An eye doctor or an optometrist is a specialized healthcare professional who helps prevent and helps correct visual disorders. Being an eye doctor is quite demanding, and it takes about eight years to become a fully-fledged optometrist. The eye is one of the most complex organs in the human body, and it requires a lot of expertise to take preventive or corrective action.
To become an eye doctor, one has to undergo four years of a bachelors degree program from a recognized institution of higher learning. The undergraduate course should be in a related field such as biology. After graduation, you will then need to get into an optometry degree program which will culminate in you acquiring a Doctor of Optometry degree program. Not many colleges offer an optometry program, so it is very competitive to get in. In the United States, only 23 schools are certified to provide optometry courses. Therefore, you require eight years of education to become an eye doctor.
First and foremost, your school needs to be accredited as a provider of optometry courses. Once you graduate, every time you are asked for your degree, it will have to be confirmed. Once that is determined, you will have to apply for a license from the state so that you can start practicing as an eye doctor. If all goes well, it should not take long for you to receive your license. You have to complete and pass state and national examinations to qualify for a license. As an eye doctor, you will need to continue to further your education even after you start practicing so that you may be able to renew your license every couple of years.
An optometrist is like any other specialized health care provider and can undergo residency before they start to practice. The residency will provide you with actual work experience which will give you an insight of what to expect in the future. You can go for an internship after graduation too in preparation for starting your practice. An internship can provide certain advantages such as special training and can help you form some long term relationships.
Discussed above are primarily technical qualifications that one needs to possess to become an eye doctor, but there is a lot more to becoming an optometrist. In most cases, an eye doctor will not be part of a hospital but will need to open their practice. A doctors practice is their business, and the requisite skills to running a successful business should be present. An eye doctor should be an excellent manager.
A practice will typically have a secretary and an assistant so that the doctor will be responsible for the care and compensation of his employees. He\she should also be proficient in bookkeeping. An eye doctor should be able to communicate effectively with staff and customers. Customer service is vital to any business. They should be able to improve their business acumen as well as their technical expertise.
The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics states that optometry has a dazzling future. A lot of growth is expected in the industry, and it will be a larger contributor to employment in the coming decade. As more people age and with evolving health issues, there should be plenty of opportunity for professionals in optometry in the country. Also, more employers are including visual care as part of their employees insurance cover. The median earnings for the industry are estimated at over $100,000 which is above average. Becoming an eye doctor is quite promising and will continue to be so.