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Doctors
of Optometry and Their Education
 Doctors
of optometry are the nation's largest eye care profession, serving
patients in nearly 6,500 communities across the country, where in
more than 3,500 of these communities, they are the only eye doctors.
- Doctors
of optometry are trained to examine, diagnose, treat and manage
disorders that affect the eye or vision.
- After attending
a university or college for their undergraduate education, optometry
students concentrate specifically on the structure, function
and disorders of the eye for 4 additional years during their
graduate education to earn their doctoral degree.
- While concentrating
on the eye and visual system, optometrists also study general
health in courses such as human anatomy, biochemistry and
physiology.
- In addition
to their formal, doctoral-level training, all optometrists participate
in ongoing continuing education courses to stay current
on the latest standards of care and to maintain their licenses
to practice. Optometry is one of the only doctoral-level health
care professions to require continuing education in every state
for license renewal.
Prior to admittance
into optometry school, optometrists typically complete four years
of undergraduate study, culminating in a bachelor's degree. Required
undergraduate coursework for pre-optometry students is extensive
and covers a wide variety of advanced health, science and mathematics
courses.
- Optometry
school consists of four years of post-graduate, doctoral-level
study concentrating on the eye, vision and associated systemic
disease. In addition to profession-specific courses, optometrists
are required to take systemic health courses that focus on a patient's
overall medical condition as it relates to the eyes.
- Upon completion
of optometry school, candidates graduate from their accredited
college of optometry and hold the doctor of optometry (OD) degree.
- Some optometrists
participate in residency programs following optometry school.
This experience offers doctors of optometry training in an optometric
sub-specialty such as pediatric optometry, low vision care, or
geriatrics.
Optometric
Education in Practice
- Optometrists
must pass a rigorous national examination administered by the
National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO). The three-part
exam includes basic science, clinical science and patient care.
- All optometrists
are required to participate in ongoing continuing education courses
to stay current on the latest standards of care.
- Curriculums
and continuing education are updated on an ongoing basis to reflect
technological advances, including surgery techniques, prescriptive
medications and other medical treatments related to eye diseases
and disorders.
- In addition
to being the experts on eye and vision diseases and disorders,
doctors of optometry have the education and training to diagnose
the ocular manifestations of diseases that affect the entire body,
such as diabetes and hypertension. They also are qualified to
evaluate their patients for surgery when appropriate and often
manage their patients' care pre- and post-operatively.
Related
Links
Visiting an Optometrist
http://www.marylandeyes.com/vision-visit.htm
Find an Optometrist
http://www.marylandeyes.com/findadoc.htm
MOA Advancing
Vision Care in Maryland
http://www.marylandeyes.com/vision-moa.htm
Nutrition
and Vision
http://www.marylandeyes.com/vision-moa.htm
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