University Eye Center

I have been going to the University Eye Center since I was a kid –and the examinations and the thoroughness of their exams are unsurpassed. However, I agree with many of the reviews here. The appointments can take hours –one time they actually closed down the office by the time I left. The billing department however, is HORRIBLE!!! First, they sent request for payment to an insurance company I had 3 years previously. I am still trying to rectify a bill from July. I called and left my cell number –two weeks later they return the call to my home when I am working. The billing department’s voicemail box is filled –so you cant leave a message. Even though I respect the doctors, I am losing patience and may start going to a private doctor –it is not worth the aggravation

As others have mentioned, its a teaching facility. You’re going to have an intern (and if like me, I had a 4^th year and a 2^nd year shadowing) do the majority of your exam. A doctor comes in at the end to double check things and talk about what the 4^th year intern told you. I liken it to going to the dentist for your bi-​annual cleaning. You rarely see the dentist for the cleaning rather you get the hygienist. Same process here just interns.
The interns I had were great. They were polite, friendly, and really patient with me as I had a ton of questions about what was going on and for what. When I made the appointment, they told me it would take about an hour and half. They were correct. It’s long, folks. But, its your eyes – people sit through movies longer than this! The interns also asked me, prior to doing it, if it was ok that they dilate my eyes. I was fine with it. I can see if they didn’t ask first folks having a problem with it but that wasn’t my experience. You won’t be able to see clearly for a good while after. All in all, I was happy with this process. I didn’t experience the lens store as I don’t wear glasses but for my experience and needs, this place was great.
The one con I’d say is when I called to make the appointment – not the friendliest person but when I got there, I didn’t have an issue. I rarely spoke to the front desk or the billing ladies (again, not the friendliest but my time was limited).

It has been nearly four months since I had an exam here and have still not received my results. Even worse, the day I had my exam the doctor didn’t know how to operate some «system» and couldn’t walk me through my results. You can find a better place.

Came in for an eye exam and contact fitting. I nearly walked out when I saw the waiting room and spoke with the receptionists, and I’m sorry I didn’t. Fitting and exam were scheduled a month out, since that was their first available opening. The intern who did the fitting was very kind, but got my prescription wrong. The contacts looked weird, and upon insisting on a second acuity check, she realized her mistake. After over an hour of putting the contact in and taking it out, they gave me a pair of trial lenses (with the correct prescription) and said I had to schedule another appointment to do the rest of the exam. The first of many billing issues: they overcharged me by $ 100, then realized the mistake, but wouldn’t refund it. Instead, I carried a credit forward to the other appointments. Fine.
Appt. no. 2, another month out: more contact fitting with a different intern. Correct prescription this time, but still no actual exam — now I need to follow up with the glaucoma clinic because I told them I have pigmentary dispersion syndrome in my history. This time I went home with a daily trial pack, which was only good for a week. The problem: next appointment was three weeks out, since they *insisted* that I see the same doctor, who barely poked her head in.
Appt. no. 3, three weeks later: finally they order my contacts. I had to put a deposit on the contacts, at which point I found out they switched to a new billing system. Supposedly the remainder would come out of the running credit on my account. Based on the way this place ran, I just knew that this was a guarantee they were going to lose my payment history.
Appt. no 4, at the glaucoma clinic. The doctor there had no bedside manner, walks in and says point blank «you’re here because you have glaucoma!» I assured her that I wasn’t actually examined by anyone, and I’m here because I simply told them I have PDS, not glaucoma. I finally get an exam, during which it becomes swiftly obvious that I do not, in fact, have glaucoma. But «you know that you have pigment floating around in your eye, right?» Yes, that was the first thing I told you when you walked in.
And here come the billing issues. The credit from their prior overbilling exhausted, I get a bill for the full $ 75 for the contacts, without subtracting the deposit I just placed.
Appt. no 5, billing. The lady at the desk was kind of nasty, but said the credit is showing up on the old system and the billing is now handled by the new one. Said she’d apply it, and that I don’t have to pay the $ 45 deposit again. I pay the remaining $ 30 and tell her I’ll be back when I’m inevitably billed for the $ 45 again.
That bill just came in the mail yesterday, so it looks like I’m headed back for a 6^th time before they put me in collections for a bill I already paid months ago.
If I had gone to my primary optometrist, I’d have one visit with less wait time, it would be billed correctly, I wouldn’t have to deal with anyone’s attitudes, and the contacts would have been cheaper. Save the headache and go somewhere else.

