Manual Dexterity in Optometry

[Swollof]

Hi,

I'm an undergrad student looking into optometry and I'm very curious as to how much manual dexterity (hands-on work) there is involved in optometry? I've read a few career info pages on optometry and they all say that optometry requires good manual dexterity, but they never say for what sorts of procedures.

Does it compare, for instance, to the amount of manual dexterity and detail work involved in dentistry?

Thanks

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[eyepdesai]

Hi,

I'm an undergrad student looking into optometry and I'm very curious as to how much manual dexterity (hands-on work) there is involved in optometry? I've read a few career info pages on optometry and they all say that optometry requires good manual dexterity, but they never say for what sorts of procedures.

Does it compare, for instance, to the amount of manual dexterity and detail work involved in dentistry?

Thanks

Hey,

The following is from the functional standards of optometrists from ASCO's website.

SENSORY AND MOTOR COORDINATION ABILITIES

Students must possess the sensory and motor skills necessary to perform an eye examination, including emergency care. In general, this requires sufficient exteroception sense (touch, pain, temperature), proprioceptive sense (position, pressure, movement, stereognosis, and vibratory) and fine motor function (significant coordination and manual dexterity using arms, wrists, hands and fingers). Examples of skill required include but are not limited to:
• Instillation of ocular pharmaceutical agents
• Insertion, removal and manipulation of contact lenses
• Assessment of blood pressure and pulse
• Removal of foreign objects from the cornea
• Simultaneous manipulation of lenses, instruments and therapeutic agents and devices
• Reasonable facility of movement
• Injections into the eye, lids or limbs


Here is the link if you want more info. http://www.optomcas.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=22

Good luck