Sight is one of the most important senses that a person has. Because of this, the importance of eye doctors, or optometrists is great. A Doctor of Optometry is an eye doctor, but not the same as a medical doctor. There’s a fair amount of education and training that goes into becoming an eye doctor. Use these tips to study optometry and learn more about the requirements for eye doctors. If you want to be an optometrist, here are steps that you need to follow:
- Job overview. It will help to learn all you can about optometry before choosing a school. This way you will know if this career is the right one for you. Optometrists are eye doctors who focus on assessing and diagnosing eye problems and diseases. They are also responsible for measuring vision and providing prescriptions for contact lenses, glasses and other visual aids. An optometrist does everything but invasive or surgical procedures on the eyes; these are done by an eye specialist called an ophthalmologist. You can either run your own practice or work for corporate optometry clinics in major stores and malls.
- Go to an accredited school. Optometry is a highly specialized profession that will require extensive medical career training. In high school, you will want to take courses in science and biology and get at least a 3.5 GPA. During your junior year of high school, start looking at schools that offer optometry degrees. Make sure that you have the commitment necessary to complete the four years of college and the following four years of optometry school. You may also be required to do one or two years of residency. It is really important to make sure the school you choose for your undergraduate education is accredited for the optometry school that you will be attending. Check with the American Optometric Association to find accredited schools. Create a list of the top five schools that you want to enroll in and begin your search. The Association of Optometry schools can help you in your search for schools.
- Optometry Admissions Test. Around your second or third year of your undergraduate schooling you will take your optometry admissions test. In your senior year of college you can begin to apply for optometry schools for your next level of studies. Apply for as many schools as you can because there tends to be a lot of competition to get accepted. After you graduate from college and you are accepted into a college of optometry, you will complete four years of optometry school and receive your Doctor of Optometry degree.
- Take the state board to get your license. After you receive your O.D. degree you can apply to take your state board examination for optometry. Usually, this exam has a written and oral portion that you need to pass. Make sure that you inquire about the licensing procedures that are specific to your state, since some states require the optometrists to practice or perform a year of internship before they are allowed to take the board exam. Find your state board and apply for your license. After you receive your license, you will need to take continuing education in order to renew your license every few years.
- Salary and job growth. The starting salary for optometrists is around $90,000 and can increase to $145,000 per year. It has even been known to go as high as $150,000 to $180,000 per year depending on location and type of practice. But the median salary is somewhere around $100,000. This career field is expected to grow 33% by the year 2020. You also have opportunities for advancement by attending post-graduate school and specializing in a certain field of optometry.
Giving people the gift of sight and helping prevent serious eye diseases can be a very rewarding career. With these tips in mind, you should be able to determine whether a career in optometry is right for you, and how you can go about preparing for optometrist jobs.