Optometrist vs. Ophthalmologist – What is the difference?

I get asked this question quite often: What’s the difference between an optometrist and ophthalmologist?  The simple answer: both are eye doctors who diagnose and treat diseases and disorders of the eye, with only ophthalmologists being able to perform surgeries.

But let’s look at it a little more in depth.

An optometrist gets their undergraduate degree from a four year college or university before being accepted to an optometry school.  Currently there are only 19 such schools in the US.  Optometry school is a 4 year program that consists of 3 years of class work, labs, and patient care followed by a 4th year of full time patient care.  During those 4 years, each optometrist has to pass a series of 3 national board examinations.  The optometrist graduates with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.  At that point, they apply for licensure in the state or states where they plan to practice.  They have the option of completing a one year residency program to gain further knowledge and experience in a specialty area such as ocular disease, contact lenses, pediatric eye care, etc.  States can vary on what optometrists can do under the scope of practice for that state.  All states allow optometrists to write prescriptions for necessary medications and almost all allow for minor surgical procedures to be performed, such as removing foreign bodies from the eye.

An ophthalmologist obtains their undergraduate degree before being accepted to medical school.  Medical school is a 4 year program that teaches students how to diagnose, manage, and treat diseases of the entire body – in most cases, very little time is spent with regards to the eye.  Medical school students also go through a series of board examinations during their 4 years.  The ophthalmologist graduates from medical school with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.  After that, they go on to do a residency program in ophthalmology that is usually 3-4 years in length.  Most ophthalmologists then go on to do a 2-4 year fellowship where they further specialize and hone their skills.