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Optometrists

Optometry

Becoming an Optometrist can be a very rewarding career choice.  It gives you the opportunity to work on patients who may be suffering from certain eye infections, diseases, and conditions.  Being a great listener and attention to detail will aid you in defining what condition your patients have if any at all.  Being attune to technology will be a plus as the equipment used in the Eye care profession continues to change and evolve.  Your education will need to be up to par and so continuing credits are needed as these changes within this field occur.  

 What Do They Do

You will administer eye exams, glasses and contact lenses if necessary.  You may work with patients who have accident with their eyes such as foreign objects lodged in their eye or hangings from the eye socket.  It depends greatly on which field you decide to go into, but there are a few choices to pick from.  You may prescribe medicine, work full time or part time.  Although full time is the norm and usually weekends are as well just to accommodate the patients time strains. 

Optometrists must get a Bachelor Degree and then from there attend a 4 year Optometrist program.  You must be prepared to attend an accredited school that offers this program and be ready to relocate as this program is only offered at around 20 schools or so.  After or nearing the last year of the program you must take a Board Certified test to obtain you license in order to practice Optometry.  Some states also require you take and pass a state test based on that particular states regulations and rules for the industry.

The Pay

Optometrist make a pretty decent living based upon the average persons standards.  When fresh out of school there is quite a gap in the pay grade of an Optometrist with experience verses one without much at all.  Starting out, an Optometrist salary is expected to be between $40,000-$85,000 a year.  Where as a veteran Optometrist pay averages around $100,000  upwards to $250,000 a year.  This is quite a gap to say the least. 

Most newly graduated Optometrist will begin practicing with some big organization just to get some experience and get their feet wet.  It is also great practice to intern or volunteer in an eye care setting while in college.  This will be a great help when first beginning your career.  After you are a little wet behind the ears then you can veer off and start your own practice in a private setting.  This road is not for everyone so it is still possible to work in eye retail shops, hospitals, nursing homes, and etc.