Career: Optometrists
If you’re like most sighted people, you take your vision for granted. But optometrists don’t. They’re fascinated by the eyes -- both how they work and how they fail.
Prescribing eyeglasses, diagnosing eye conditions and their causes, referring patients to specialists for eye surgery -- it’s all in a day’s work for optometrists. Though their activities vary, their mission is always to help people see as well as possible.
Optometrists examine eyes to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases. They determine a course of treatment or refer patients to ophthalmologists and other specialists.
Did You Know?
- Some optometrists specialize in the vision problems of the elderly, children, or partially sighted persons. Others may specialize in problems related to working conditions.
Are You Ready To...?
- Test depth and color perception
- Test for near- and farsightedness
- Keep up with advances in your field
- Work in private practice, research, or industry (developing eye-related products)
- Work night and weekend hours to suit patient schedules and to build a successful practice
It Helps to Be...
A tactful communicator who is able to work precisely with your hands. In addition to being able to relate to patients, you will need good business sense -- especially if, like many optometrists, you run your own practice.
Make High School Count
- Take plenty of math and science classes, including AP® courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus.
- Build communication skills in English, drama, and speech classes.
- Learn a foreign language so you can communicate with patients in diverse communities.
- Sign up for business and accounting classes.
- Master the computer.
- Volunteer to work at an optometrist’s office and try to learn some business skills as well as optometry.
- Explore summer study programs like the University of Massachusetts’ High School Health Careers Program or the Health Careers Opportunity Program at the University of Montana.
Did You Know?
- To get into optometry school, you’ll need to take the Optometry Admission Test and demonstrate your academic ability and scientific understanding.
Outlook
Government economists expect jobs for optometrists to grow much faster than the average for all careers through 2018. What’s more, almost one-fourth of optometrists are near retirement age. Job openings should outnumber qualified job seekers.
A growing and aging population means that more people will need eye care. Also, more health insurance plans are covering it. Even though laser surgery can correct some vision problems, it will have little effect on the demand for optometrists. That’s because these professionals provide the care needed before and after surgery.
Compensation
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, optometrists had average earnings of $106,960 in 2009. The education required to enter this career is expensive, but the long-term earnings more than outweigh the overall educational costs.
