A Question Regarding Eyesight...

[Terinox]

Alright, i've longed to becoming a cop...however, your uncorrected eyesight has to be at least 40/20 to be able to be a cop, and corrected to 20/20. I recently got my contact lenses, and I can see great, I think it's even better then 20/20 or whatever. But here is the thing...wtf does 20/20 even mean exactly? How can I figure out what this number is?

To become a cop, I need to know if my eyes are worse then 40/20. The only other way is getting laser eye surgery, which they say I have to wait until i'm 25 before they will even do the procedure. Any ideas???
Any opinions???

Thnx ya'll
T.

[David B.]

If you have contacts, then you've been to the eye doctor. Your eyesight measurements will be in his records, call him and ask.

--dnb

[Red Ketchup]

20/20 is the snellen chart measurement of your eyesight. One of the more poplar (but very inaccurate) way to estimate ones visual accuity.

That chart is that poster with all the letters the eye dr. makes you look at.

I've atached a small text that should explain the procedure. Oh and if you're considering laser eye surgery, make sure you go have a read at http://www.surgicaleyes.org/ to find out what can go wrong when they zap your eyes (but they almost never tell you about when you sign on the dotted line).




How Visual Acuity Is Measured
by Wendy Strouse Watt, O.D.

A standard eye chart is necessary to make comparisons and to record people's visual acuity. The most common chart used in most doctors' offices is the Snellen eye chart. In 1862, a Dutch Ophthalmologist, Dr. Hermann Snellen, devised this eye chart. He determined that there was a relationship between the sizes of certain letters viewed at certain distances. A copy of the Snellen chart may be found here.

The Snellen eye chart has a series of letters or letters and numbers, with the largest at the top. As the person being tested reads down the chart, the letters gradually become smaller. Many other versions of this chart are used for people who cannot read the alphabet. The Tumbling E chart has the capital letter "E" facing in different directions and the person being tested must determine which direction the "E" is pointing, up, down, left, or right. A Broken Wheel vision test is one that can be used for children or those who cannot read the alphabet and the person being tested must tell which card has the broken wheels on the pictured car. Another type of eye chart that can be used is a picture chart with common pictures of different sizes. In research, another chart, the ETDRS chart, has become the standard. Originally, the chart was used in the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study.

The Snellen fractions, 20/20, 20/30, etc., are measures of sharpness of sight. They relate to the ability to identify a letter of a certain size at a specified distance. They give no information as to whether or not meaning is obtained from visual input, how much effort is needed to see clearly or singly, and whether or not vision is less efficient when using both eyes as opposed to each eye individually. "Normal" vision is 20/20. There are two lines smaller than 20/20, 20/15 and 20/10.

When checking visual acuity, one eye is covered at a time and the vision of each eye is recorded separately, as well as both eyes together. In the Snellen fraction 20/20, the first number represents the test distance, 20 feet. The second number represents the distance that the average eye can see the letters on a certain line of the eye chart. So, 20/20 means that the eye being tested can read a certain size letter when it is 20 feet away. If a person sees 20/40, at 20 feet from the chart that person can read letters that a person with 20/20 vision could read from 40 feet away. The 20/40 letters are twice the size of 20/20 letters; however, it does not mean 50% vision since 20/20 sounds like it is one half of 20/40. If 20/20 is considered 100% visual effiency, 20/40 visual acuity is 85% efficient.

If a patient sees 20/200, the smallest letter that they can see at 20 feet could be seen by a normal eye at 200 feet. This is the Snellen Acuity (English)

[Commander_Bash]

For the F.D.N.Y your vision can be about 20/50 or 20/55... If you ever did your medical screening and know how it goes you can beat it by wearing contact lenses during the medical..... Im a fire cadet and one of the Lt.'s told me next time you take the medical wear contact lenses during the vision test then after your done go to the bathroom and take them off.....its kind of easy because the emt's are idiots.... i would try whatever you can to avoid surgery... try to get a waiver or something like that just get surgery if its the last resort

[Sicilian30]

So Terinox you gonna become a officer of the law eh? hell I don't know if it is like it is here, but most of the cops here, you would swear had free access to gear. They are all huge and most of the ones I know compete in shows. IS that the real reason you want to become a cop??? Free access to Gear??? LOL.

[Terinox]

Originally posted by David B.
If you have contacts, then you've been to the eye doctor. Your eyesight measurements will be in his records, call him and ask.

--dnb

I don't think he does, I mean he has the weakness written out, it's like -3.00 and like -2.75 or something like that. But not the 20/20 stuff.

[Terinox]

Thanks for the great post Red Ketchup. So, 20/40 means that I can see something that normal people see at 40 feet, I see at 20. So like the article said, seeing twice the size letters as normal 20/20. Unfortunetly my eyesight is a lot worse then 20/40...i think. So, unless I get laser surgery, there is NO way of becoming a police officer

[Terinox]

Originally posted by Commander_Bash
For the F.D.N.Y your vision can be about 20/50 or 20/55... If you ever did your medical screening and know how it goes you can beat it by wearing contact lenses during the medical..... Im a fire cadet and one of the Lt.'s told me next time you take the medical wear contact lenses during the vision test then after your done go to the bathroom and take them off.....its kind of easy because the emt's are idiots.... i would try whatever you can to avoid surgery... try to get a waiver or something like that just get surgery if its the last resort

I do have contacts now, but I REALLY don't feel good lying to the police department. First of all, it says in my liscence that I have corrective lenses. So they would find out, and even if they didn't find out, some time down the line, if they find out I lied, I would get into BIG shit. Get fired, and maybe even some legal action against me, I don't know.

