How to Become an Eye Doctor?

An eye doctor is professionally known as an optometrist and is a highly skilled professional required to undergo very nearly the same degree of educational and testing requirements as medical doctors. Optometrists receive the doctor of optometry (OD) degree upon graduation from an accredited school of optometry, and have to pass a national board exam in order to be licensed to practice.

The first step towards becoming an eye doctor is to attend and graduate a four year degree granting undergraduate institution. Coursework taken should include upper level courses in science and mathematics, and it is advisable to obtain a degree in a scientific major such as pre-med or biochemistry in order to have the best chances of being accepted to a school of optometry.

There are fewer than twenty accredited schools of optometry in the United States, so an eye doctor is actually one of a small number of individuals practicing in her specialty. These programs are intensive and require skill in chemistry, Biology, and mathematics in order to pass. An optometry program takes four years, and at the successful conclusion of the program a student is awarded the doctor of optometry degree.

And the requirements to become a licensed eye doctor do not end there. Next on the budding optometrist’s plate are the national board examinations, offered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. This exam is a difficult test requiring skill in patient care, vision science, and general medical science. These boards are a dreaded but necessary part of licensing, and those who pass their boards can count themselves among a uniquely qualified few.

The road to becoming an eye doctor does not end there. Even when licensed, it is necessary for an optometrist to participate in continuing education, and must earn a minimum number of credits per year. And perhaps one of the more difficult parts of the career is choosing the initial career path. It is highly advisable that a beginning optometrist do a six month or yearlong rotation in a hospital as a way to ascertain the best optometry sub-specialty for them.

A rewarding and challenging profession, becoming an eye doctor is a difficult yet rewarding achievement.