What is an Optometrist?
Optometrists are your primary eye care providers.
Eighty-five percent of comprehensive eye exams are conducted by optometrists who are trained and credentialed to examine your eyes for visual defects, diagnose any problems with your eyes or impaired vision, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide certain kinds of treatment. Like your family doctor refers you to a specialist, optometrists will partner with ophthalmologists when a specialized level of care is needed. You’ll return to your family eye doctor for all of your post-surgical care.
Optometrists are doctors of the eye. They spend four years in post-graduate study specializing in eye care.
Your eye doctor may also have completed a one- to two-year residency in a specific subspecialty area – such as pediatric or geriatric eye care, ocular disease, or neuro-optometry. Additionally, Mississippi optometrists are required to complete ongoing continuing education to stay current on the latest standards of eye care.
All of that education and preparation means that an optometrist is able to give you a high quality of care and expertise. Having a family eye doctor means that your optometrist will be accessible and will spend the time to get to know you and your health history to provide the best care for you and your family.
