Optometry

What Is Optometry?

Optometry involves diagnosing and treating various eye diseases and disorders and prescribing glasses and contact lenses.  The field does not involve surgery—that’s the main difference between what an Optometrist does and what is done by an Ophthalmologist, who is an M.D.  Optometrists, who hold an O.D. degree, prescribe drugs and lenses for eye problems and are usually in private practice, with many located in stores that can create the corrective glasses and lenses on the spot.

So, optometrists do not go to medical school but to a professional college of optometry for four years after getting a Bachelor’s degree in a pre-professional program.  A residency in optometry is optional, but some optometrists opt for one.  The outlook for the field is really good for the next 10 years or more, because of our aging population.  And, most Optometrists reports working 37½ hour work weeks leaving time for a good work/home life balance. That’s a real plus in the medical field.  There aren’t a lot of different job titles in the field, but a few are Optometrist, Optometric Technician, Optician, and Optometric Assistant.