Optometrist – Career Introduction, Job Outlook

Optometrist - Career Introduction, Job Outlook

Are you having a tough time trying to decide on a career, we at www.JobDiagnosis.com offer you the chance to take a decision easily, just try the <career test> or the <career assessment test>. It is much easier to choose if you know what your aptitudes are and can get a clue as to which option best suits your personality type. If you are considering optometry, well, we have to say that it is a good choice. Optometrists test, diagnose, manage and treat diseases of the eye. They help people cope with injuries and other abnormalities related to the eye.

Optometrists

Optometrist or Doctors of Optometry examine and test eyes to diagnose vision related problems, detect systemic conditions that affect eyes, prescribe medicines and methods of treatment including surgery. They are responsible for the pre and post operative care of the patients while they cannot actually perform surgeries. They prescribe glasses and contact lenses, recommend laser surgery for correcting vision. They check patient's eyes to determine their visual acuity, and analyze their depth and color perception. They may rehabilitate patients with low vision problems. They must not be confused with dispensing opticians or ophthalmologists. Dispensing opticians just help patients in the selection and fitting of eyeglasses and contact lenses. Ophthalmologists are eye doctors, diagnose, treat, manage and correct eye-related disorders and who also perform surgery on patients  Most of them are general practitioners but some of them may specialize in areas such as family practice optometry, pediatric optometry, geriatric optometry or contact lenses. They can also specialize in ocular disease, vision therapy, binocular vision, sports vision, environmental/occupational vision, hospital-based optometry or primary care optometry. If you are unsure if this is the right choice for you, take up the <career test> or <career personality test> at www.JobDiagnosis.com.  These <free career tests> can give you the confidence to make informed decisions.

Education

Students have to complete 3 years of undergraduate study at an accredited educational institution before they can take up the 4-year program of optometry at an accredited and reputed institution. Students need to ensure that the program have been approved and accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education of the American Optometric Association. In order to practice, students with a Doctor of Optometry degree needs to pass a written as well as clinical examination conducted by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. In some states, they are required to pass an examination relevant to state laws. You can take the <career test> at www.JobDiagnosis.com or try the <career assessment test>. It could provide you with more insight about your aptitudes and interests.

Job Description

Optometrists treat patients with problems like corneal abrasions and ulcers. They help patients with dysfunctioning ocular mechanisms, poor vision, far and near sightedness. The also diagnose and treat patients who have eye-disorders related to other disease conditions such as hypertension and high diabetes. They also work in partnership with ophthalmologists in caring for patients before and after eye surgery. Optometrist may take up individual practice, group practice or work in health maintenance organizations. Some work as consultants, some take up research, some are interested in becoming instructors. Optometrists need to have very good interpersonal and communication skills. They must be analytical thinkers that can solve problems, and have empathy for the patients. They must be able to work under pressure. Try the <career test> at www.JobDiagnosis.com today. The <free career tests> will hardly take a few minutes of your time.

Job Outlook

Optometrists held about 33,000 jobs in the year 2006. It is estimated that a quarter of them are self-employed. The mean annual income of self-employed optometrists was about $175,000 in the year 2007, those in mid-sized group practice earned about $179,000 and those who worked for organizations made about $100,000. The job outlook is good as the employment growth rate during 2006-2012 is projected at 11% which is about as fast as the average growth rate of all other occupations as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Optometrists. There will be a demand for optometrists as the geriatric population increases and as more people invest in insurance, which will cover the cost of visiting an optometrist. There is also an increase in the number of people who suffer from conditions such as hypertension and diabetes as earl as in their 30's and 40's. There will a shortage in fact as not many educational institutions offer student accredited programs in this field of study.  Students can take up the <career personality test> or the <online career test> at www.JobDiagnosis.com to find out more about their aptitudes and interests. You can take the <career test> at any time that you find convenient, as the website is operational 24/7, 365 days.

Students who take up this field will find it to be a most rewarding career option. They get to perform service while not being too stressed out themselves. The pay is good and increases with their experience. Take the <career test> at  www.JobDiagnosis.com, learn all you can about various career options before you decide to choose one of them. It is better to make a decision after you know as much as you can about a chosen profession and after you are sure about your choice. Some students get influenced by choices made by their friends or take up programs that their parents recommend, this can be a recipe for disaster. We recommend that you choose a profession based solely on your aptitude for it. Sometimes people choose a profession that does not offer them much in terms of money or growth. If you take tests and know more about yourself choosing the right career for you will not be such a hard task afterall.