How to Become an Optometrist

Optometrist is a professional who examines people's eyes for any vision defects as well as for the presence of underlying medical conditions. Optometrist is different from ophthalmologist who is essentially an eye doctor. One can become an ophthalmologist after acquiring a doctor's degree and then specializing in eye care and surgery. Optometrist on the other hand is not an eye doctor and hence, cannot give medications or perform surgeries. In case you are wondering about how to become an optometrist or why to become an optometrist in the first place, then you should read this article. Detailed information about optometrist job description as well as optometrist education requirements is presented below.

Optometrist Job Description

The main objective of the optometrist's job is to assist people in every way in order to maintain a good sight. They work either in collaboration with a general physician or in optic shops. Some may even practice on their own. They are also trained to perform basic and comprehensive eye examinations. Basic eye examinations include checking the eyesight of an individual and also checking for certain medical conditions like diabetes, glaucoma, etc. Optometrist can treat minor infections or other such problems. However, they are not trained to treat serious eye problems. In such cases, they recommend an ophthalmologist or a specialist in the field. The required personnel skills for an optometrist are attention to detail, good observation and ability to interact with patients. On an average, an optometrist works for about 49 hours a week. Although, working hours are often fixed, an optometrist might have to bend his timings a little to accommodate customer's schedule. The best thing about an optometrist is that you will have very few emergency calls. The optometrist salary range is anywhere between USD 130000 to USD 190000 a year.

How to Become an Optometrist

Optometry is a four-year degree course with exhausting syllabus and training. You will have to complete course in English, physics, chemistry, maths and biology at high school level before you consider getting admitted to an optometry school. The requirements to become an optometrist vary for every optometry school, hence check the requirements for getting admitted to an optometry school in your respective state. Some schools demand 3 years of college education while others do not admit you unless you have an undergraduate degree. People with science major find it easier to get admitted in an optometry school. Consider specializing in chemistry or biology to elevate your chances of getting admitted to an optometry school. If you are not a science major then you might benefit from taking certain laboratory based courses.

You may also think about taking voluntary optometry classes or internship programs. All optometry aspirants are required to take an Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) to become eligible for getting admission to an optometry school. You may take this test more than once to improve your score, if you are not satisfied. Good scores will get you admitted to an accredited university which offers 4 year Doctor of Optometry program. During these four years, you will be studying a wide range of topics from biology, biochemistry to math and clinical science. The syllabus is exhaustive and demanding. Students of optometry also learn optic science and vision science. There are several theory, practical and laboratory courses in the syllabus. The students also receive a hands-on training in optometry during their course. In short, this program is only for those who are serious about taking career as an optometrist. Thus, the answer to the question, is it hard to become an optometrist depends entirely upon your efforts.

After successful completion of the course, you may become eligible to get a medical job as a qualified optometrist. If you wish to practice on your own, you will need to take a test for obtaining license. Licensed optometrist have better career prospects with excellent earnings. You may also consider a job in teaching or research, after completing graduation in optometry.

Thus, optometrist is a rewarding career, both in terms of job satisfaction and financially. You will be getting to help people from various backgrounds. However, be prepared to undergo a rigorous training and exhaustive syllabus, if you really wish to excel academically. Hope these tips on how to become an optometrist help you in your endeavor.