University Optometric Center

I had a great experience here. The optometrist really showed concern and spent a lot of time with me.

The doctors and interns who do the eye exams are great. Unfortunately, the staff is surly and they have no motivation to improve their level of service. I’ve waited for almost an hour for an appointment and the staff didn’t even check to see that the doctor simply hadn’t been told I was waiting! Don’t use the eye glass dispensary here. They outsource everything and they don’t check the work of the vendors. Plus, they don’t follow up on phone calls so you end up calling twice a day. It’s been over three weeks and I am still waiting for me glasses. Don’t do it!

Wow, these other Unilocal reviews are a bit strange. I like coming here because you get a lot of attention. As a teaching department, you are analyzed very thoroughly by a student and then reviewed by a full professor. I find that the professors are anxious to make sure the students miss absolutely nothing — at one point they found a small inconsistency on one retina and insisted the student recheck the eye (even though there was nothing wrong). I like that kind of attention to detail.
Some people can get away with a simple check up at lenscrafters, but for a thorough examination, I think going to University Optometric is a great decision if you can spare 90 minutes and don’t mind dilation (I think it’s amusing).

I’ve been a patient at University Optometric Center for several years – since they were located on 24^th and Lex, which is well over ten – and have used a few different departments, including Vision Therapy and Contact Lens; I have a long history of eye problems and am extremely nearsighted. They have more services under one roof than most people will ever need.
University Optometric – which is part of SUNY – is a teaching facility. They always pair you with a student, and usually the student conducts most of the exam, then the supervising doctor double-​checks. Of course, in some cases you may end up seeing a specialist; it depends on your individual problem.
I’ve learned a few tricks over the years, including that you can get an appointment here easily, but they usually stick you with Dr. Falasca – who has tenure. If they try to give me an appointment with him, I explain that I have multiple chemical sensitivities and need to see someone else: the man douses himself with noxious after-​shave. During your appointment, you’re going to see a lot of the student who’s assigned to you anyway, and these are usually fourth-​year students who are as intent on concentrating on their «bedside manner» as their technique; they know they’re being evaluated on all points.
The only real complaint I have is that in Dispensing for some reason they can fill my eyeglass prescription – I have Medicaid – for a copay of $ 10, but I’m not allowed to supply my own frame or choose to pay for add-​ons like a Transitions tint. So I’ll bring in my own frame and the lenses end up costing me close to $ 400. (I require a very strong prescription, and the lenses end up costing a lot.)
Reminds me, I’m about due for my annual dilated fundus exam, where they put the drops in and you can’t see for a few hours – oh, joy.

As a freelancer without health insurance, I’d put off an eye exam for as long as was possible. Eventually, though, my contact lenses-​hopelessly outdated and pushed beyond the point of no return – totally wore out. With no record or memory of my previous NYC exam a few years earlier, I began a rather panicked searched to find an eye doctor that wouldn’t rip me off.
There was a lot to consider. First, the fact that I needed a comprehensive exam – a few years without one made me certain my eyes needed to be checked thoroughly. Second, I needed a contact lens fitting, but – and this proved to be the tricky part – I didn’t want to be forced to buy lenses through the doctor once I decided on the right ones.
So I did my research: Unilocal turned up some truly great reviews of Park Slope Eye, and although the woman I spoke to on the phone was friendly, she would only gave me basic information (an exam plus a trial pair of lenses would be $ 235) and when I asked for specifics on what a «trial pair» meant, or whether I could get my prescription to buy lenses elsewhere, she couldn’t give me a straight answer. She then took my number, but their office never called back. Strike one.
My second thought was to go the other route – cheap, mass market care: Walmart. This would involve a trip out of the city, of course, but I figured the savings would offset this. Once I finally got through to one of their store’s somewhat hyped «Vision Centers” – it took several tries to get anyone to answer the phone – I was informed that the exam and contact lens fitting would be $ 130. Upon further prodding I was able to find out that subsequent visits would be required in order for the doctor to «release» a prescription. Hmmm. Strike two.
I then began searching on the web (and again, on Unilocal!) but couldn’t come up with an option that guaranteed me a reasonable comprehensive eye exam, contact lens fitting, AND the ability to buy my lenses (as one is entitled to) from an outside source. Groan.
Enter the University Optometric Center. Their phone operator was able to quickly and politely address my concerns: $ 100 for a complete eye exam (including dilation, which many offices charge extra for) that would check for every conceivable eye problem (glaucomas, cancers, stigmatism, etc.) and an additional $ 60 for a full «new patient» contact lens fitting – including as many free follow-​up visits as would be necessary. Not dirt cheap, no, but complete care.
And the best part? Absolutely no problem if I wanted to take my prescription and get my lenses elsewhere. Relieved to have reached seemingly friendly shores, I made an appointment for 4:30 that very same day. Very convenient.
Now the UOC, is, however – as the name might imply – just a little different. A part of the SUNY system, it’s essentially a teaching hospital, where the interns do the work with the clients under the careful, strict supervision of several doctors. And if it feels a little like a giant, impersonal clinic when you walk in, the wait was never more than 5 minutes (on any of my visits) and the people were almost all very friendly and helpful.
And, most importantly, the quality of the care was very high. My first visit, which took about 90 minutes, was incredibly thorough, and both the doctor and intern were friendly and personable. Unfortunately, due to the dilation they couldn’t complete the contact lens fitting before closing. With a clean bill of health for my eyes, I was given an appointment for the following week.
On the second visit I was treated by the same intern, and this time she exhaustively and patiently went through my contact options, crunching numbers for daily wear (which, after years of wearing sub-​par lenses the MD pushed as the most safe option) bi-​weekly, and monthly-​wear lenses. We tried several samples, and I was sent home with a week’s worth of pricey (but great) daily wear lens trial pairs, to see how they’d perform in «real world» conditions.
My third visit – this follow-​up was, as promised, free – the same intern and a new MD reviewed cheaper options (the daily wears were indeed lovely, but «bank breaking» lovely) and gave me a pair of bi-​weekly lenses, which, while just a bit less comfortable, were squarely in my price range. I took them home to try.
And, over the next two weeks, discovered that they were just great. As a result, my fourth (free, yes, and, yes final!) visit was very brief – this time with a new intern, who was very sweet, (although I missed the rapport I’d had with the other) and checked the bi-​weekly lenses on my eyes. I was given my prescription, as promised, and, went home, very satifisfied.
On the whole, the UOC offers truly great care at reasonable prices, and, although somewhat unorthodox in its operation – especially if you’re used to a private MDs office – is highly recommended.