Optometrist
Optometrist
29-1041.00
Median wages
$106,850
Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.
- Examine eyes, using observation, instruments and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities such as glaucoma or color blindness.
- Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses and other vision aids.
- Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
- Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
- Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
- Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.
- Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements and safety factors.
- Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
- Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
- Provide vision therapy and low vision rehabilitation.
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.
- Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Accounting software — Intuit QuickBooks
- Calendar and scheduling software — Scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software — Microsoft Access ; Microsoft SQL Server
- Medical software — First Insight MaximEyes; HealthLine Systems Eyecom; Universal Software Solutions VersaVision; VisionScience Software Acuity Pro
- Word processing software — Microsoft Word
