Clueless optometry questions....

[Alwayshope]

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Hi everyone, I'm considering optometry, but I'm clueless. How many years of school are required after undergrad? Is it like MD where you need volunteering and how espensive is school? Are there certain classes necessary like bio, and chem ect. And are surgerys performed often or even at all, or is that another similar professionals area. Thanks to anyone who can answer. 🙂

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Hi everyone, I'm considering optometry, but I'm clueless. How many years of school are required after undergrad? Is it like MD where you need volunteering and how espensive is school? Are there certain classes necessary like bio, and chem ect. And are surgerys performed often or even at all, or is that another similar professionals area. Thanks to anyone who can answer. 🙂

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=66427

An Optometrist is not a medical doctor, but receives the degree of OD at a 4-year optometry school after completing four (or sometimes three) years of undergraduate study.

Optometrists (OD) can:
-- prescribe glasses and contact lenses
-- diagnose eye abnormalities and disease
-- treat some types of eye disease
-- diagnose other conditions and illnesses based on symptoms evident in the eyes and refer patients to another appropriate physician for treatment
--fit, adjust and dispense eyeglasses
_______________________________

Ophthalmologists (MD or DO) can:
-- prescribe glasses and contact lenses
-- diagnose eye abnormalities and disease
-- treat all eye conditions and disease, including those of the surrounding flesh, bones, and muscle with surgery (conventional and laser surgery), medications, etc.
-- diagnose other conditions and illnesses based on symptoms evident in the eyes and refer patients to another appropriate physician for treatment
--fit, adjust and dispense eyeglasses

______________________________
Can optometrists do minor surgeries, laser surgeries, or intraocular surgeries?

In 49 of 50 states, it is illegal for optometrists to do any of the above. In Oklahoma, because of aggressive optometry lobbying, optometrists (OD) may perform some laser procedures.

For additional threads discussing this issue:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=118416
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=123985
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=117800
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=113953

 

[Richard_Hom]

Hi everyone, I'm considering optometry, but I'm clueless. How many years of school are required after undergrad? Is it like MD where you need volunteering and how espensive is school? Are there certain classes necessary like bio, and chem ect. And are surgerys performed often or even at all, or is that another similar professionals area. Thanks to anyone who can answer. 🙂

Dear Alwayshope,

The best way to find out what an optometrist does or whether this is something for you is to "shadow" several in your area. I'm sure they would be open to either talking to you about what they do or letting you see what they do.

 

[Visioncam]

It is sometimes hard to predict exactly what you want to do.

If you go to optometry school, you will be an optometrist and nothing else. You may try to do surgery and fight to change laws to permit it. You can insist that you can get training and do surgery just as well. However, it will be a battle.

If you go to medical school, you have more options. You can later decide to do plastic surgery or orthopedics and not ophthalmology. If you change your mind and want to practice law, law school is shorter than residency and MD/JD are in great demand. If you wanted to be tricky, a lawyer with a good medical background could uncover lots of things and use them to convince a jury to give the plaintiff a big award.

 

[Rosanna]

How many years of school are required after undergrad? Is it like MD where you need volunteering and how espensive is school? Are there certain classes necessary like bio, and chem ect.

Hello:

A Bachelor's degree is usually required or highly recommended. Look at this chart under the column "B.A. Req" : http://www.opted.org/pdf/Profile03b.pdf

Shadowing an optometrist is required as you will need at least one letter of recommendation from an O.D.

Tuition varies between the schools. Look under "Tuition Plus Fees" from the chart listed above.

School specific requirements are listed here: http://www.opted.org/pdf/Profile03a.pdf

Also, you can visit a website I made in undergraduate that may help you with some questions: http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/useeeyes/faq.html

Best wishes,

Rosanna

 

[Katalio]

Wow, great site you have there! =P.. very informative..
Thank you very much! =)

 

[Alwayshope]

Thanks for the wonderful sites and suggestions. 😛