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How to become an Optometrist: Career Guide

What is an Optometrist?

An optometrist is a primary health care specialist trained to examine the eyes to detect defects in vision, signs of injury, ocular diseases or abnormality and problems with general health and to treat some eye conditions. Optometrists work in primary care, in high street practices, or in secondary care in hospitals.

What does an Optometrist do?

Optometrists can work in hospitals, in the community, or offer home visits. Previously known as ophthalmic opticians, optometrists are trained to examine the eyes to detect defects in vision, signs of injury, ocular diseases or abnormality and problems with general health, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

They make a health assessment, offer clinical advice, prescribe spectacles or contact lenses, treat certain eye conditions, and refer patients for further treatment, when necessary. Independent Prescribing (IP) qualified optometrists can prescribe medicines to treat certain eye conditions.

What do you get from this role?

An optometrist is a respected healthcare professional who works as part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams of various sizes, either in community practices, or in hospitals.

Being an optometrist gives you the chance to help people and make a difference to their lives, by enabling them to see optimally and to detect and treat eye health and vision problems.

If you want to progress your career, you can take further training in subjects including contact lenses, glaucoma, medical retina, low vision or eye care for children. The job can offer a range of flexible working patterns.

What do you need to apply?

An optometrist is a respected healthcare professional who works as part of multidisciplinary healthcare teams of various sizes, either in community practices, or in hospitals. Being an optometrist gives you the chance to help people and make a difference to their lives, by enabling them to see optimally and to detect and treat eye health and vision problems.

What skills do you need?

You will have an interest in science and research and applying the latest evidence to improving the quality of people’s lives.

You will need to be happy to talk to people and offer advice on eye health, understanding their concerns during the eye examination.

You will need to be interested in dealing with technical data when advising on the best lenses or contact lenses for each individual.

You will need to be able to explain your findings from the eye examination to other colleagues in practice. You will be both people and quality focused.

What does your working day look like?

Working as part of a small or medium sized team, either in community practice or hospital, as an optometrist you will spend a large part of the day talking to people in the exam room, assessing their vision and eye health and advising on how to look after their eyes.

In hospital settings, you will help deliver specialist clinics, for glaucoma patients for example or children.

In practice, you will liaise with the dispensing optician who will help the person choose frames and lenses.

Find out more and read about a day in the life of a trainee optometrist here.

How may a training programme work?

You study for a degree over three or four years, then you need to complete a further year working under supervision, undertaking assessments and a practical exam, to become an optometrist.

Optometry careers info Boots optician jobs Specsavers optometry careers Entering optometry General Optical Council

Careers in eyecare - FAQs

I’ve been to the optician’s and it looks like it might be an interesting place to work. What are my options?

There are a number of people who work in an optical practice:

the optometrist
the dispensing optician
optical assistants (often more than one)or receptionists.

In some practices you will also find a laboratory where optical technicians make spectacles.

Click the links to find out more about these eyecare careers and how you can get into them!

When I go to the optician’s I’m never quite sure who does what. Can you explain?

There are a number of people who work in an optical practice!

The first person you will meet is likely to be the receptionist who can book your appointment.

You may also meet an optical assistant in the front of the practice. They can assist you to choose frames and lenses and some (as can an optical sales representative). They may also be trained to carry out initial assessments before your eye test.

The optometrist is the person who examines your eyes. They will then pass you on to the dispensing optician who is trained and qualified to offer the best advice on frames and lenses to suit your lifestyle and prescription.

In some practices you will also find a laboratory where optical technicians make spectacles. When you return to collect your new specs they may be fitted by the dispensing optician or an optical assistant.

If any of these eyecare careers sound like something you might be interested in, click the links to find out more.

What does a dispensing optician do?

A dispensing optician (DO) advises on, fits and supplies the most appropriate spectacles after taking account of each patient’s visual, lifestyle and vocational needs.

Dispensing opticians also play an important role in advising and dispensing low vision aids to those who are partially sighted as well as advising on and dispensing to children where appropriate.

They are also able to fit and provide aftercare for contact lenses after undergoing further specialist training.

Career opportunities also exist to develop business skills in marketing and practice management.

See how to become a dispensing optician!

Dispensing Optician Career Guide

What is a contact lens optician? How do I become one?

What is a contact lens optician?

A contact lens optician (CLO) is a specialist practitioner who is trained and qualified to fit, and provide aftercare for, patients with contact lenses. Contact lens opticians assess whether contact lenses meet the needs of the person, resolving clinical and tolerance issues, and remain responsible for clinical decisions enabling them to provide continuity of care.

