What is an Optometrist?

Optometrist: A health care professional who is licensed to provide primary and specialized eye and vision care services:

• to examine and diagnose eye diseases such as dry eye, conjunctivitis, glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal diseases and to treat or refer them as is appropriate;
• to diagnose related systemic (bodywide) conditions such as hypertension and diabetes that may affect the eyes;
• to examine, diagnose and treat refractive conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia;
  
• to examine, diagnose and treat disorders of the binocular vision system such as strabismus, amblyopia, convergence insufficiency, and oculomotor dysfunctions
  
• to provide optometric vision therapy for disorders of the binocular vision system and learning related vision disorders and
• to prescribe glasses, contact lenses, low vision rehabilitation and medications as well as perform appropriate surgical procedures such as the removal of foreign bodies.

An optometrist is a Doctor of Optometry, an O.D. (Doctors of Medicine, or MDs are NOT Optometrists.). To become an optometrist, one must complete pre-professional undergraduate college education followed by 4 years of professional education in a college of optometry. Many optometrists also do a residency.