Becoming an
Optometrist
To earn their
doctor of optometry (O.D.) degree, optometry students need
to complete a four-year post-graduate degree program.
Preparing
for Medical School
According to
the Association of Schools and Colleges of
Optometry (ASCO), most
students who are accepted by a school or college of
optometry have completed an undergraduate degree. Each
of the schools/colleges has its own undergraduate
prerequisites so it is important to check with the
institutions of your choice. However, ASCO recommends
that prospective optometry students take
pre-professional courses in biology, chemistry, organic
chemistry, general physics and microbiology, plus
English, college mathematics and other social science
and humanities courses.
Optometry
School
Coursework
varies from program to program. Typically, the first two
years focus on the basic health sciences (e.g., anatomy,
physiology, pathology, pharmacology) as well as optics, and
vision science. Students begin learning diagnostic and
treatment strategies by practicing on each other in
clinical simulation laboratories.
In the third year of optometry school, students in most
programs spend part of their time in the classroom and part
of their time in clinics examining and caring for patients.
Fourth year students spend most of their time learning
under the supervision of faculty in clinical settings, such
as clinics, hospitals, and private practices.
Postgraduate
Education
All 50 states
require that Doctors of Optometry take continuing education
courses to be eligible for license renewal. Currently about
10 percent of the graduates of optometry schools
participate in a yearlong optometric residency program. A
growing number of organizations, especially teaching
institutions, hospitals and co-management clinics, want
optometrists with this kind of advanced training.
This
article was originally published in the Summer 2008 issue
of
Winds of Change.
The cover artist, Brent Greenwood, Chicakasaw/Ponca, lives
in Edmond, Oklahoma.