Optometrist

Optometrist



__ Job Description __ An optometrist is a physician who is concerned with the eyes and vision. Optometrists must provide prescriptions for contact lenses and glasses along with sight tests and diagnosing diseases of the eye. In some states optometrists are licensed to perform laser eye surgery, but most of the time that is performed by an opthamologist which specializes in eye surgery. Optometrists perform routine checkups on patients to make sure that there are no changes in vision, and supply contact lenses and glasses for patients with impaired vision. Source: [|Wikipedia (Optometry)]

__ Educational Requireme __ __ nts __ The first step in obtaining a degree in optometry is going to under-graduate school for at least three years. After tha t you must apply to get into optometry school and pass the Optometry Admissions Test. About 1 in 3 applicants are accepted. You must go to Optometry School for four years, then pass the National Board Exam to get the Doctor of Optometry degree. After that you must have at least one year of residency. Source: [|Optometry Eduation- bls.com] __ Colleges and Universities __
 * [|University of Houston]
 * [|Northeastern State University]
 * [|University of California] [[image:http://anniebankswiki.wikispaces.com/site/embedthumbnail/placeholder?w=200&h=94 width="200" height="94" link="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/"]]

__ Professional Organizations __
 * [|American Optometric Association]
 * [|National Optometric Association]

__ Salary Range __ The average salary of an optometrist is anywhere from $80,000-$120,000. Optometrists in Texas made about $90,366 annually in 2010, but the rate has been increasing steadily over the years. Source: [|1salary.com]

__ Job Outlook __ The job outlook for optometrists is very good, and is predicted to increase much faster on average from now until 2018. There are many opportunities to become an optometrist. Source: [|health] [|guideusa]

I would like to become an optometrist because I have vision problems, and the optometrist that I go to has always been very nice to me. The eyes are always one of the first things I look at when I meet someone new, so I think that it would be interesting to know more about how they work. I also think it would be nice to be an optometrist because I know that they don't really have to deal with bodily fluids and other things that gross me out, and the hours would not be too crazy meaning that I could spend time with my family.