Optometrist

1. Optometrist By: Christopher Etienne & Atiqur Khan Period: 2 4/7/14

2. What is a optometry? • The practice of profession of examining the eyes for visual defects and prescribing corrective lenses. • Optometrists are doctors of optometry. They are the major providers of primary vision care in the united states.

3. Work Environment • Most optometrists work in stand-alone offices of optometry. Others work in doctors offices, retail stores, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. • Optometrists may wear lab coats, but sometimes they wear business-casual clothes, such as khakis, a button-down shirt and a tie (men), or a simple skirt or pants and a blouse (women).

4. Daily Routine • Most full-time Optometrists work about 40 hours a week. Many work Saturdays and evenings to suit the needs of patients. • On a typical day, an Optometrist will: • Examine people’s eyes • Test eye coordination • Prescribes eyeglasses and contact lenses • Diagnose conditions due to systemic diseases

5. Daily Routine (continuation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhdeagg1ELY • Where do a optometrist perform their work? QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VIDEO

6. Qualification - Education • Becoming an optician requires a high school diploma or an approved GED equivalent, followed by formal education and training or an apprenticeship. • Prospective opticians who take the apprenticeship path are required to undergo a 2 to 4 year period of on-the-job training under the supervision of a licensed optician. • Basic examination in each area consists of 125 multiple-choice questions.

7. Qualifications – Licensure/Certifications • Licensing and certification requirements for dispensing opticians vary from state to state. State licenses are issued after successful completion of a practical or written examination and some states may require both. Some states prefer applicants to have an associate’s degree or an apprenticeship of 2 to 4 years. • Opticians can qualify for voluntary certification by two nationally recognized professional organizations: • American Board of Opticianry (ABO) • National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE)

8. Important Qualities • Good People Skills • Opticians work closely with customers of all ages, from young children to senior citizens. • You have to obtain the ability to make customers feel at ease. • Patience • Focus • Steady Hand • Accuracy

9. Salary • The average annual wage for an optician is $115,327. However, salaries range from $94,719 to $146,772. • New Jersey and Connecticut have higher average salaries than those in other parts of the country.

10. Job Outlook • Employment of optometrists is projected to grow 24 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Because vision problems tend to occur more frequently later in life, an aging population will require more optometrists.

11. Minorities in the field • Dr. Robert Morrison, of Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, was one of the pioneers in the creation of soft contact lenses. Morrison, an optometrists and Harrisburg native, became known as the eye doctor of the rich and famous. • Bill Cosby visited his home Along with Saudi Arabian prince.