OPTOMETRIST

By: Keli WilbournEnglish – 8th hour

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree • 4 years Doctor of Optometry degree program• License (American Board of Optometry)• …• …

Job Description

• An optometrist is a physician who primarily diagnoses and then treats problems with vision

• Some of the duties are:• Perform vision tests and analyze results.• Diagnose sight problems, such as nearsightedness or

farsightedness and eye diseases, such as glaucoma.• Prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses, and medications.• Provide treatments such as vision therapy or low-

vision rehabilitation.

Salary Range

• Median pay: $105,000 Top pay: $149,000 10-year job growth: 33.1%Total jobs*: 34,200

• (and so on…)

Pros Cons• Good pay, without the

frequent long hours and middle-of-the-night emergency calls doctors expect.

• Patients typically aren't in pain or afraid, so visits tend to be low-key

• many stay with the same optometrist for years.

• Lots of schooling and residency

• It's not easy or cheap.

• Depending on the setting, working evening and weekend hours may be part of the job

Extra Information

• Must complete science-intensive coursework in math, chemistry, physics, and biology in undergraduate classes (first 4 years)

• Must pass the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) just to be considered for acceptance into an optometry program

• Vision science, optics, biochemistry and pharmacology are some of the types of study you will be doing

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Optometrists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/optometrists.htm (visited December 09, 2014).

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