To see the world through the eyes of an optometrist, you must go to school. But, this doesn’t need to be a daunting task to accomplish. Assessing and correcting vision and preventing blindness is an important responsibility — one that must be trained for properly.

In the simplest terms, an optometrist is a type of eye doctor who provides general eye care to patients. This type of eye doctor:

• Evaluates a patient’s vision through testing
• Diagnosis conditions like farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism
• Gives patients eye therapy to improve vision
• Finds eye injuries that require treatment
• Prescribes corrective lenses
• Prescribes eye medications

Does this sound like a role you’d be interested in studying? Continue reading to learn more about becoming an optometrist at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). Use this blog as your guide to all things optometry. We’ll go over how long optometry school is, what students can anticipate, and the various styles of optometry.

What can an optometry student expect?

To become a licensed optometrist, you must complete a pre-professional undergraduate education in a college or university and go through an additional four years of professional education at a college of optometry, earning a Doctor of Optometry degree.

Optometry through your seven years at MCPHS

At MCPHS, we offer excellent training for students pursuing a career in eye care. If you’re coming as an undergraduate, you’ll start by getting your Bachelor of Science in Premedical Health Sciences — Optometry pathway (BS/OD). This three-year program enables you to earn a Bachelor of Science in just three years. After completing the undergraduate program, you’ll begin the Doctor of Optometry (OD) program — a full-time, four-year degree program. In total, you’ll be able to gain the necessary schooling in only seven years, which is less than the average eight years that other colleges often offer.

1. Bachelor of Science in Premedical Health Studies — Optometry pathway

Before diving into the world of optometry, you must have a firm understanding of the sciences and humanities necessary to move on to the professional phase of your training. Here’s what you can expect from your three years in the Bachelor of Science in Premedical Health Sciences program.

• Year one: you’ll take several foundational classes like biology and chemistry.
• Year two: you’ll be able to take electives and study organic chemistry and physics.
• Year three: you’ll look at healthcare ethics, and study advanced anatomy, cellular biochemistry, physiology, medical microbiology, and physics. You’ll interview for admission into the Doctor of Optometry program.

2. Pass the Optometry Admission Test

Taking part in an optometry program requires you to pass the Optometry Admission Test. This computerized exam evaluates what you’ve learned throughout your undergraduate experience, including science knowledge, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.

As part of your application for the MCPHS Doctor of Optometry program, you’ll have to submit a copy of your results from this exam after receiving the required marks.

3. Doctor of Optometry

Once you’re accepted into the MCPHS Doctor of Optometry program, you’ll advance to the four-year professional phase to wrap up your education before you begin working as an eye care specialist.

• Year one: you’ll learn essential and foundational information about optometry theory, pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology.
• Year two: you’ll participate in primary care clinics and be exposed to real-world work through our affiliated community health centre clinics.
• Year three: you’ll study pediatric and geriatric optometry, research and statistical methods, public health, and optometry practice and management.
• Year four: explore specialty opportunities with three 16-week rotations through a variety of patient care experiences.

4. Getting your license

Working as an optometrist requires you to pass all four parts of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry assessment after you earn your Doctor of Optometry. This is a national requirement, but the state you reside in may have additional exams you must pass before you can legally practice.

What are the different types of optometry

Students have an opportunity to explore specialties during their optometry training. While general optometry is definitely an option for you, there may be a more niche area of eye care that you discover during your years of school that is a better fit for you. Some common specialties include:

• General optometry
• Family practice optometry
• Cornea and contact lenses
• Geriatric optometry
• Pediatric optometry
• Eye disease
• Sports vision optometry
• Brain injury vision rehabilitation

Job outlook and salary

Unfortunately for your future patients, vision problems will always be an issue that people have to face. But this means there will be a constant need for optometrists anywhere in the country — and throughout the world.

Your salary will ultimately depend on what specialty you have, what location you end up in, and a few other factors, but eye doctors are generally paid a very high salary. On average in the U.S., optometrists make about $133,100 USD per year, as reported by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning them a comfortable living with benefits.

So, how many years does it take to become an optometrist in the U.S.?

It depends on the school you choose, but most colleges require you to do eight years — four in an undergraduate and four in a graduate program. However, MCPHS students can graduate in seven years, with the undergraduate program only taking three years. While you can choose to still take eight years, many students opt for the more accelerated path to get into the workforce faster.