Ask a Health Professional (715) 732-2101 3003 Cleveland Avenue Marinette, WI Andrew Congdon, OD. Doctor of Optometry [INSIGHT VISION CENTER Question: Vhat is the difference between eve care providers. 0 pticians, contact lenses, or ocular diseases Optometrists are doctors who can · Ophthalmologists are treat and manage most eye disease Optometrists, all names for people nduding glaucoma,macular ho work in the eye care business. degeneration, diabetic exams, and Since their names and jobs seem eye infections. Optometrists are not to know similar, it can be what each one is ar three is the amount of schooling that they attend, and what the state will Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who can perform surgen allow each onetodo. on the eye. They also start out at an Opticians are who you will likely undergraduate school for four years to usually in sciences like ey then go onto medical have the most contact with Theyget a degree es. Opticians can have a varying done with medical school,theygoint schooling business. Thereis norequired degree specialize in their area of expertise for needed for this profession, but there four more years. Ophthalmologist are alot ofthingsthat mustbe learned often specialize in particular areas of before someoñe becomes proficient the eye, like the comea glaucoma, or the retinafor another one ortwo years. athis job. Optometrists are doctors who have one to eight years of college. They is around 14 years. The totalschooling for ophthalmology are the art out with an undergraduate are capable of doing everything that degree, usually in biology or other optometrists do, and they can also sciences After that, they will go perform surgeries to a dedicated optometry school for another four years to get their Ophthal ften Optometrists and they leam about not only the eyes, The optometrist can fnd th for the best treatment of a patient required to have a certain number of hours in pharmacoloqy to allow them to prescribe medications to treat removed The ophthalmologist will remove the cataract, and often send diseases. Aftertheireightyears, some them back to the optometrist for ecidetogoontoaresidencyprogram glasses and follow up care. This keeps or another year to learn more about costs down for the patient and keeps a particular field in optometry, lke what is called continuity of care