The Career of an Optometrist

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The sense of sight remains the most critical thing in everyone’s life. It allows us to understand the regions of our effort. Therefore, our eyesight must be accurate and healthy. For tips on how to take care of our eyes, kindly check out baltimorepostexaminer.com.

An optometrist is a member of the medical profession whose profession is to take care of our eyesight by correcting any defects and maintain proper eye function. They specialize in eye illnesses and diagnosis.

Type of Work

eyesThe profession of an optometrist deals with eyes, vision, and eye structure. They have knowledge and skills that allow them to prescribe lenses and treat eye diseases. They can prescribe oral medication, give injections and some can even perform laser surgery.

The scope of their practice varies from country to country; for example, the Oklahoma National Board of Optometry even authorizes certified optometrists to perform surgery related to eye surgery mainly the anterior segment. In most cases, optometrists work in relation with ophthalmologists.

Educational Background

To be an optometrist, one must complete four years of pre-med in college then go to a school that offers Optometry where a four-year course is offered to become a Doctor of Optometry. After finishing the program, you can now choose areas of specialization. You can select geriatric or pediatric fields, depending on your personal preferences. Optometrists that want to acquire more education and experience can focus on teaching in the academe or doing research related work.

Salary and Employment

Given the increase of the elderly population and the rapid growth of the baby-boom generation, it is estimated that demand for optometrists will increase. The growing number of healthcare institutions offers more job opportunities and roles for optometrists. The salary of Optometrists yearly back in 2004 was $88,140 US dollars with benefits and paid vacations.

Essential Points

checking eyesYou must attend a college of optometry and take a licensure exam to practice your profession. Basic knowledge of Math, Physics, and Biology is essential. For more information, visit the American Optometry Association.

The increase in job opportunities for optometrists is expected due to the growing elderly population and middle-aged people experiencing issues with their eyesight. Aside from this, technological advancement results provide new optometrists, state-of-the-art training, which provides future clients with better eye health care.