Who is an optician and optometrist

An optician is a technician who fits patients for eyeglasses, contact lenses and other corrective devices. Even with specialized training, opticians are not permitted to give comprehensive eye exams or write prescriptions for corrective lenses. An optometrist has earned a Doctor of Optometry O. Optometrists are eye doctors, but they are not medical doctors.

They are licensed to perform eye exams, correct refractive errors and write prescriptions. Although optometrists are not licensed to perform surgery, some optometrists seek further education to treat various eye conditions.

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.

Currently, we know of no State laws that allow this though. Currently, the educational requirement of becoming an Optician varies from state to state. In some states, Opticians must be licensed by the State's Department of Professional Regulation or a similar entity. In other states there are no requirements to become an Optician and licensure is not needed. There are also 1 to 2 year degrees offered by many different colleges, junior colleges and universities culminating in an associate's degree for those pursuing a more formal educational path.

The average optician's salary varies greatly depending upon the source viewed. As mentioned previously, some states require licensing in order to work as an Optician. Licenced opticians may be paid a higher salary than non-licensed opticians.

Physicians and other healthcare related jobs are no exception. Overall, medical practices in the U. Due to this drastic decrease in revenue, medical practices and hospitals have furloughed and laid off employees including 43, healthcare workers in March alone. Nine percent of independent medical practices state they have at least temporarily closed their practices. As social distancing guidelines remain in effect, remote patient engagement needs has soared and increased by an astounding two hundred twenty five percent.

Like other surgical specialties, during the height of the pandemic many ophthalmologic surgeries were postponed. When hospitals and surgical centers did open back up, urgent surgeries were prioritized.

Ophthalmologists differ from optometrists and opticians in their levels of training and in what they can diagnose and treat. As a medical doctor who has completed college and at least eight years of additional medical training, an ophthalmologist is licensed to practice medicine and surgery.

An ophthalmologist diagnoses and treats all eye diseases, performs eye surgery and prescribes and fits eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems. Many ophthalmologists are also involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders. While ophthalmologists are trained to care for all eye problems and conditions, some Eye M.

This person is called a subspecialist. He or she usually completes one or two years of additional, more in-depth training called a fellowship in one of the main subspecialty areas such as glaucoma, retina, cornea, pediatrics, neurology and plastic surgery, as well as others. This added training and knowledge prepares an ophthalmologist take care of more complex or specific conditions in certain areas of the eye or in certain groups of patients.

Optometrists are healthcare professionals who provide primary vision care ranging from sight testing and correction to the diagnosis, treatment, and management of vision changes. An optometrist is not a medical doctor. An optometrist receives a doctor of optometry OD degree after completing four years of optometry school, preceded by three years or more years of college. They are licensed to practice optometry, which primarily involves performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses, detecting certain eye abnormalities, and prescribing medications for certain eye diseases.

Opticians are technicians trained to design, verify and fit eyeglass lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to correct eyesight. They use prescriptions supplied by ophthalmologists or optometrists, but do not test vision or write prescriptions for visual correction.

Opticians are not permitted to diagnose or treat eye diseases. We all depend on our vision in more ways that we may realize. Without healthy vision, our ability to work, play, drive or even recognize a face can be drastically affected. Many factors can affect our eyesight, including other health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

Having a family member with eye disease can make you more prone to having that condition as well.