Optometry has one of the lowest divorce rates—about 4%—among any profession. Indeed, O.D.s are more likely to stay married than clergy members (who have a 5.6% rate of divorce), according to a study of divorce rates among different occupations published in the online edition of the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology.
Other jobs with the lowest divorce rates include media/communications equipment workers (0%), agricultural engineers (1.8%), transit/railroad police (5.3%) and podiatrists (6.8%).
Occupations with the highest divorce rates are dancers/choreographers (43%), bartenders (38%) and massage therapists (38%).
Optometrists DeAnne and David Witherspoon have been practicing together for 27 years and married for 28 years. Dr. DeAnne Witherspoon offers possible five reasons for the low divorce rate among O.D.s:
• “Maybe we are good at making choices. (Which is better, one or two?)”
• “Maybe we’re smarter. (Divorce is expensive.)”
• “Maybe because some came to [optometry] school married to one person and left married to another. (So they already have one divorce
under the belt and don’t want to do it again.)”
• “Maybe we are just lucky.”
• “Maybe all of the above!”