optometrist

A doctor of optometry specializes in primary eye care with a focus on refractive correction (glasses and contacts). These doctors typically complete a 4-year undergraduate degree, before going on to 4 more years of optometry graduate school. After this, an optometrist may go directly into practice or complete further residency training if they have an interest in a specific fields of interest (like pediatrics or low-vision).  An optometrist has an O.D. doctorate degree, and while they don’t perform surgical procedures, they are licensed in most states to prescribe eye drop medications and therapeutic treatments.  They are very good at optical correction and the fitting of challenging glasses and contact lenses. In many ways, the optometrist is like the “family practitioner” of the eye world – they are often the first person to detect new eye problems and will refer medical/surgical problems to the appropriate ophthalmologist (general or sub-specialist) when warranted.