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General Description

This is an ideal career for logical and analytical thinkers. Optometrists mostly provide vision care. They examine people’s eyes in order to diagnose vision problems and eye diseases, and to test patients’ visual acuity, depth and colour perception, and ability to focus and coordinate the eyes.

You prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses, and provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation. You may also prescribe relevant drugs, and provide preoperative and postoperative care to cataract patients, as well as patients who have had laser vision correction or other eye surgery.

What you do every day

Most optometrists are private practitioners and patient consultations (up to 20 a day) account for most of your time. With the support of administrative staff you can also handle the business aspects of running an office, such as developing a patient base, hiring employees, keeping records, and ordering equipment and supplies. You will generally work relatively long hours and the concentration can be intense. Some, however, work in a flexible part time capacity.

Personality that best fits this occupation

Business ability, self-discipline and the ability to deal tactfully with patients are important for success, so good interpersonal skills are essential. You also need to be able to apply yourself to hard work and long hours. As you are ‘up close and personal’ to patients, your personal & oral hygiene must be without question at all times. The work of optometrists requires attention to detail and manual dexterity. You are able to assess each patient in an analytical and logical manner, with each patient being different to the other.

Best thing about this career

The career future is bright as demand will always be driven by the ageing population. You work with interesting people in low stress environments and don’t take work home. The financial rewards are above average and you don’t get burnt out like many other medical related careers.

Worst thing about this career

As it is linked to a retail environment too often your schedule is determined by the patients’ availability which often cuts into evenings and weekends. Many consider Optometry to be a mid level medical career which does not provide sufficient financial return for the financial cost of the degree and the time spent in school. Other medical careers are more lucrative. Optometrists generally have long careers, retiring late, and so there is less opportunity to buy or start your own practice.

Technology dictates at least $400,000 capital cost is needed which is tough to raise in difficult economic times. Increasing dominance of corporate and franchise operations are barriers to starting up an independent practice.