{"id":16831,"date":"2025-06-23T16:18:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T20:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/?page_id=16831"},"modified":"2025-06-23T16:18:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T20:18:52","slug":"optometry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/prehealth\/optometry\/","title":{"rendered":"Optometry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What does an optometrist do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOptometrists are independent, primary health care providers for the eye. They examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures as well as identify related systemic conditions affecting the eye\u201d (ASCO<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More specifically, they can prescribe medications, vision therapy, glasses and contacts, and even perform certain surgical procedures.<\/p>\n\n\nOPtometry FAq’s<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Join the Pre-Health Community<\/h2>

Interested in pursuing Optometry as a career? Complete our Handshake survey to be added to our newsletter and Brightspace resource page, Pre-Health Connect.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

join now<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Choosing This Field<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When exploring whether optometry is the right profession for you, make sure to look at various resources to inform you about careers, engage in self reflection regularly, and seek out relevant clinical and service experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has many helpful resources to help explore the field, including the Become a Future Eye Doctor<\/a> page, their Optometry Career Guide.pdf<\/a> and \u201cTrue Stories.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Optometrist Association also offers some helpful resources for exploration of the field, including Studying Optometry<\/a> and Career Pathways<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Optometry is Separate from Medical School<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Optometry is a distinct healthcare profession focused on vision care and the health of the eyes. Students interested in becoming optometrists attend optometry school, where they earn the Doctor of Optometry (OD)<\/strong> degree through a four-year professional program following their undergraduate education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike medical school\u2014which trains students to become physicians (MDs or DOs)\u2014optometry school provides specialized education in eye examinations, vision testing, prescribing corrective lenses, detecting eye diseases, and providing non-surgical treatments for many ocular conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While optometrists are trained to manage certain eye diseases (like glaucoma or infections), they do not perform surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to understand the difference between an Optometrist (OD) and an Ophthalmologist (MD\/DO):<\/p>\n\n\n\n