University Eye Center is a good institution that offers a valuable service to many people.
But they have a gimmick that is not good. They refuse to give you your new Contact Lens Prescription unless you order from them. That’s not right, because it is a service I paid for and who I go to have my prescription filled is up to me.
Marilyn Vricella, OD of SUNY College of Optometry 33 West 42^nd Street New York, NY,
gave me an eye examination and 2 prescriptions, one for contact lenses and one for eyeglasses. She told me that she could not give me my new contact lens prescription until she made sure that it was the right one for me. That’s ridiculous. She gave me the one for my eyeglasses just fine without any problem. I have routinely had eye exams and ordered my contact lenses from 1−800-Contacts for the last 10 years. I had planned to order them from SUNY, but I was put off by her telling me that should could not give me my new prescription, unless I ordered from Suny University Eye Center. When I brought it up, outside the exam room, in front of other people, she was like «I was just trying to save you money».
I have medical insurance, GHI/​CBP and I pay my co payment. This is not a charity, it is a service that is being paid for.

i feel bad giving one star because the doctors and interns do a good job here, but getting to see them is not worth it. The receptionists, especially the one who sits in the middle, are unhelpful. One receptionist in particular always screws up my appointment times and is too busy texting on her phone to realize it. Even the people in the lobby who check you in know who you are talking about when you mention «the one with an attitude». Plus, you spend more time waiting in the waiting room than actually in your appointment.

WRONG PRESCRIPTION GIVEN. WRONG CONTACTS ORDERED.
I’ve been coming here for about three years because it’s right next door to my office, and because it’s affordable and my vision insurance coverage is limited. While these appointments aren’t something I enjoy due to their length and the general unpleasantness of the people who accept payment (one woman in particular who is always always there and is always horrible to interact with) I’ve found that the interns are professional and thorough.
For the one or two times a year I go there for contacts, it gets the job done… until this most recent visit in September when an intern made an error with my prescription. Once I’d received these contacts and went to use them, my vision was horribly blurry in one eye. I had to make another appointment and spend another lengthy session with another intern analyzing that, yes my prescription was wrong. Another trial pair of lenses were ordered which I’m still waiting for. They even attempted to charge me for that appointment (which my insurance wouldn’t have covered and would have cost $ 50) until I explained how charging someone to assess the provider’s mistake was unfair… because…d’uh.
They reversed the charge, but I’m still waiting on the correct contacts (and whenever I call to check the status of the order I’m always told a different time), and I have to go back for ANOTHER follow-​up which I’m sure will be just as long as the other appointments. This has all been a massive inconvenience. I think I’ll just eat the extra money and go to a private practice next time. It’s just not worth this incredible hassle.

I have to start with everyone that I dealt with from making the appt, checking-​in, the interns who poked and prodded my eyes, and the actual doctor were very nice and generally friendly /​easy to work with.
However, this may be partially my mistake for not doing more detailed research into where I was going to in more detail but I was referred to a doctor that practices at the University Eye Center so I called up to make an appt., simple enough right? After figuring out whether my insurance covered my visit or not on the phone, I scheduled my appt and thought I was good to go w/​the recommended doc. Upon getting to the facility, I felt like I was in a hospital (quite depressing) but was checked in right away and was picked up for my eye exam right away, not too bad! Two hours later, I was finally finished with getting «examined» and both mentally and physically drained! I spent two hours with two interns who while were friendly and tried to be helpful, seemed to lack some skills on how to use the equipment, knowledge on what they were seeing on the equipment when they got it working, and professionalism — I do NOT want to hear about how you haven’t figured out how to enter in a patient’s records into the system and how you just learned about a condition in class earlier in the day and how I happened to walk in through the door to be a living example of what you just learned. Also, since the interns were still learning, I became the subject of a mini-​teaching session from one intern to another and also from the doctor (who came in for a few minutes at the end of the exam) to both the interns after my pupils were dilated so everything was done 3x — for those who have done this before, it is NOT fun to have a bright light shone in your eyes period… but 3x is just plain horrible. I went home w/​a huge headache and extremely tired eyes. I also thought it was uncomfortable that the examination room door was left wide open as people walked past in the hallway, a little privacy would be nice — I’ve never been to a doctor where the door was left wide open. To top it off, I NEVER even got to see the doctor I thought I was making the appt with, apparently I’m just added to the list and just seen by whoever was on staff the day of my appt, something the receptionist who booked my appt neglected to inform me of when I told her I was calling to make an appt with a specific doctor!!!
I was very polite with the interns and the doctor but I will not be returning again as I not care to be an experiment and «research subject». I pay an arm and leg for insurance and my eyesight has always been bad, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for when going for my only annual check-​up to be examined by someone who knows what they are doing is it?

