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If youve ever had to search for an eye care doctor, youre likely aware that there are several different types of eye specialists. Optometrists, ophthalmologists, and opticians are all professionals who specialize in eye care.

An optometrist is an eye doctor that can examine, diagnose, and treat your eyes. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who can perform medical and surgical interventions for eye conditions. An optician is a professional who can help fit eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision-correcting devices.

In this article, we will explore the education requirements, salary, scope of practice, and services that optometrists, ophthalmologists, and opticians provide. We will also discuss how to choose the best eye-care professional for your needs.

An optometrist is the primary health care provider for routine eye care.

An optometry program is a postgraduate program that takes roughly 4 years to complete, depending on the school and curriculum. The program curriculum includes:

Optometry program coursework also includes full-time clinical training as a resident during the final 1 to 2 years of the program.

In 2018, the median salary for optometrists was $111,790, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You can visit an optometrist for your yearly eye exam, to refill an eyeglass or contact prescription, or even to receive medication and treatment for certain eye conditions. Unlike an ophthalmologist, an optometrist is not a surgical specialist and cannot treat more serious eye conditions.

Optometrists provide the following services::

Optometrists can prescribe controlled medications for eye conditions. Depending on the state legislation, some optometrists can also perform minor surgeries. These surgical procedures may include foreign body removal, laser eye surgery, and certain additional surgical interventions.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in surgical eye procedures.

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.

In 2018, the average salary for ophthalmologists was $290,777 according to Salary.com.

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 provide the following services:

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.

An optician is a customer service representative who works in a vision care store or optometrists office.

Optician training is much more informal than optometry or ophthalmology training. An optician does not necessarily need to hold a formal degree. An optician can become certified by completing a 1- to 2-year program, such as an associates program in ophthalmic dispensing.

An optician may also become certified through an in-house apprenticeship under an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

In 2018, the median salary for opticians was $37,010 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Opticians perform customer service duties at your optometrists office or local vision care center. 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.

Opticians provide the following services:

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.

Optometrists are basic eye care specialists who can examine, diagnose, and medically treat eye conditions. Ophthalmologists are a type of medical doctor who specialize in surgical procedures of the eye. Opticians are customer service specialists who work in vision care centers and optometry offices.

Choosing the right eye care professional for you will depend on what services you need. For a comprehensive list of optometrists near you, check out the American Optometric Associations Find a Doctor tool.

Read the original:
Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist: Choosing Your Eye Care Provider

This entry was posted on April 7, 2023 at 12:23 am and is filed under Opthalmology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |