ADMIN
10-07-2006, 06:06 PM
WHAT IS AN OPTOMETRIST???
An optometrist is not a medical doctor, but is a doctor of optometry (O.D.). Optometrists diagnose vision problems and eye disease, prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses, and prescribe drugs to treat eye disorders. They cannot perform surgery, but they often provide patients with pre- and postsurgical care. Sometimes ophthalmologists and optometrists work in the same practice and co-manage patients.
Education
Optometrists must complete at least 3 years of study at an accredited college or university before beginning optometry training; however, most optometry students have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Next, they must attend an accredited 4-year optometry school and, after graduation, they must pass written and clinical state board examinations. Some optometrists go on to obtain a master’s degree or Ph.D. in visual science, physiological optics, neurophysiology, or public health. A 1-year postgraduate clinical residency is available for optometrists who want to specialize in one of the following areas:
Contact lenses
Family practice optometry
Geriatric optometry
Hospital-based optometry
Ocular disease
Pediatric optometry
Primary care optometry
Vision therapy
An optometrist is not a medical doctor, but is a doctor of optometry (O.D.). Optometrists diagnose vision problems and eye disease, prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses, and prescribe drugs to treat eye disorders. They cannot perform surgery, but they often provide patients with pre- and postsurgical care. Sometimes ophthalmologists and optometrists work in the same practice and co-manage patients.
Education
Optometrists must complete at least 3 years of study at an accredited college or university before beginning optometry training; however, most optometry students have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Next, they must attend an accredited 4-year optometry school and, after graduation, they must pass written and clinical state board examinations. Some optometrists go on to obtain a master’s degree or Ph.D. in visual science, physiological optics, neurophysiology, or public health. A 1-year postgraduate clinical residency is available for optometrists who want to specialize in one of the following areas:
Contact lenses
Family practice optometry
Geriatric optometry
Hospital-based optometry
Ocular disease
Pediatric optometry
Primary care optometry
Vision therapy