting for? Sign up here.). We decided to take a few things that tend to make waves in the optometric community-the growing number of optometry schools and the threat of online eye care-and combine them into an OD’s worst nightmare: the debut of an online optometry school. And that’s how our April Fool’s story was born.

We ordained our own Chief Optometric Editor, Ernie Bowling, OD, FAAO, as the school’s inaugural dean and asked our Editorial Advisory Board members for their own outlandish quotes supporting this innovative (and completely fake) institution.

Most people got the joke. A few didn’t.

Some kindly reached out to Dr. Bowling to congratulate him on his new position-he thanked them for their kind words and then filled them in on the joke. And then a few sent us strongly worded emails.

But all in all, we love that ODs have such a great sense of humor. If you need a laugh, check out our story HERE.

Holiday headaches: 8 things that drive ODs crazy during the holidays

Our 4/20 special report

Read the story: Marijuana and optometry: Practicing post-legalization

Now really, how many optometry publications out there would do a special report for the unofficial stoner holiday, April 20? Optometry Times did not inhale, but we did ask ODs in states where marijuana is legalized about their patients who do partake. Check out what they said HERE.

OMD resident likely regrets trashing ODs

Read the stories: OMD resident attacks ODs in blog-ODs respond 

OD calls BS on OMD's fear mongering 

Last spring, our sister publication Ophthalmology Times published two blogs by an ophthalmology resident at the University of California, Irvine, that highlighted the underlying tension between optometry and ophthalmology.

In the first blog, the resident defended OD-performed medical procedures and said that not allowing such practices would hinder patients and create an ophthalmic monopoly. Fair enough. ODs around the country offer their thumbs up to you, sir.

Two weeks later, our young hero backtracks and completely changes his opinion, publishing a new blog that states that optometrist-performed medical procedures shouldn’t even be legal at all.

Oh boy.

Not to fear-Dr. Ernie Bowling and Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board member Mohammad Rafieetary, OD, FAAO, are here to kindly set him straight. You can read their responses HERE. And if that doesn’t work, Steve Nelson, OD, calls BS on the resident’s whole argument. You can read that response HERE. We highly recommend checking out both.  

Patient horror stories

Read the story: Top 10 patient horror stories 

In the spirit of Halloween, we asked eyecare providers to share their worst patient horror stories-and they delivered. We’re still having nightmares about that second story.

If you’re feeling brave, you can read those stories HERE.

Frameri finds a home in the eyecare community

Read the story: After Shark Tank, Frameri online optical finds success

Our story on the latest optical company to hit the industry wasn’t crazy-but the reaction to it was.

So, we don’t know if you guys know this-but you’re an opinionated bunch. In general, when a new company comes into the eyecare space, it isn’t exactly welcomed with open arms.

So, when we wrote about Frameri, we were expecting much of the same reactions that greet companies like Warby, Opternative, and Blink. But that’s not what we got. 

The ODs we spoke to seemed excited and intrigued by the company’s unique design that allows wearers to swap out their lenses and change their frames. They also loved Frameri’s plans to sell its frames through independent eyecare providers. Read the reactions HERE.

And they’re not the only ones who loved Frameri-we did, too! In 2016, Frameri’s founder, Konrad Billetz, will be blogging for us! Stay tuned; we’re looking forward to seeing what he has to say as a newcomer to the eyecare industry.

Rapper’s wife receives controversial iris implant

Read the story: Rapper's wife receives controversial iris implant to change eye color

OK, technically this one is from late 2014, but this story still boggles our mind, so we’re including it.

Rapper T.I.’s wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris appeared on “Good Morning America” last year after undergoing surgery to permanently change her eyes from brown to “ice gray” using a controversial implant from a company called BrightOcular. We talked to experts about risks of such a procedure. Check that story out HERE.