There are over 22,000 eye doctors in the United States, but only a select few can call themselves ophthalmologists.
What is an ophthalmologist, and how is an ophthalmologist different from an optometrist?
Optometrists and ophthalmologists are both eye doctors.
But optometrists and ophthalmologists have different areas of expertise, and different approaches when it comes to treating your eyes.
Here’s how:
An optometrist is someone who specializes in vision and eye health. An optometrist will examine your eyes, assess your vision and diagnose problems with your vision. He or she can prescribe glasses, contact lenses or other vision correction devices to correct your vision.
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the treatment of the eyes. Ophthalmologists can diagnose eye diseases and perform surgery on the eyes.
Ophthalmologists and optometrists both address a patient’s eyes, but the two professions differ in terms of expertise, training and educational requirements.
