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Optometry (Greek: optos meaning seen or visible and metria meaning measurement) is the health care profession concerned with examination, diagnosis, and treatment of the eyes and related structures and with determination and correction of vision problems using lenses and other optical aids *.
Optometric work An optometrist is an eye care professional who is a primary care practitioner for most vision and ocular health concerns. Optometrists, or optometric physicians as they are sometimes called in the US or ophthalmic opticians as they are sometimes called in the UK, are trained to diagnose, manage, and treat a multitude of visual and ocular health-related concerns, including, but not limited to, fitting and prescribing glasses and contact lenses, diagnosing and treating (excluding surgery) muscular abnormalities, treating minor ocular injuries, diagnosing and treating diseases such as glaucoma and diagnosing others such as diabetic retinopathy. In Idaho and Oklahoma, optometrists may perform certain laser procedures. ** Optometrists are experts in determining one's refractive error and prescribing the appropriate correction. In the United States they perform comprehensive eye exams and diagnose and treat many of the most common eye disorders whether they be visual or physical. As with all medical practitioners, referrals are made when more specialized care is needed. Licensing and education In the United States, optometrists are health care professionals who complete optometry school, a four year doctoral level program. This is preceded by a 4 year undergraduate program and results in the Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. They are required to receive licensure through state boards, and some go on to complete post-graduate residencies. Some optometrists further their education with advanced training (a fellowship) in a specific subspecialty. These specialties can include pediatric care, geriatric care, pre and post surgery care, specialty contact lens (for keratoconus patients or other corneal dystrophies) and many others. The American Optometric Association characterizes doctors of optometry as "primary eye care providers." The scope of practice for optometrists is limited by local legislature and sometimes overlaps that of ophthalmologists, medical doctors who are trained to perform eye surgery. Whereas ophthalmologists may perform advanced or invasive surgical intervention, optometrists are generally limited to the removal of foreign bodies from the surface of the eye. In Oklahoma, current legislation allows optometrists to perform some non-refractive laser surgery. Optometrists may use certain pharmacological agents in the diagnose and treatment of ocular disorders. In the United Kingdom, optometrists have completed a 3 or 4 year undergraduate honours degree followed by a minimum of a one-year "pre-registration period" where they complete supervised practice under the supervision of an experienced qualified practitioner. During this year the Pre-Registration candidate will sit a number of quarterly assessments and on successfully passing all of these assessments a final one-day set of exams. Following successful completion of these assessments and having completed one year's supervised practice the candidate qualifies for membership of The College of Optometrists and is eligible to register as an optometrist with the General Optical Council. Registration with the GOC is mandatory to practise in the UK. Members of the College of Optometrists may use the suffix MCOptom. Sub-specialities There are currently nine sub-specialty residencies offered by various schools of optometry in the United States * *: Training in binocular vision and orthoptics sub-specialties are often integrated into either pediatric or vision therapy programs. The College of Optometrists in Vision Development provides certification for eye doctors in vision therapy, behavioral and developmental vision care, and "visual rehabilitation". See also | ||||||||
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