Optometry Courses & Job Prospects

By Paula Mukherjee 

 

Optometrists play a vital role in avoiding blindness in people by detecting it at the primary level. Want to become an Optometrist? Go through the list of Optometry courses on offer and job profiles that you can pursue.

 

Optometry Courses & Job Prospects

Did you know that globally 36 million people are blind and 253 million people are visually impaired? India alone contributes to almost a quarter of this total 36 million blind. The leading causes of blindness are uncorrected refractive error and cataract, and these can be avoided if detected early.

Ophthalmologists are Eye-Surgeons having a doctorate degree in medicine, who can medically treat eye diseases and perform surgery.

Optometrists, according to the World Council of Optometry, are primary health care practitioners of the eye, who provide comprehensive eye and vision care, which includes refraction and dispensing, detection/diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system.

Why Optometry?

Optometrists play a vital role in avoiding blindness by detecting it at the primary level rather than treatment.

There are significant challenges for eye health with the increasing avoidable blindness and visual impairment, and optometrists are the best to answer these challenges by providing a range of diagnostic, technical and direct patient care and support service required by the patients and other health care professions. 

Optometry Courses

Optometry is a health course which includes three years of theory and one year of extensive internship. Students with 12^th science background, preferably Biology, Physics and Chemistry can apply for this four year degree course. The course is recognised by the University Grant Commission as Bachelor of Optometry (BOptom). In case students are interested in attaining higher degrees then they can also pursue Master’s and PhD programmes in Optometry. Both Indian universities as well as International universities provide the Master’s and PhD degrees.

In Optometry course students get to learn basic human anatomy, physiology, details about ‘The Eye’, a part of pharmacology, optics – both physical and geometrical and biochemistry. Going forward to the second year they get to learn more about refractive errors, dispensing, eye diseases and correction methods like spectacles or contact lenses. In the third year more details about detection , diagnosis of different eye ailments are taught , specialities like Contact lenses, low vision aids, binocular vision assessment etc are taught. The internship happens to be in an eye hospital, where students are exposed to the practical application of whatever is taught in theory, under supervision.

Job Prospects in Optometry

A career as an Optometrist can be very fulfilling as it provides a wide scope for employment. Optometrists can:

1. Have an independent set-up or work in a joint practice along with an Ophthalmologist
2. Become an educator or head of an educational institute
3. Contribute to an eye care institution
4. Be a member of professional services in corporate organization
5. Become a researcher in basic science and clinical research
6. Join the central or state government hospitals and health centres

Currently the profession of Optometry is not regulated by the government of India and is guided by professional bodies like Indian Optometry Federation, Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and Optometry Council of India, as the political, educational and self-regulatory bodies for the profession.

About the Author:

Paula Mukherjee completed her Bachelor of Optometry (2006) from NSHM College of Management and Technology, West Bengal and is currently an Operations Manager at Optometry Council of India. She has an overall experience of 12 years in the field of Retail Operations, Team Building, Training/ Coaching, dispensing spectacles and contact lenses and is an ASCO educator for Dispensing Optics.