Had the longest medical appointment of my life here — a little over 2 hours from start of the actual appointment (the wait time was pretty short) to walking out the door. I had an endoscopy several years back that took less time than this «comprehensive eye exam.» I didn’t even get what I came for, which was a contact lens prescription, because the receptionist had failed to tell me that I had to wear my contacts in for them to check the fit. So, I have to come back for another appointment to get the prescription filled.
Other than the insanely long, 2 hour appointment that made me late to dinner plans, the students were nice, and the attending staff was professional. It is a bit weird, though, walking around the halls and seeing students roam around… all of them searching for the supervisor of the floor. And, when the supervisor is with you, you see a line of students out your exam room, waiting to catch him next.
I would not come here again due to the long exam time and the communication #fail. But, I can see why people would come here if they are on a tight budget…

I had gone to this place for eye exams and glasses when they were located on 24^th Street. This was many, many, many years ago. I stopped going here because I had gotten different insurance which they apparently did not accept. But when I called to schedule an appointment, they still had me in their system.
The eye exams are done by optometry students, but all of their work is reviewed by «real» doctors. The exams are very thorough, and if you don’t have a problem letting a (supervised) student examine your eyes, the University Eye Center is worth looking into.
One thing, though. In her Unilocal review, Crystal A. (01÷17÷13) complained that the eye drops she was given left her «virtually blind» for a period of time. They do dilate your eyes as part of the exam, and that does affect your visiion for a few hours. My experience in this regard wasn’t as bad as Crystal’s, but I do agree with her statement that «The students should ask what the remainder of your day will be like and if you’re in a position to be incapacitated.»
I only give this place four stars, not five, because the next day I came back to get the prescription for new glasses filled. It was then that I was told they only took my insurance for the examination, not for new glasses.

half a star — for the student clinicians. I really like them, I think they are thorough and really nice. Obviously, they were taught proper manners on how to treat people, especially patients.
half a star — for the front desk staff. sometimes they can be a little stiff, but having come here several times now I find that if you give a little smile and a little more personality, they are really great.
Minus like a gazillion stars for the accounting/​payment window people. I can’t tell you how EVERY SINGLE TIME I go to pay, I am met with the surliest look, the snottiest attitude and basically no customer service AT ALL. I have issues with my flexible spending payment every time I buy contacts or glasses (ok, fair enough, that’s an issue for my flex spending provider) but then when I try and contact the accounting folks, I leave message upon message never to get an answer. then when I do manage to get someone on the phone — usually they are pretty nice — they are never the right person to solve my issue. I end up having to come in to get paperwork myself from the previously mentioned payment window staff… and I can’t do it anymore.
In short — I was going here because it’s literally right next door to my office building, but I would rather pay more at the hotsy totsy Park Slope opticians for my annual check up and contact lens supply than deal with the payment window at this place again.

[Oops – the University Optometric Center is now called the University Eye Center; that’s why there are more reviews for this one.]
I’ve been a patient at University Eye Center since they were located near Gramercy Park – that’s like over 10 years – they provide inexpensive, quality care. They’re now on Bryant Park, in a state-​owned building.
Naturally, there are drawbacks; you tend to see a different student every time you go – and some visits you never see an actual doctor. On the other hand, anything the student does is supervised by a faculty member, and that’s a plus. (For instance, my yearly DFE – dilated funds exam, where they put dilating drops in your eyes and look at your retinas – is done first by the student, and then the supervising doctor does the exam again. Ouch – that’s some bright light!) It’s a teaching facility, so a faculty member always supervises.
This evening, my student kept disappearing, presumably to consult with the doctor. It would have made me feel better to have him in the room, but at least I had an idea why I was being told to do the things I was. And I return next week to see if the treatment is helping.
I don’t know what kind of insurance they don’t take, because they always take Medicare and Medicaid.

I hadn’t had my eyes checked in a few years & this is one of the few places that takes my insurance. Too bad I had a Warby Parker gift certificate or I would have gotten my frames here as well. Didn’t know they had a store. Maybe I’ll get some prescription sunglasses here.
I expected the worst, thinking that this was a school but the service was great & thorough. (The billing/​insurance check-​in ladies could use a little patience though.) The supervising Professor was very patient & all were knowledgable. I do wish that some of the equipment and charts were more up to date, I had a bit of a problem reading the charts with the hallway lights & the door ajar & the computer screen light reflecting– the set up could be better. But it is a SUNY school…
The wait was quick & my doctor in training also plucked some aggravating eyelashes that I had-​what I thought only ophthalmologists could only do. They seem to train everyone thoroughly. Not bad.

