Keep an Eye on the Growing Number of Optometric Assistants
The job market for optometric assistants is growing in leaps and bounds.
As the baby boomers age, they are more likely to visit optometrists because
of vision problems that set in during middle age. People are also developing
vision problems due to computer use.
Laser surgery and the growth of the contact lens industry has made becoming
an optometric assistant a hot ticket.
"There seems to be a bigger interest in the field because of these new
products and technologies," says Darlene Byrd. She is the manager of the
paraoptometric section and commission on paraoptometric certification for
the American Optometric Association.
What is an Optometric Assistant?
An optometric assistant is another term for an optometrist's assistant.
Sometimes they're called paraoptometric assistants or paraprofessionals.
An assistant's tasks are usually less extensive than those of an optometric
technician, which is the next step up training-wise. Duties for an optometric
assistant vary greatly, though, depending on the doctor for whom he or she
works.
According to an optometrists' association, assistants might repair glasses
and help patients choose lenses and frames. They might show people how to
use contact lenses and other special devices. Assistants also do preliminary
testing on patients and help the optometrist during exams.
In large practices, assistants may specialize in contact lenses, vision
therapy, chair-side assistance, spectacle fabrication and dispensing, or office
administration.
Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist
Many people get the terms optometrist and ophthalmologist mixed up. An
ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who can perform surgery and prescribe
medicine. They can treat eye diseases and injuries.
An optometrist concentrates on keeping patients' eyes healthy and making
sure they see better.
"I think there's a push by the medical community, the government and insurance
companies all over North America to send people to optometrists like a family
doctor and then to send them on to ophthalmology as the specialists," says
Terry Theiss. He is the continuing education facilitator for an optometric
assistant course.
Shelley Warrick is an optometric assistant in Bend, Oregon. "For a long
time, a lot of people thought optometrists weren't as good as ophthalmologists,"
she says.
"But our office does a more thorough eye exam than the ophthalmologist.
We do a lot more pre-screening tests with different equipment than an ophthalmologist."
How to Get Started
You can get a job as an optometric assistant without any training. But
your salary and responsibilities will go up if you are trained.
A popular route for training is to get a national certification through
the American Optometric Association (AOA).
Byrd says the AOA's program is growing very rapidly. "There was a trend
earlier where the staff were the ones initiating the phone calls and paying
for their own certification," she says.
"Now I'm seeing that reversed, where the optometrists are requesting and
demanding that their staff be certified if they want to continue to work there."
The AOA's program consists of three levels, each of which takes six months.
There are also several programs associated with optometry schools or through
vocational and technical schools.
The Details
Most paraoptometric employees work for optometrists engaged in private
practice. Some are employed in clinics, government agencies, health maintenance
organizations and various branches of the armed services.
The career is a good one for people who want flexibility. There are many
part-time and full-time opportunities. Because the entire population needs
eye care, you can take your career to a variety of cities and towns.
Many assistants find this service profession both stimulating and rewarding.
"I've heard many stories over the years where an optometric assistant was
part of the process of detecting a tumor behind the eye," Byrd says. "Also,
a person fitting somebody with their first pair of glasses who is stunned
with the difference with what they can see now."
Links
American Optometric Association
Learn more about its paraoptometric certification program
Eye Care Info
Read the latest in eye health
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