I don't even understand why though. I mean if I wear contacts, why doesn't it make up for it? I mean the odds of contacts just popping out for no reason is SO rare! But I guess it's the safety of people's lives at stake...so...it's just the way it's gotta be

[Terinox]

Originally posted by Sicilian30
So Terinox you gonna become a officer of the law eh? hell I don't know if it is like it is here, but most of the cops here, you would swear had free access to gear. They are all huge and most of the ones I know compete in shows. IS that the real reason you want to become a cop??? Free access to Gear??? LOL.

No no, even though that sounds tempting...LOL...i've wanted to be a cop every since I was like 12-13 years old. But I don't want to be just an ordinary patrol officer. I want to work in some special ops/divisions. Something like Homicide, Robbery, Narcotics, etc...

But...unfortunetly, I emailed the recruiting office of the Police, and EVEN WITH a University Degree in Crime & Deviance, they won't let me work in the policing department. NO positions (according to her) would be valid/available for me. This is due to the fact that EVERYONE starts off as a regular cop, and all take the same basic tests (physical, psychological, eyesight, etc...)

SO DAMN...what do I do with my life now??? I REALLY don't know what I want as a career and i'm fucken 20 years old!!! I mean DAMN. Right now, in university, I'm majoring in Philosophy and Sociology. I might also minor in Psychology. If my marks allow it. But damn, I wanted to major in Crime & Deviance so bad! I still might...but it won't get me anywhere in life!!!

HOW MANY OF YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WANTED TO BECOME???

[Commander_Bash]

I don't see the reason either why you cant wear contact lenses? i don't know the requirement for nypd but my friends gonna become a cop and he wears glasses but then again i dont know ... but the reason for firefighters not being able to wear contacts is because they can melt under hot temperature....just get surgery if its your last option... just find a good lasik surgeon....make sure that if you get the surgery that they'll still let you become a police officer you don't wanna get fucked by getting the surgery and they don't let you.....Good Luck man i hope you get to become a police officer

[Red Ketchup]

Originally posted by Terinox
Thanks for the great post Red Ketchup. So, 20/40 means that I can see something that normal people see at 40 feet, I see at 20. So like the article said, seeing twice the size letters as normal 20/20. Unfortunetly my eyesight is a lot worse then 20/40...i think. So, unless I get laser surgery, there is NO way of becoming a police officer

Well, you got it right on the money... but if you decide to consider laser surgery do yourself a favor, research it a lot, and I mean A LOT.

There are some very important points to consider:

1 - Does the agency where you want to work accept laser surgery? You'd better check. More and more police/fire depts no longer accept lasered candidates. As of this year the provincial cops here don't accept lasered candidates.

2 - You do realize that laser surgery is non reversable. If they mess up, tough luck buddy (and the old "worse case scenario is that I may still need glasses" is a myth, they can REALLY mess you up beyond any glasses).

3 - Laser surgery is very invasive. Most people do not realize this, but when they cut the lasik flap in your cornea, it's weakened permanently. Although the epithelum around the edge of the flap does heal nicely, the flap itself only sticks to the cornea and will never heal integrally.

4 - To even think of laser surgery, your vision MUST have been stable at least 2 years. Be VERY afraid of any doctor willing to ignore that.


Now the flip side...

1 - If the agency does accept lasered candidates, it's a definite boost to your carreer plans and may be worth the educated risk.

2 - The "official" statistics place lasik complications at about 5% and severe complications at 1% (I was in the 1%). Those stats are doubtfull though as DR's do not report complications or ignore them... (if you can read 65% of the 20/20 line then you're officially a success... even if you see the line doubled and distorted and whatnot...)

3 - It is argued that any trauma to the eye that would dislodge the lasik flap (therefore rendering you blind) would have dammaged the eye beyond repair anyways. That does make sense to me.

4 - Unfortunately there is no getting around this one... If your vision has not stabilized yet, lasik can cause you a world of trouble down the line.


Aren't carreer choices grand?

By the way, have you looked into other LEA's? Half the bloody public service jobs in the USA are related to law enforcement surely there is one in there right for you.

As for not wanting to be a beat cop, I hate to tell you this, but we all got to start at the bottom of the ladder.

When I joined the fire dept I came in as lowly plugman, took years to work up to teaching at the academy. If you want the respect of your fellow workers you'll NEED to pay your dues. Who know, you'll probably enjoy a few years of beat cop action.

My 2 cents worth ramble

Red

[Red Ketchup]

Originally posted by Terinox
HOW MANY OF YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WANTED TO BECOME???

He he don't worry, I'm in my mid 30's and I still don't know what I want to "become" (Yeah ok so I got a job, doesn't mean it's what I wanna BE!)

Red

[Terinox]

Thanks for the thorough response again Red. I went to that website, and I read some of the posts people put up at www.surgicaleyes.com and it scared the SHIT OUT OF ME! I mean some of those people went through some crazy stuff! Lots of people ended up with worse sight then they went in. I couldn't handle that stuff. Especially since I'm already so paranoid and sensitive about my eyes, going blind is NOT an acceptable risk. It took me forever just to get the balls to put contact lenses in my eyes!

In terms of law related jobs, yes I would like maybe something else in the field, but what is there? Teaching Crime & Deviance is not something I really find interesting. Rehabilitation of criminal offenders, etc... It's hard to say.

Thnx again for the advice, maybe i'll just have to make a huge career change...but to what... i don't know.

[Terinox]

Another point with me is that money is not a main issue for me. I REALLY want a job I will end up loving to do. Just getting average pay is good for me. I believe to live a decent life here in Toronto, getting paid about 60,000-70,000 a year ought to be a decent life