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Optometrist

Many people take their eyes and eyesight for granted.  Eyesight is essential for overall health, because it helps us to recognize, interpret, and respond to danger, which makes healthy eyes and eyesight ever so important.  Those who are entrusted to examine and treat our eyes are likewise important.  If you would like to be one who is entrusted with the vision care of others, are a lover of Science, Health, and Math, and are, overall, conscientious and trustworthy, then you should pursue a career in Optometry. 

Optometrists diagnose, manage, and treat problems, injuries, impairments, disorders, and diseases of the human eye and visual system.  By examining the eyes, visual system, and other parts of the body related to vision, they can provide treatment and prescribe eyeglasses, corrective lenses, or therapeutic drugs/medication to treat specific eye conditions.  Tools include a direct (hand-held) Ophthalmoscope, an indirect Ophthalmoscope, a Phoroptor, and a Keratometer.

The duties of an Optometrist include but are not limited to:  performing vision tests to check for sight problems (nearsightedness, farsightedness, etc.); checking for eye diseases (glaucoma, cataracts, etc.); prescribing eyeglasses, contact lenses, and medications; providing other treatments (vision therapy, low-vision rehabilitation, etc.); providing pre- and post-operative care to patients undergoing eye surgery (examining a patient’s eyes before or the day after surgery); evaluating patients for the presence of diseases (diabetes, etc.) and referring them to other health care providers as needed; and promoting eye health by counseling patients (explaining how to clean and wear contact lenses, etc.).

High school students interested in becoming an Optometrist benefit from taking Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Biology/Anatomy, Nutrition, Nursing, Health, Physics, Chemistry, and Physical Science.  Students entering Pre-Medical Bachelor's of Science programs with no previous Optometry training should expect a period of 4 years to complete said program.  Prospective Optometrists must complete a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) program from an accredited Optometry School, which takes 4 years to complete after earning an undergraduate degree and includes coursework in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics.  Applicants must take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) in order to apply to O.D. programs.  All states require Optometrists to be licensed (having successfully completed all sections of the National Boards exam in Optometry) in order to legally practice.  Many states require Optometrists to take continuing education and renew their license periodically.

Some Optometrists spend much of their time providing specialized care, particularly if they are working in a group practice with other Optometrists or doctors (treating patients with only partial or no sight, focusing on pre- or post-operative care, etc.).  Other Optometrists teach or do research in Optometry colleges or work as consultants in the eye-care industry.  And still, many own their own practice and may spend more time on general business activities (hiring employees, ordering supplies, etc.).

Because vision problems tend to occur more frequently later in life, more Optometrists will be needed to meet the health needs of our aging population.  Furthermore, a large number of currently-practicing Optometrists is set to retire, creating ample opportunities for new Optometrists.  It is for these reasons that employment of Optometrists is expected to grow by 33 percent over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Job Description

Median Salary & Range

​Median Salary:  $94,690

Salary Range:  ~$51,690 - $183,980+

College Majors & Attainment Routes

The normal routes to becoming an Optometrist have been to attain a Bachelor's of Science degree in Pre-Medical, Physics, Biology or Biological Sciences, Physiology or Physiology Sciences, Chemistry (Pre-Professional), Engineering Physics, Optical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Pre-Professional Education, and Optics.

Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) programs take 4 years to complete and combine classroom learning with supervised clinical experience.  Coursework includes Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Optics, and Visual Science and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the visual system.  After finishing the O.D., some Optometrists do a 1-year residency program to get advanced clinical training in a specialty which includes:  Family Practice, Primary Eye Care, Pediatric or Geriatric Optometry, Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation, Cornea and Contact Lenses, Refractive and Ocular Surgery, Low Vision Rehabilitation, Ocular Disease, and Community Health Optometry.

Colleges That Provide Above Majors

Colleges and universities that have Optometry Schools and related majors are:  Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Los Angeles, California); Meharry Medical College (Nashville, Tennessee); Delaware State University (Dover, Delaware); Howard University (Washington, DC); Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia); Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina); Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, North Carolina); North Carolina Central University (Durham, North Carolina); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia); Morehouse College (Atlanta, Georgia); Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, North Carolina); Winston Salem State University (Winston Salem, North Carolina); Albany State University (Albany, Georgia); South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Savannah State University (Savannah, Georgia); Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia); Claflin University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Allen University (Columbia, South Carolina); Fort Valley State University (Fort Valley, Georgia); Paine College (Augusta, Georgia); Livingstone College (Salisbury, North Carolina); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, Texas); Oakwood University (Huntsville, Alabama); Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia); and Voorhees College (Denmark, South Carolina).

Available Scholarships

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);