The contact lens speciality is open to dispensing opticians only and involves extra study and clinical practice. Once the specialist training is completed and competence assessed, practitioners must register their speciality with the General Optical Council. They are then able to perform additional duties to those of a dispensing optician.

How do I become a contact lens optician?

Once you have qualified as a dispensing optician you can go on to study and specialise in fitting contact lenses to help you become a contact lens optician.

This course is delivered by a method called ‘blended learning’ that consists of practice based learning, block release and distance learning coursework. You receive coursework material to work through and assignment questions to answer for each part of the course. A personal tutor will mark it for you and return it to you with feedback. As the course is at advanced level, you will also need to undertake some additional research and read around the subject in order to gain a thorough understanding of the subject.

While you are studying for your CL Cert you will be training in contact lens practice. You and your supervisor will be issued with a workbook to guide you both through this part of your training. You will learn practical skills from your supervisor and work with patients in practice (under supervision) to perfect these skills. To become a contact lens optician, you will also need to complete a set number of case records that you build up over a one-year period and makes up a part of your final examinations.

The approved training course for the contact lens speciality is run by ABDO College and Bradford College.

See how to become a contact lens optician!

Contact Lens Optician Careers

What is a low vision optician?

A low vision optician is a dispensing optician who has additional qualifications to support people who are blind or partially sighted, offering advice, assessment and relevant equipment to allow them to make the most of the sight that they have.

Low vision courses are offeed by ABDO College and WOPEC.

See how to become a low vision optician with our career guide.

Low vision optician careers

What does an optical assistant do? How can I train to become an optical assistant?

What does an optical assistant do?

An optical assistant works under supervision in an optical practice to assist people with choosing frames and lenses. Some optical assistants also have training to allow them to carry out initial assessments before an eye examination such as autorefraction.

How do I train to become an optical assistant?

If you are interested in becoming an optical assistant, you need to apply for a position in an optical practice that offers on the job training. As you work you will be given the chance to study for a optical assistant qualification via ABDO College.

See how to become an optical assistant.

Optical assistant careers guide

How do I train to become an optical technician and what do they do?

What does an optical technician do?

An optical technician is trained and qualified to make or ‘glaze’ spectacles. They work in an optical lab which may be attached to an optician’s practice. They may also progress within industry to become senior management in optical manufacturing organisations.

How do I train to become an optical technician?

If you are interested in becoming an optical technician, you need to apply for a position in an optical lab that offers on the job training. As you work you may be given the chance to study for a qualification or complete an apprenticeship.

Optical technician careers

How do I train to become an optometrist?

Optometrists study a three or four-year degree course at a university. There are ten universities that currently offer training in Optometry.

After completing the degree, trainee optometrists need to go on to complete a pre-registration year where they practice under supervision of a qualified optometrist, write up case records and take further practical exams.

All optometrists need to be registered with the General Optical Council.

See how to become an optometrist with our career guide.

Optometrist careers

Tell me about opthalmology careers!

The eye and visual system can be affected by a range of clinical conditions. Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the eye and visual system. There are a number of professions associated with this area of work. For example, you could train to become an opthalmologist, ophthalmic nurse, or orthoptist.

What is an ophthalmologist?

An ophthalmologist is a trained doctor who specialises in eyes.

What is an ophthalmic nurse?

An ophthalmic nurse has qualified as a nurse before going on to specialise in eyes. You will find them in a hospital eye clinic, providing care for people with eye diseases.

What is an orthoptist?

An orthoptist specialises in investigating, diagnosing and treating defects of binocular vision and abnormalities of eye movement. You will find most orthoptists working in a hospital setting, helping children who have squint or lazy eye (amblyopia).

Click the links to find out more and explore possible routes into these careers.

What is an eye clinic liaison officer?

An eye clinic liaison officer (ECLO) is based in an eye clinic. They are there to talk to people who may be newly diagnosed with sight loss, and to help them get emotional and practical support from local voluntary organisations, health and social care. Eye clinic liasion officers can help you understand more about your eye condition.

ECLO career guide

Can you give me tips to help my journey into work?

You have lots of options when it comes to exploring a career in eyecare after school. You don't always need a degree - you can take your next steps through alternative routes, from traineeships to apprenticeships and beyond. These tips can help you get started -

Tips for school leavers

Results day tips - what next if you didn't get the grades for university?

How to get a job in retail

Job application tips - DOs and DON'Ts

How to prep for job interviews - example interview questions

Tips on using traineeships to build skills and experience

Tips for successful online learning

Tips for successful Optical Assistant apprenticeships