Hello MD’s and DO’s,
I’m Eric and I am new in “OPM”, I am a semester away from completing a opticanry program and about to transfer to a four year college for premed. I decided to attempt to go to medical school to become an Ophthalmologist. I was deciding between Optometry and Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology won me over. Would any Ophthalmologist be so kind as to explain to me the true differences between Optometry and Ophthalmology besides the surgery part of Ophthalmology; unfortunately, I am unable to find any other difference between the two and I know there has to be some major differences.
Thank you Doctors!
While I am neither, I do refer to both and can tell you the difference as I see it. An Optometrist is primarily concerned with vision and the external devices that augment it such as glasses and contact lenses, although they may perform laser eye surgery in Oklahoma only. An ophthalmologist is concerned with any conditions that affect the eye and surrounding tissues. While I know several very good optometrists that I refer to for changes in their vision prescription, I would utilize an ophthalmologist for the more serious pathology that occasionally presents itself. Just my two cents…Jaysun