Regular eye exams help maintain good vision and keep eyes healthy. Most eye care providers perform vision screenings and general eye care. However, if a person has a medical eye condition or a family history of eye disease, it is important to choose the right eye care provider. Knowing the different types of eye doctors may help in this decision process.
Optometrist
Optometrists, or doctors of optometry, have the training to "examine, diagnose, treat and manage disorders that affect the eye or vision," says the American Optometric Association. Optometrists do not have a medical degree, but they do have extensive education, concentrating on the eye's structure and function, as well as conditions that affect the eye, during the four years of study for a doctoral degree in optometry. However, optometrists do not have medical degrees, and they have a limited number of eye conditions they can treat, notes the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Many optometrists focus on prescribing glasses or contact lenses, and refer patients with medical eye conditions to an ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologist
After four years of undergraduate study, becoming an ophthalmologist requires "four years of medical school, one or more years of general medical or surgical training and three or more years in a hospital-based eye residency program," lists the American Academy of Ophthalmology. As a result, ophthalmologists have a medical degree, and may treat all eye conditions and perform surgical procedures.
Specialists
Some ophthalmologists have specialized education in certain areas of eye care. Typically specialists do not perform routine eye exams, but they see patients based on diagnosis and referrals from eye doctors. Retina specialists, for example, diagnose, treat and repair conditions in the back of the eye. Ophthalmologists may specialize in many areas, such as corneal disease, ocular oncology and glaucoma, says University of North Carolina's Department of Ophthalmology.
References
- American Optometric Association: Doctors of Optometry and their Education
- Eye Care America/The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology: What is an Ophthalmologist?
- The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Dept of Ophthalmology: Clinical Specialties
- American Academy of Ophthalmology: A Practical Guide to Ophthalmology as a Career Choice