I visited the University Eye Center’s adult eye clinic in order to be examined for contact lenses. I found the students (the primary examiners… you rarely see their attending supervisor) to be competent and cordial. The initial visit lasted for nearly an hour; long but the student was thorough. My trial contacts needed to be ordered so I left and returned one week later. During the trial contact fitting, I immediately noticed that one lens was off (²⁰⁄₄₀ i’d say). This was not the prescription obtained during the first appointment. I told the student this repeatedly. She asked me to blink ad nauseam because she thought that the lack of full visual acuity was due to the lens being shifted within my eye. It did not improve. She repeated the eye exam with her handheld corrective lenses (a short cut) in an attempt to ensure that the prescription of the trial contact was correct. The trial contacts were clearly not correct. She spoke with her attending supervisor who entered the room and did a very brief exam. I was then asked to «try out» the lenses for one week, concluding that my lack of visual clarity (²⁰⁄₂₀ vision) was my «perception.» I was in the office for close to two hours, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and left. For the week, my vision certainly did not improve. The prescription was wrong. On the day of my 2^nd follow up (i.e. wasted time), I needed to take an evening work shift so called the clinic to reschedule, only to be told that the next available appointment was next month. WTF.
Conclusion: This place is a clinic so take it for what it’s worth. It’s difficult to schedule follow up appointments. The above experience is enough to prevent me from returning.

I took my daughter here to get a new eyeglass prescription. The doctors were thorough and made my child feel at ease. I would go back.

I decided to try this place because it’s down the street from my office. The student I saw was actually really nice and eager to get the best contact lens fit possible. I really appreciated that. However, the exam was literally 2 hours long. When the doctor arrived to look over everything the student had done (while kind of ignoring me and only addressing the student), we had to do a lot of the exam over again. There was more poking and prodding than I have ever experienced before during an exam.
On top of that, the desk staff consists of some of the most apathetic, expressionless people I have encountered at a workplace. Not only did they visibly not give a shit, they got my order wrong and I had to return another time.
The bottom line is if you have vision insurance and value your time, do not go here. It’s evident that it’s a teaching facility, not to mention it’s a completely depressing environment.

Spiffy operation. The receptionist could stand a review of proper customer service demeanor but the students and doctors are congenial, professional, knowledgeable and hold no arrogant airs of superiority.
That said, I know this is a school and maybe it was just the set of students I had but there’s a lot of rattling off of numbers between the students that suggests you may need to be alarmed about something but you’re not quite sure what and they won’t say what. And yet I had to ask about what certain specs were in one eye that have been there for a couple of years and found it that they weren’t a problem but the extra layer of skin on my bottom eyelid could be curtailed by wearing sunglasses every time I exit the house.
My other complaint is that the eye drops I was given as part of my– very thorough — eye exam left me virtually blind and feeling unbalance and unsure of my steps — and therefore very irritated with the world around me — until early evening. I was told I’d have blurry vision for a couple of hours. The students should ask what the remainder of your day will be like and if you’re in a position to be incapacitated.
I’ll update this review when I go in for my eye glasses fitting tomorrow which I couldn’t do yesterday because I couldn’t see well once I left the examination room.

As other reviewers have said, this is a place you go to and stay! I’ve been going to UEC for years and the service has never been better.
I always make my appointments in the later evening and am seen within 10 minutes of checking in.
The students take their time with you and answer any and all questions and then at the end a doctor comes in and evaluates everything they’ve done. I’m always in and out in an hour (unless looking to buy glasses as well).
And, they usually throw in an extra pair of contacts so you have 2 pair before the ones you’ve ordered arrived.
Great place and they take just about any insurance!

You only get two eyes and as an early adopter of the coke bottle glasses, I prize mine like none other. So when it came time to find an eye doctor — and one that took my insurance — I had only a few options that I was willing to venture to during a typical lunch break.
University Eye Center is where the SUNY School of Optometry is located. I was a little hesitant knowing that the majority of my visit would be conducted by a student or a resident — but Pam (the student) was super professional, nice, and just the right amount of chatty. Pam examined my eye super thoroughly. This was the longest exam I’ve ever had — but its not because she was slow — it was because she ran me through a ton of checks and tests to make sure she was giving me the best exam and prescription possible. Before I left I had a quick check with a regular doctor on staff who confirmed everything Pam said.
I’m not a huge fan of the dispensary where they actually make the glasses, but thats okay. I was just there for the exam anyway.

I came here to get PRK surgery done. Met Heather, the consultant, who is super friendly and very patient with answering questions.
Then I had my surgery with Dr. Harry Koster. He is very personable and he made sure I was not freaking out about the surgery. The surgery went by fast and they turned out great.
The other doctors I have met so far are also amazing. They don’t rush through exams and check-​ups. Also, since this is a school hospital, they gave all the prescription drops and artificial tears for free!
I love this place :)