What is an Optometrist?
A career in optometry is filled with complex problem solving, varied settings, and the potential to greatly improve the lives of people suffering from ocular disease and visual impairment.
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Ranked within the top 50 best jobs by U.S. News and World Report, optometry is a richly rewarding healthcare career filled with research opportunities and eye care specialization.
A degree in optometry opens doors to a wide range of careers on both sides of the ophthalmoscope (the large machine optometrists use during eye exams) from education to direct patient care.
Eye care is essential at every stage of life, and a degree in optometry provides countless opportunities to better the lives of others through routine or chronic inspection for visual impairment.
What is it exactly that continues to draw health professionals to this rapidly growing career? Discover what optometrists do and the many different paths an optometry career can take.
OPTOMETRY APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
What is an Optometrist?
Supported by a comprehensive education in health and science, optometrists are patient care professionals who use cutting-edge technology to prevent, diagnose, and treat issues relating to sight and overall eye health.
Optometrists most often provide care on an outpatient basis, meaning that routine eye exams do not normally require being admitted to a hospital.
For this reason, many optometrists work within private clinics — though mobile community treatment is common in underserved areas — and administer care without need for prior approval from a physician.
What Does an Optometrist Do?
Apart from performing eye exams and prescribing contacts and prescription lenses, optometrists are the first healthcare professionals to treat patients who are experiencing vision loss or disability.
As eye care specialists, optometrists are able to meet a large amount of patient needs, including:
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Performing routine checkups. Whether eight years old or eighty, optometrists recommend frequent exams to check for changes in eye health.
Aided by an optometrist assistant, performing and analyzing the results of these exams is one of the primary responsibilities of a licensed optometrist.
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Inspecting for vision impairment. Checking for problems such as glaucoma and nearsightedness are a key aspect of an optometrist's day-to-day responsibilities.
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Treating outpatient eye diseases. While some eye conditions can require inpatient surgery to resolve, many less invasive procedures can be completed in an optometrist’s office.
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Assessing brain development. Optometrists know that vision takes both the eyes and the brain, so evaluating those with vision difficulties can hint at brain abnormalities.
Do Optometrists have to Attend Medical School?
While optometrists are required to attend optometry school, they are not required to attend medical school, and thus are not considered medical doctors.
A degree in optometry allows optometrists to perform relatively noninvasive outpatient procedures, and anything that requires surgery will mean referring patients to an ophthalmologist (eye doctors that have completed medical school and residency).
For optometrists interested in working with prosthetics, additional training as an ocularist is needed.
How Long is Optometry School?
Generally, a degree in optometry takes four years to complete, not including time spent completing a bachelor’s degree.
Three of those years are spent largely in the classroom, where students can hone their knowledge of anatomy, diagnostics, and procedures.
At Pacific, the entirety of the fourth year is spent in real-world settings.
During this year aspiring optometrists can explore eye care specializations — including pediatrics, vision therapy, and ocular disease — with patients in a supervised environment.
Who Do Optometrists Help?
Because eye and vision care are needed at every stage of life, optometrists get the opportunity to help patients of all ages.
This means that, apart from routine exams, optometrists can pursue eye care specialties such as early detection, trauma response, or working with underserved communities.
Where Do Optometrists Work?
Licensed optometrists are in-demand in a variety of medical and outpatient settings, including:
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Private practice clinics. The most common setting for optometrists is in an outpatient clinic. Here, optometrists can perform routine and urgent eye care for all ages.
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Schools and universities. Optometrists are responsible for far more than just eye test day in school settings.
Difficulty in reading, writing, and hand-eye coordination can be easily diagnosed and treated by optometrists with a presence in schools or campus health centers.
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Assisted care facilities. Macular degeneration, cataracts, and general vision loss is especially common in older populations and can make daily life difficult.
Optometrists in these settings can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those impacted, greatly improving their quality of life.
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Abroad. Whether traveling across the ocean or just across the border, demand for vision care specialists worldwide has grown significantly, especially in areas experiencing public health crises.
Nonprofit healthcare organizations have expanded in recent years, giving healthcare professionals new opportunities to practice care.
How Much Do Optometrists Make?
Part of what contributes to optometry’s high job satisfaction is the competitive pay soon after licensure.
The average optometrist salary is $126,000, but optometrists who work in the offices of outpatient care centers can earn up to $176,000.
Paired with a projected job growth of 9% over the next decade (higher than the national average for most professions) and it becomes easy to see why optometrists report exceptional job fulfillment.
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