Need to see an eye specialist? Finding the correct type of eye doctor for your needs is important to get the right service.
There are many types of eye professionals, but the most common types are; opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists.
So you're probably wondering, what's an optometrist and what is an optician? Read on to find out everything you need to know about these eye doctors and the services that they provide.
What's An Optometrist?
An Optometrist is an eye doctor who offers primary health care and routine eye checks, they are not classed as a medical doctor. Typically they spend 4 years in professional training after college and then get a doctor of optometry degree.
If you are wondering what optometry is, it means simply checking the eye for health conditions and the role an optometrist performs.
You will find optometrists in specialist fields too such as; pediatric optometry for kids, neuro-optometry for brain injury vision problems, and low-vision optometry for people whose sight can’t be corrected by contact lenses and glasses.
These are the main tasks performed by an optometrist
- Annual and routine eye exams.
- Prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses.
- Post-surgery eyecare.
- Treating minor eye conditions like dry eyes.
- Diagnosing and monitoring eye conditions.
What Is An Optician?
An optician is not technically an eye doctor, they work in an eyeglass store as a customer service representative. They have a 1-2 year degree and cannot give eye exams.
There are the main tasks performed by an optician -
- Filling and dispensing eye prescriptions.
- Adjusting and repairing glasses frames and lenses.
- Taking facial measurements and checking if glasses fit.
- Helping customers choose frames.
- ​​​​​​​General office duties and answering general eye care questions.
Optician Vs Optometrist - Key Differences
The main difference between an optician and an optometrist is that there is no such thing as an optician eye doctor. They are not qualified for eye examinations or diagnosing eye conditions and prescriptions.
An optician versus an optometrist also only has 1 or two years of training, to become an optometrist you need 4 years of professional training on top. An optometrist is also paid an average salary of $125,000 a year while an optician is paid an average of $50,000 per year.
What Is An Ophthalmologist?
So, what is an eye doctor vs an ophthalmologist? An ophthalmologist is a professional medical doctor who can treat more complicated eye issues through surgery and is qualified through medical school.
You can see an ophthalmologist for general eye care and check-ups but they can do surgery on people suffering from various eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts.
To become an ophthalmologist you must do an ophthalmology residency program which takes around 4 years to complete, teaching diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases then a one-year internship treating hands-on patients.
The main tasks an ophthalmologist performs are
- Eye exams.
- Medical eye care.
- Surgical eye care.
- Diagnosis of eye conditions.
- Plastic eye surgery.
- ​​​​​​​Rehabilitation services.
Optometrist Vs Ophthalmologist - Key Differences
An Ophthalmologist can do everything an Optometrist can with the addition that they are medically qualified to perform eye surgery.
An Optometrist spends four years after college getting their degree while an Ophthalmologist has to do an ophthalmology residency program for four years and a one-year internship to qualify.
If you are wondering, is it better to see an optometrist or ophthalmologist for an eye checkup? An optometrist is always best, but for surgery and major eye conditions, you will be booked in with an ophthalmologist.
Optometrist Vs Ophthalmologist Salary
Optometrists get paid on average $125,000 a year for their salary, but how much do ophthalmologists make? Ophthalmologists get paid on average anywhere between $200,000 to $350,000.
How To Choose The Right Eye Specialist
To figure out which eye specialist you need to see depends on what you need. For changing your specs or ordering more contact lenses in, just consulting your Optician is fine, however for an eye exam you need to book in with your Optometrist.
Normally, if you need an Ophthalmologist then your Optometrist will refer you to one depending on the eye condition you need surgery for or a special medical opinion.
After surgery, you will likely receive aftercare from an Optometrist to monitor your eye condition.
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