Career In Optometry:
Courses & Duration:
Diploma Courses: It is two years duration course. You can pursue this course after completing your 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology & English.
Certificate Courses: This course is of 1 year duration.
Bachelor Degree Courses:
- Optometry (B.Opto)
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)
The duration of these courses is 4 years. The student has successfully completed H.S.C./10+2 or equivalent examination with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Mathematics & Pass in English.
Master Degree Courses:
- Master of Optometry (M.Opto)
- Master of Science (M.Sc)
- M.A/ M.Sc. (5-year Integrated) Courses
M.Opto & M.Sc are two years duration regular full-time course. For admission in these courses, students have to pass Bachelor degree in Optometry or equivalent course from any Indian University.
Education required to become an Optometrists:
To become Optometrists, you have completed 4 year bachelor degree program, preferably in a relevant field such as biology, chemistry, or physiology. You will require a bachelor’s degree to apply for optometry programs. Optometry programs typically take an additional four years to complete. All optometrists have to pass rigorous nationally administered exams to earn their license to practice.
Optometrists can pursue M.S, M.Phil, Ph.D or OD (Doctor of Optometry) degree after completion of Bachelors in Optometry.
How I become an Ophthalmologist?
If you make your career as an Ophthalmologist, then you have complete at least eight years study that includes four years of college premedical education, four years of medical school, one year of internship, and a minimum of three years of hospital residency program in ophthalmology.
To become an Optician what qualification is required?
You can enter in this field, just by doing diploma after high school. You can also pursue certificate and associate’s degree programs in opticianry that may be preferred by some employers & be licensed.
Those students have a diploma certificate, they can directly begin earning by working with an Ophthalmologist, an Eye Hospital, and an Optician or even start his own practice as an Optician.
Career Opportunities:
After studying Optometry, you can make your career as optometrists, ophthalmologists & Optician.
Confused about optometrists, ophthalmologists & Optician? We Clear It Up for You.
Ophthalmologists, optometrists and opticians each play very important role in providing eye care to consumers.
How about we begin with optometrists?
Optometrist is the independent primary health care provider who specializes in eye care and visual health. An Optometrist is medical professionals, but not physicians. They focus on regular vision care and prescribe eyeglasses and contacts. Optometrist examines the internal and external structure of the eyes.
An ophthalmologist is a physician (medical doctor) who specializes in the surgical and medical care of the eye & vision system. Ophthalmologists offer complete eye care services. These include: Vision services, Medical eye care, Surgical eye care, Diagnosis and treatment of eye, Plastic surgery.
Optician is also a very important part of the eye care team, but it is not an eye doctor. An optician uses a prescription that is written by an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. Optician is a technician who is trained to design, verify fit eyeglass lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to correct eyesight.
The career opportunities in all these fields are wide & huge in demand both in India and abroad.
Optometrists can work as post-secondary teachers, occupational/industrial safety programs, consultants in the eye care industry or do research in optometry colleges. Optometrists can also set up their own private clinics & work independently. They can also choose a career in sports vision, public health and government service or community health centers.
Ophthalmologist may choose to set himself up in private practice, as a solo practitioner or as part of a medical group. As an Ophthalmologist, you can work as a public health employee, professor in the medical universities, military doctor, & as an employee of a clinic, hospital & government agencies.
Top Job Profiles:
Some most famous job profiles of Optometrists are given below.
- Customer Care Associate
- Private Practitioner
- Professor
- Trainee Optometrist
- Vision Consultant
- Optometry Researcher
Salary & Pay Scale:
The initial monthly salary of an optometrist ranges between Rs.20, 000 to Rs.40, 000. Optometrist can earn Rs. 4 to 5 lacs per year as a fresher. An ophthalmologist makes different salaries depending upon their employment place, applicable skills and geographical area. In India, they can earn at least Rs. 9 to 10 lacs in a year. The median salary for an ophthalmologist in the US is $202,133 annually.
Books & Study Material:
- Clinical Anatomy of the Eye by Richard S. Snell
- Anterior Eye Disease and Therapeutics by Adrian S. Bruce
- Primary Care Optometry by Theodore Grosvenor
- Clinical Ophthalmology: (A Systematic Approach) by Jack J. Kanski
- The Neuro-Ophthalmology Survival Guide by Anthony Pane
- Optometry: Science, Techniques and Clinical Management by Edwards, Logan, Nicola, Rosenfield, Mark