How is an Ophthalmologist different from an Optometrist and an Optician?
An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor with specialty training in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. An ophthalmologist’s training consists of college, 4 years of medical school, and 3 to 4 years in a residency program specializing in medical and surgical eye care. An Optometrist prescribes glasses and contact lenses, but is not a medical doctor, and does not treat all eye diseases nor do eye surgery. An Optician is a specialist in the fitting and production of glasses.
I am a Board Certified Optometrist in the State of Florida. I also hold a license in the State of Kentucky. I have personally had 4 years of college, 4 years of optometry school, and two years of residency, (10 years in total) one of which at the #1 eye hospital in the world (Bascom Palmer Eye in Miami, Florida) where I trained directly with Ophthalmologists that write the textbooks that all other Ophthalmologists learn from. I personally diagnose and treat eye disease, prescribe medications, perform minor surgical procedures, prescribe glasses and contact lenses, educate patients with regards to their diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, blood thinning management, strokes, tumors, epilepsy…..ALSO, most Optometrists will complete the ENTIRE comprehensive eye exam by themselves (personal care) whereas with the Ophthalmologist a technician will complete the majority (90%) of the exam, writes the glasses prescription, etc. Basically, a GOOD optometrist can do EVERYTHING (sometimes better) than an Ophthalmologist (MD) can do….with exception of taking you to an operating room and performing surgery under Sedation. I hope I have helped to clear the muddy waters that so many "high-brow" MD types tend to depict of us.
