A Career in Optometry | Career in Optometrist Is Easy, Good Job Will Get Good Salary

There are many students and candidates who want to become a doctor. And also, specifically, they are just interested in the biology of an EYE. For students and candidates who want to become Optometrist, we are here again with a knowledgeable article for you all.

There is a lot of scope in building up a career in Optometry. There are great and unlimited opportunities in India as well as abroad. That is why choosing Optometry as a career is a very good option for young candidates.

Building up a career in Optometry is not easy, and if you are looking for the right piece of information about a Career in Optometry, then keep on reading the article.

In this article, you will get to know about how to build up a Career in Optometry and what is exactly a career in Optometry. You will also get to know about Job Prospects in the field of Optometry.

What is Optometry? & Who are Optometrists?

The word Optometry is derived from two Greek words namely- opsis & metron. The word Opsis means “view” and the word Metron means “something used to measure”.

Optometry is a specialized health care profession. Optometry is a prominent field of the medical profession; it is the study of physiology and the pathology of the eye.

A person who is in the field of Optometry is involved in the process of measuring vision, prescribing and fitting lenses to improve vision, and detecting & treating various eye diseases.

The person who studies Optometry is known as Optometrists. Optometrists were formerly known as ophthalmic opticians. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide extensive primary eye care. An Optometrist examines eye structures for abnormalities or defects.

Basically, Optometrists are trained as self-reliant superior healthcare specialists. They are licensed to detect, diagnose & prescribe medication for the treatment of any disorders or diseases related to the visual system or to the eyes. Optometrists were formerly known as ophthalmic opticians.

All optometrists have to pass rigorous nationally administered exams to earn their license to practice.

How to become an Optometrist?

For students who wish to pursue a career in Optometry, have to keep in mind a few things.  Making yourself eligible to take admission into the Optometrist course a candidate has to: –

The first step for becoming an Optometrist is: –

• A student has to clear his or her class 12th with a minimum percentage of 50, with a science stream that can be- PCM (physics, chemistry, and mathematics) or even PCB (physics, chemistry, and biology).
• For pursuing a career in the field of Optometry, Physics is a compulsory subject.

The second step for becoming an Optometrist is: –

• A student has to appear for various entrance exams available in the country. Some of the famous exams are: –
  1. BVP EYECET– Bharati Vidyapeeth University EYECET.
  2. AIIMS Entrance Exam
  3. CMC– Christian Medical College Examination

Courses Available in Optometry

There are various types of courses available in the field of Optometry: –

Certificate Course – certificate course in Optometry is of 1-year duration.

Diploma Courses – for a Diploma course, a candidate has passed class 12th with the eligibility criteria required.

Bachelor Degree Courses –

Optometry (B.Opto)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)

The duration of Bachelor’s Degree courses is 4 years.

Master Degree Courses –

Master of Optometry (M.Opto)

Master of Science (M.Sc)

M.A/ M.Sc. (5-year Integrated) Courses

For master’s degree courses, a candidate has to complete his or her graduation in the same field.

Also, An Optometrist can pursue an M. S, M.Phil, Ph.D. or OD (Doctor of Optometry) degree after completion of a Bachelor in Optometry.

Top Colleges of Optometry in India

There are many colleges that provide education in Optometry, but some top colleges are: –

1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
2. All India Management Association
3. Bharati Vidyapeeth University
4. Birla Institute of Tech. Science, Pilani
5. Government Medical College, Nagpur
6. Government Medical College and Hospital, Surat
7. Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati
8. Medical College, Patiala
9. Grewal Eye Institute, Chandigarh
10. Punjab Medical College, Amritsar
11. Patna Medical College, Patna

Career Opportunities In Optometry

There are various opportunities in the field of Optometry, candidates can choose to pursue the following fields: –

1. Ophthalmologist: – He or she is a medical doctor, basically a physician. He/she is a specialist in the surgical and medical care of the eye & vision system. Ophthalmologists offer customers complete eye care services.

2. Optometrist: – An Optometrist is not a physician but is a medical professional. The optometrist examines the external and internal structure of the human eyes. The main focus of an optometrist is on regular vision care. They prescribe contacts & eyeglasses. Optometrists can also work as: –

• Hospital Optometrist
• Domiciliary Optometrist

3. Optician: – An optician is not an eye doctor. An optician is a technician who is trained to design and verify fit eyeglass frames & lenses, contact lenses, and other devices which are used for correcting the eyesight of an individual.

4. Researcher: – A researcher is a person who does Doctorate in Optometry. The work of a researcher is to actively do research on various topics such as new eye-related diseases & research their cure.

5. Bio metrist: –  Bio metrist calculates the patient’s Intraocular Lens & Intraocular lens power. They are responsible to measure the curvature and the axial length of the corneal and suggest to the clients whether contract surgery is needed or not.

6. Practitioner of Contact Lens: –  If a student is pursuing practice in the field of Optometry, as an optometrist, he or she can work as an Occupational optometrist or as a Low vision care practitioner.

Top Job Profiles Available In The Field Of Optometrists

There are various job profiles available, but some of the most famous and top one are as follow: –

1. Private Practitioner
2. Trainee Optometrist
3. Vision Consultant
4. Customer Care Associate
5. Optometry Researcher
6. Professor
7. Vision Consultant

Salary Package of an Optometrist

Starting salary package of an optometrist is somewhere around Rs. 5 lakh per annum to Rs. 6 lakh per annum. However, it is completely based on an individual’s knowledge and skills. Also, the salary package increases with the increase in inexperience.