Optometrist
An optometrist is a licensed healthcare professional specializing in eye care, responsible for examining eyes to assess visual abilities and overall eye health. They diagnose eye diseases and provide corrective treatments, such as prescribing eyeglasses or contact lenses. While they do not perform surgeries, optometrists offer vital pre-operative and post-operative consultations and may refer patients to ophthalmologists for surgical options. Working in diverse environments like private practices, hospitals, and community health centers, optometrists enjoy a flexible schedule and a strong job outlook, with a median annual income of approximately $131,860.
To become an optometrist, one must complete a bachelor's degree followed by four years of optometry school, culminating in a Doctor of Optometry degree, accompanied by passing state board examinations. Daily responsibilities include conducting eye exams, diagnosing vision issues, and developing treatment plans, as well as using advanced technology for eye examinations. Optometrists play a crucial role in helping individuals maintain their vision and overall quality of life, making them essential contributors to community health.
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Subject Terms
Optometrist
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Health Science
Interests: Ophthalmology, science, health, mathematics, clinical science
Earnings (Yearly Median): $131,860 per year $63.39 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 9% (Much faster than average)
Entry-Level Education Doctoral or professional degree
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training None
Overview
Sphere of Work. An optometrist is a professionally trained and licensed specialist who examines the eyes to evaluate visual capabilities and overall ocular health. Optometrists diagnose eye disease and provide corrective treatment using eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other means. Optometrists can counsel patients about surgical options, and while they do not operate on the eyes, they can offer pre-operative and post-operative consultation services. (An optometrist may refer a patient to an ophthalmologist, a physician who performs eye surgery. Optometrists should also not be confused with opticians, who dispense eyeglasses and contact lenses but have no medical training.) Optometrists provide most vision care treatment and services for patients in the United States.
Work Environment. Optometrists work in clean, well-lit offices. Most work forty hours per week unless a particular practice stays open on Saturdays to accommodate clients. Optometrists work in private practice offices, optical stores, or retail outpatient clinics. Optometrists also work in group medical practices, hospitals, universities, community health centers, and research facilities.
Independent optometrists must manage the business aspects of running an office: developing a patient base, hiring and training employees, ordering equipment, maintaining inventory, managing budgets, and making decisions about advertising and promotion.
Occupation Interest. With its healthy work environment, relative job security, reasonable schedule, and high income with growth potential, optometry is considered by some to be one of the best jobs in the United States. Within individual private practices, optometrists set their own schedules. Yet, they are also responsible for their benefits, facilities, staffing costs, and medical malpractice insurance, which can be significant. Optometrists working for employers in group practices have less flexibility and generally earn lower salaries. All told, the profession offers great flexibility and job satisfaction in that optometrists can, with relative ease, choose whether to work for themselves or others.
Optometrists help people regain their sight, enabling patients to read, drive, go to school, play sports, and lead healthier, more independent lives. Although most optometrists see all kinds of patients, some specialize in pediatric, gerontological, or sports optometry. It is also possible for an optometrist to maintain a general practice while also offering specialized knowledge and services in one particular area.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. The typical daily tasks an optometrist might perform include examining eyes to diagnose vision problems or eye diseases, conducting tests for depth and color perception, and testing a patient’s ability to focus and coordinate their eyes. After analyzing the exam results, the optometrist prepares a treatment plan, which could include prescribing eyeglasses or contact lenses, performing vision therapy to help with perception and coordination, or referring patients to ophthalmologists or other health care practitioners when necessary.
Optometrists must have a high degree of manual dexterity to manipulate lenses, equipment, instruments, and therapeutic devices. They are frequently asked to reshape frames, replace tiny screws, and manipulate contact lenses.
The most common problems optometrists look for are farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia (stiffening of the retina). They examine patients’ eyes for signs of glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal disorders and perform periodic exams to monitor the deterioration of a patient’s vision over time so that they can provide appropriate treatments or referrals.
Optometrists also provide pre- and post-operative care to patients who have had eye surgery, such as cataracts or laser vision correction.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Depending on the location of an optometrist’s practice, the physical environment may be small or large but is always well-lit, with designated areas for contact lenses and eyeglasses fittings, as well as private areas for eye examinations.
Human Environment. An optometrist’s human environment requires frequent interaction with dozens of patients each day. Optometrists demonstrate compassion and concern, ask appropriate questions, and are good listeners. Exhibiting a professional demeanor, fulfilling patient prescriptions promptly, and responding promptly to patient requests are critical to maintaining a loyal client base.
Technological Environment. Optometrists use finely tuned eye examination instruments, computers with integrated optometry software, magnifying tools, electronic medical records, scheduling, and invoicing software. They must also understand the technical aspects of providing clients with lenses or eyeglasses that are comfortable and fit well.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students interested in pursuing a career in optometry should maintain a solid grade point average that will enable them to pursue a college degree. Students should excel in math and sciences and should consider participating in extracurricular activities that involve those disciplines. Volunteer or part-time work with an optometrist or in a retail optical store is a good way to gain practical experience.
Postsecondary. Becoming an optometrist requires four years of study at an accredited optometry school or college or university, plus four years of doctor of optometry graduate degree work. Additionally, optometrists must pass a written and clinical state board certification examination. Admission to colleges and graduate school is extremely competitive.
Undergraduate pre-optometry courses include geometry, calculus, physics, organic chemistry, statistics, and microbiology, as well as the appropriate lab instruction. After the sophomore or junior year in college, students can take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), the scores used to measure academic ability. The test is sponsored by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO). OAT is required by every school of optometry in the United States.
Graduate students should seek hands-on experience through relevant internships and should continue earning credits in continuing education. There are also one-year clinical residency programs available for specializations, but these are not required for licensure or work in a specialty practice.
Related Occupations
− Optician
Bibliography
"Optometrists." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/optometrists.htm. Accessed 23 Aug. 2024.