What is a Optometry?
Optometry is a profession related to health care industry, which tests eyes and visual systems to detect the visual defects and disorders. Helps to find out the diagnosis for eye diseases.
This field is evolved with a focus on using the spectacles to correct the refractive errors. Optometry evolved through present time to include the medical training in the educational curriculum about the management and the ocular disease diagnosis.
This is mainly evolved in the profession established countries. Optometrists are professional Doctors who find out and treat several visual disorders through proper eye examinations. Based on the locations, the scope of the optometrist will differ.
Table of contents- What is Optometry?
- How to Become a Optometrist?
- How Long does it take to Become Optometrist?
- Optometry Schools & Education
- Optometry Programs & Certification
- Optometrist Salary
- Optometrist Job Description
- Optometrist Requirements
How to Become a Optometrist?
By completing a Doctor of Optometry degree (O.D) and getting a license to practice one can become an Optometrist. It is a 4-year course and students should have a bachelor’s degree before enrolling in such courses.
How Long does it take to Become Optometrist?
Doctor of Optometry degree (O.D) is of four years duration course which has classroom sessions and also clinical experience programs supervised by the senior professionals. The course is a combination of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, optics, visual service and the diagnosis and treatment of visual diseases and visual disorders.
Once completing an O.D degree, to obtain an advanced clinical training course in which they want to specialize, the optometrists will go for a 1-year residency program too. This residency program includes family practice, low vision rehabilitation, paediatric or geriatric optometry and ocular disease as part of specialization areas.
Optometry Schools & Education in United States
Click on the states name below to view the list of optometry schools information.
Optometry Programs & Certification
All optometrists required to have licenses to practice. Optometrists should be able to present an O.D degree from an authorized optometry school and must have completed all the sections of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam as per the statutory requirements of all states.
As per the requirement of some states, the optometrists require to clear and additional clinical exam on Optometry related laws. Optometrists’ licenses are to be renewed regularly. Optometrists are required to take continue classes.
Optometrists may select to become a certified by American Board of Optometry to have and perform an advanced level of knowledge.
Optometrist Salary
How much does a optometrist make?
The optometrists will be paid decent salaries, the average annual salaries for an optometrist in May 2015 was $ 1, 03,900. The average salary is the amount in which more than half the workers in an occupation earned. The lowest wages earned less than $51, 780, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $187200.
Some optometrists work part time like only in the evenings and weekends, but most of the optometrists work full time to treat and fulfil their patient needs.
Optometrist Job Description
Optometrists usually perform the following duties and responsibilities.
• They will conduct the vision tests and make analysis on the results.
• They will detect and diagnose the sight problems of the patient such as eye diseases and visual orders like short sight, far sight, and eye diseases like glaucoma.
• Sometimes they may have to perform the minor surgical operations to correct or treat visual problems.
• Optometrists will also give vision therapy or vision rehabilitation based on the requirement as part of the treatment to their patients.
• They will take care of the patients before and after the surgery – for example, examining the patient’s eyes before and after the date of operation.
• They will also check the patients to evaluate the presence of diabetes, hypertension and guide the patients to the healthcare providers as per the requirement.
• They counsel the patients to promote their general health and good eyesight.
• As part of the group practice, the optometrists spend most of their time in providing a special care to the patients, especially when they are practicing with other optometrists or physicians. Some of the optometrists mostly treat patients with only partial sight, whereas some optometrists treat the infants and young children.
• Optometrists counsel the patients on how to improve the general health, which can affect the eyesight as a part of promoting the eye health, for example how smoking is harmful and how weight loss can reduce the vision problems.
• As a part of their business development, some optometrists start their own practice and spend more time in their business activities, such as hiring employees, supply management and marketing the products or services.
• Optometrists also work as professionals, working as teachers, research in optometry colleges, and be a consultant in promoting the eye care industry.
• Optometrists are often confused by the ophthalmologists, who are the physicians, in addition, to examine the eyes they also perform surgeries and treat eye diseases. Ophthalmologists also suggest the contact lenses and eyeglasses to their patients.
Optometrist Requirements
A 4-year degree course as a Doctor of Optometry, with a license to practice in a particular state, as per the requirements of that particular state are the most important requirement to become an optometrist to enter into such professional service in eye health care industry.
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