Optometrist training

With modern advances in medical technology, our ability to detect many diseases of eye has improved, and the American Center of Ophthalmology reports that many sight threatening diseases can actually be prevented and cured if they are caught in time. This is one of the reasons that everyone should be sure to find an optometrist and see him or her regularly, especially those people at higher risk for disorders of the eye. People in high risk categories include anyone with diabetes, and they are more susceptible to problems like glaucoma and cataracts. People over 50 years of age should also be sure to check in with the eye doctor more often, as over 1.5 million people in the United States over 50 has age related macular degeneration.

If you are looking into finding a new eye doctor but don’t know how to start or where to go, one of the first things you should consider is what level of care you need. Some eye doctors have optometrist training that qualifies them only to perform routine checkups, while others are specially certified to diagnose and treat serious eye diseases. It is important that you find someone who has optometrist training that is commensurate with your needs, because you don’t want to consult a professional who is not adequately trained to care for your eye problems. If you want to know more about finding an eye doctor, including how to find the best one in your community, keep reading for some tips that should help you get started.

    1. Conduct an online search for eye doctors in your area
    This is the first step, because it will give you a good idea of how many people are available and how far you will have to travel for eye care.

    2. Find out about pricing plans
    You should ask a few offices what their prices are for services like regular checkups, glasses or contacts, and more involved procedures like caring for any eye disorders. There can be a substantial difference in price, so you will definitely want to talk to several office.

    3. Ask your primary care doctor for recommendations
    You should ask your doctor for a list of people he or she is familiar with, because this is a good way to get someone who is trusted and respected in the medical community. If you don’t want to go see your doctor, just call the office and they should be able to help you out.

    4. Check out professional organizations for accredited optometrists in your area
    You can go online to professional eye doctor websites and find a list of local doctors in your area that are approved by their organization.

    5. Find out if your top choice has sufficient optometrist training
    This is key — as mentioned above, not all eye doctors specialize in the same thing, so make sure you get someone who knows how to treat your eye conditions.

    6. Make sure their office accepts your insurance
    It can be pretty hard on your budget if you are required to pay out of pocket, so make sure your chosen office will work with your insurance plan. You may need to call your insurance company to verify that you have vision coverage. See this link for more references.