Optometrists
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.
Common job titles of Optometrists include:
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Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
91.3% said they needed a Doctoral Degree.
8.7% said they needed a First Professional Degree.
Tasks
Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.
Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
Provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation.
Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
Tools
Yellow condensing lenses
Worth 4-dot tests
Wide jaw angling pliers
Trial lens sets
Tonometers
Sphygmomanometers
Snipe nose pliers
All ToolsSnellen eye charts
Skiascopic lens rack
Single Lea symbol books
Scleral depressors
Retinoscopy racks
Retinoscopes
Retinal cameras
Randot stereo tests
Pupil diameter PD rules
Phoroptors
Personal computers
Pediatric near point cards
Optical screwdrivers
Ophthalmoscopes
Ophthalmic transilluminators
Notebook computers
Non-contact handheld fundus lenses
Multiple pinhole mask occluders
Multiple pin hole occluders
Mechanical stethoscopes
Loose prisms
Lensometers
Lens clocks
Lens calipers
Lea symbols near vision cards
Lachrymal dilators
Lachrymal cannulae
Ishihara plates
Hruby lenses
HRR Hardy-Rand-Rittler plates
Horizontal prism bars
Half nylon gripping pliers
Halberg clips
Gonioscopy lenses
Golf club spuds
Fundus cameras
Fixation cards
Desktop computers
Corneal topographers
Corneal pachymeters
Contact lens loupes
Combined cover paddle occluders
Combination refractor keratometers
Color vision testing devices
Clear 78 diopter condensing lenses
Clear 20 diopter condensing lenses
Child fixation targets
Broken wheel visual acuity cards
Biomicroscopes
Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopes
Autorefractors
Amsler grids
Adult fixation targets
8-well lens flippers
4-well lens holders
Technologies
Intuit QuickBooks
Microsoft SQL Server
Accra Med Software Filopto
AltaPoint Data Systems AltaPoint Vision
Babcock Winx Pro
Compulink Business Systems Eyecare Advantage
Digital Healthcare OptoMize
All TechnologiesFirst Insight E-Z Frame
First Insight MaximEyes
HealthLine Systems Eyecom
Insight Software My Vision Express
MAX Systems Max-Gold7
MediNotes Charting Plus
OfficeMate Software Solutions ExamWRITER
OfficeMate Software Solutions OfficeMate
Prima Systems OPTIX
Scheduling software
Universal Software Solutions VersaVision
VisionScience Software Acuity Pro
Skills
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering
Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Cognitive Abilities › Perceptual Abilities › Flexibility of Closure
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility
Precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Fine Manipulative Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Finger Dexterity
Keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Fine Manipulative Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Arm-Hand Steadiness
Quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Control Movement Abilities › Psychomotor Abilities › Control Precision