There are three different types of eye care practitioner: optometrists, opticians, and ophthalmologists. Each has a different level of training and expertise, and each will provide different levels of care. This article reviews the differences between the types of eye care professional.
It also discusses the roles of other eye care practitioners, including nurses, medical assistants, and technicians. Optometrists provide primary vision care. Their services range from eyesight testing and correction to diagnosing, treating, and managing changes in vision. A person who is training to become an optometrist will attend optometry school, not medical school.
It takes 4 years of postgraduate studies to obtain a doctorate in optometry. In the United States, each state board of optometry defines the drugs or services that an optometrist can provide. Optometrists in some states can prescribe schedule II drugs , which include the opioids:. Five states allow optometrists to perform a procedure called foreign body removal. Optometrists in the following states are also allowed to perform laser eye surgeries:.
To find out what an optometrist can do in a particular state or country, a person can consult the relevant regional boards of optometry. Sometimes, an optometrist is more easily accessible than an ophthalmologist. It is worth finding out if an optometrist can perform a test or procedure before calling an ophthalmologist.
Opticians use prescriptions from an optometrist or ophthalmologist to verify and fit the required visual aids. They do not have the necessary training to diagnose eyesight problems, and they cannot treat eye conditions.
To become an ophthalmologist, a person needs to go to medical school. Ophthalmologists will have at least 8 years of medical school training. Once they become an eye doctor, they are licensed to practice medicine and surgery. An ophthalmologist can offer the same medical services as an optometrist, including prescribing and fitting eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems.
However, ophthalmologists can also:. Sometimes, ophthalmologists can also detect health problems that are not directly related to the eye but become apparent in a routine eye exam. If this occurs, the ophthalmologist will recommend that the person consult their family doctor. Ophthalmologists are specialized medical doctors, but some ophthalmologists may choose a subspecialty.
This involves continuing their education and training in a specific area of medical or surgical eye care. The cornea is the clear, protective outer layer of the eye.
These surgical procedures may include foreign body removal, laser eye surgery , and certain additional surgical interventions. All ophthalmologists must complete a full medical program before they can begin a residency program in ophthalmology. An ophthalmology residency program takes an additional 4 to 7 years to complete, depending on the school and curriculum. The residency program expands on:.
Ophthalmology residency training also includes the hands-on care of patients, which involves performing surgical procedures under supervision. The residency program generally follows a one year internship. You can visit an ophthalmologist for the same care as an optometrist, such as a routine eye exam or prescription refill. However, an ophthalmologist can also perform eye surgery for various diseases and conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma , and strabismus surgery, plus more.
Ophthalmologists receive 12 or more years of training in order to be able to perform in-depth surgical procedures for diseases of the eyes. Given that this is their specialty, almost all ophthalmologists will focus on this as their primary scope of care. Depending on the scope of practice within the state, both optometrists and ophthalmologists can perform eye surgery. However, optometrists are limited in the surgeries they can perform while ophthalmologists can perform any and all surgical procedures they are trained for.
Optician training is much more informal than optometry or ophthalmology training. An optician does not necessarily need to hold a formal degree. An optician may also become certified through an in-house apprenticeship under an ophthalmologist or optometrist. You can visit an optician for routine care, adjustment, and refilling of prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses. Opticians can also answer general eye care questions, but they cannot examine, diagnose or treat diseases of the eye.
Unlike optometrists and ophthalmologists, opticians are not allowed to perform any eye exams or diagnose or treat any eye conditions. How do you know which provider you should choose for your eye care? Choosing an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or optician will depend on the service you need.
Optometrists, ophthalmologists, and opticians are all eye care professionals who differ in their education, specialty, and scope of practice. Upon graduation, students are officially a Doctor but their training is not yet complete. Ophthalmology residency lasts three years but is preceded by an intern or transitional year of training. After ophthalmology residency, individuals have the option of completing a fellowship in a subspecialty field of study.
Most ophthalmology fellowships are one or more years and allow further specialization into a specific area of the eye including the retina and cornea. There are many sources that give an estimate of the average salary for an Ophthalmologist. In our opinion, the data gathered by Medscape is the most accurate. This puts an Ophthalmology trained specialist at above the average pay for a physician. According to The American Academy of Ophthalmology , there are roughly 27, active ophthalmologists in the US as of An Optometrist is an eye care health specialist that focuses on treating the eye, orbit, and visual systems.
Optometrists medically manage many eye care disorders and diseases that can affect a patient's vision. An optometrist also specializes in treatments for the health of the eye, orbit, and visual systems. Optometrists primarily provide vision health care, perform routine comprehensive eye exam and vision checks, and provide a prescription for contacts and glasses.
However, unlike ophthalmologists, optometrists do not perform major eye surgeries such as cataract surgery. Instead, optometrists provide non-surgical medical health care of diseases and conditions that affect the eye. In some states, optometrists are also able to medically perform laser procedures and other minor ocular surgical procedures although this is not common. The main duties of an Optometrist include:.
The education required to become an optometrist is also very arduous. First, a bachelor's degree must be completed. Similar to medical school, optometry school does not require a specific type of degree. Instead, pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to application to optometry school. Once accepted into optometry school, students spend four years studying optometry.
Following graduation from optometry school, individuals obtain a Doctor of Optometry degree which is abbreviated as OD. Optometrists are indeed Doctors, but are not considered a medical doctor or physician. There are many sources that provide earning estimates for Optometrists. According to the U. This is on par with the average job growth rate in the United States.
There are currently an estimated 44, practicing optometrists with an estimated increase of 1, new optometrists by Many vision problems occur later on in life, and an aging general population will most likely require more optometrists to take care of the increasing vision conditions.
An Optician in one of the three O's in the eyecare field and is a specialist that has an area of knowledge and expertise that includes adjusting eye glasses, selecting the most appropriate Types of lenses, sunglasses, frames, optical aids and simple magnifying devices.
Opticians are not trained as an eye doctor and therefore cannot give eye exams, diagnose medical eye problems such as dry eye, nor provide prescriptions for contacts. The scope of practice for an Optician will vary from one State to another depending upon the laws that govern the practice of Opticianry in that State.
There has been political movements by Optician societies trying to get State laws changed which would allow them to perform the procedure which checks the prescription needed for a person's eyeglasses, called a refraction, independent of a supervising Optometrist or Ophthalmologist.
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