Optometry

Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, 20050229 by Mary Bekker

Advanced education and training

Recent optometry school graduates sometimes complete master's or doctorate degrees in related medical specialties such as physiological optics, visual sciences or public health. Some of these doctors enter research or education.

Optometrists who want to specialize in certain areas complete a one-year residency after graduation at educational institutions or hospitals. These internships could include pediatric or geriatric optometry, low-vision rehabilitation or vision therapy.

State boards of optometry require a certain number of continuing education credits for practicing optometrists. This training is completed through specialized courses at meetings, optometry schools, optometric journals and the Internet. Continuing education credits must meet specific requirements of each state. The O.D. must check with the state licensing board for specific details.

Future outlook

More women are becoming optometrists than in years previous. As of 2001, about 25% of practicing optometrists are women. That number should rise since 50% of optometry students as of 2001 were women.

A comprehensive study by the American Optometric Association completed in 1997 predicted that there will be at least 4,000 more optometrists than needed by the year 2015. Several factors could affect that prediction.

Geriatric population. The increasing number of elderly patients could mean a highly increased number of office visits for optometrists. These elderly patients need more frequent examinations for myriad eye diseases and conditions.

Vision plans. Managed care has brought more patients into optometrists' offices in recent years. Before managed care, many patients delayed regular eye exams because of cost. Because comprehensive vision plans routinely pay for regular eye exams, and in some cases contact lenses and eyeglasses, more patients routinely are being seen by O.D.s at a higher rate of frequency.

Retail chains. More eye care patients are utilizing the convenience of these large "superstores" to fulfill their vision needs. These chains sometimes have several optometrists on staff. The need for "corporate optometrists" is expected to grow in the coming years. These positions do not pay as competitively as private practice; but they also do not incur the large debt that opening or purchasing a practice does.

Key Terms

AmblyopiaDecreased visual acuity, usually in one eye, in the absence of any structural abnormality in the eye.

AstigmatismAsymmetric vision defects due to irregularities in the cornea.

CataractA cataract is a cloudiness or opacity in the normally transparent crystalline lens of the eye. This cloudiness can cause a decrease in vision and may lead to eventual blindness.

GlaucomaDisease of the eye characterized by increased pressure of the fluid inside the eye. Untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness.

PresbyopiaA condition affecting people over the age of 40 where the system of accommodation that allows focusing of near objects fails to work because of age-related hardening of the lens of the eye.