What is an Oculist?
An oculist is the general name given to a medical professional that specializes in caring for the eyes. An oculist may be strictly an optometrist or may be an ophthalmologist depending on their training. An oculist trained to identify and treat diseases and defects of the eyes as they pertain to a medical condition is an ophthalmologist . An oculist trained to identify defects of the eye that affect vision and prescribe corrective lenses to correct vision problems is an optometrist. Though an oculist is trained to administer eye exams, their specific medical duties vary depending upon their area of training and their specialty. While an optometrist specializes only in identifying defects in vision and prescribing corrective lenses, an ophthalmologist specializes in all areas of eye health. An optometrist, for example, would not perform eye surgery or treat an eye injury, while an ophthalmologist would. Though the areas in which an oculist may specialize are optometry and ophthalmology,
Related Questions
- If I am working under the supervision of an optometrist or ophthalmologist, can I dispense medications or perform an eye examination if I have completed a refraction course?
- Can an optometrist release my contact lens prescription if I had an eye examination for contact lenses but haven’t completed the fitting process?
- My optometrist recommends an eye examination every year, but the Fund covers only one every two years. Why?
