Optometrists vs ophthalmologist, which is better?
Both are health professionals that treat eyes.
However, their jobs and qualifications are different.
The Optometrist
An optometrist is a primary eye care provider.
He takes care of people’s eyes and in the course of this will diagnose and treat issues such as glaucoma, cataracts and eye refraction errors.
Diagnosing and Prescriptions
He is also able to diagnose systemic diseases that affect vision such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Based on his diagnosis, the optometrist will prescribe eye glasses or contact lenses. He may also prescribe medication.
An optometrist is referred to as a Doctor of Optometry (OD), even though he is not a medical doctor.
The Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist on the other hand is a medical doctor (MD). He can also be a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy).
He too is an eye care specialist and is also able to prescribe vision correction lenses and medications.
He can carry out the duties of an optometrist but will go beyond them and be able to carry out surgical procedures on the eyes, prevent eye diseases from occurring and taking care of the entire visual system.
Some ophthalmologists will perform plastic surgery around the eyes such as lifting drooping eyelids.
Anoptometrist will usually refer difficult cases to an ophthalmologist. In many cases, an ophthalmologist will involve an optometrist in the care of surgical patients before and after the eye surgery.
Comparison: Optometrist vs Ophthalmologist
So how do you compare optometrist vs ophthalmologist?
One difference between an optometrist an ophthalmologist is the type of qualifications they acquire.
The optometrist receives a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree, which is a professional degree after studying for four years.
This is usually after a minimum 3 years study at a university.
The ophthalmologist receives a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree after a minimum four year pre-med course, four years of medical school, a one year internship and another three years of specialized training in ophthalmology.
Both the optometrist and the ophthalmologist are required to be licensed in the state in which they practice.
To be licensed, they are required to take licensing exams which include a theoretical and clinical portion.
They both have to take re-certification exams every so often.
Education Requirements: Optometrist vs Ophthalmologist
An advantage optometry has over ophthalmology is the duration of study. A person can become a qualified optometrist in about 7 years.
On the other hand, an ophthalmologist studies for about 12 years before he qualifies. However, this results in the advantage ophthalmologists have over optometrists.
Due to their lengthy education and resulting qualification, ophthalmologists typically make more than a optometrist salary.
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