Optometry is one of the most sensitive medical fields as it deals with primary eye care. Any error in treatment may leave a patient partially or permanently blind. For this reason, you need the right skills before you start handling patients with eye problems. Your journey begins with studying in the best optometry schools offering first-class education.
An optometry course equips you with the knowledge to effectively do eye exams, identify eye-related diseases such as diabetes, prescribe fitting corrective lenses, provide vision therapy, and treat eye conditions such as glaucoma. With that in mind, here are six reasons you need to study optometry in top schools in the United States:
1. Access to Quality Education
The quality of education differs from school to school. Top optometry schools are in this category because their quality of training is top-notch. They have the best professors and lecturers in the U.S. Aside from that, they’ve developed intricate curricula standards to ensure their teaching sessions are practical. Thus, they release seasoned optometrists every year into the profession.
So, how much does it cost to be in an optometry school? Some of the easiest optometry schools to get into charge as little as $70,000 for tuition fees, while others go as high as $220,000. That’s for the four-year course. Your key point is leveraging between the quality of training and the costs. As expected, the top optometry schools are on the higher end of this scale as they offer premium quality services. It pays to dig deeper into your pocket and get a good education.
2. Diverse Internship Opportunities
The best schools for optometry usually have connections with numerous health institutions, both within and outside the country. They link as many students as possible to these facilities for internships. If you love exploring other countries, you can choose to go abroad for your residency in selected countries in South America, Africa, and Asia.
You may be privileged to work with people who don’t have access to in-hospital care. Such rare opportunities open your mind to the struggles people face, and they can spark innovation. The result is vast professional experience. After all, rough seas make the best sailors. On top of that, you’ll learn about different cultures and interact with people from other races. Learning amidst adventure, indeed, feels great.
3. Exposure to High-Tech Equipment
The best optometry schools in the world have high-tech equipment, including tonometers, phoropters, autorefractors, and retinal cameras, among many others. You can even find the most recently launched models in their facilities. Using such technologically advanced devices makes your optometry course worthwhile. You’ll gain hands-on experience in using them while still in school instead of first graduating and then having to learn to use the equipment while employed.
4. Chances to Study Your Preferred Optometry Specialty
Optometry is an extensive field with several different specialties, including:
- Family Optometry
- Vision Therapy
- Sports Vision
- Low Vision Optometry
- Behavioral Optometry
- Geriatric Optometry
- Dry Eye
- Contact Lenses
- Pediatrics
- Medical Optometry: This is further subdivided into subspecialties like cornea and external disease, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmic disorders, and vitreoretinal diseases
By studying at top schools, you can choose your preferred specialty. As always, go for the one you’re most passionate about, and you’ll excel.
5. Competitive Salaries After Your Studies
Studying optometry in top schools prepares you for employment in high-end healthcare institutions. As with every other career, employers consider what school potential job candidates attended before employing them. If your resume shows that you attended a renowned school, your chances of winning a job are high.
Working in the best institutions means earning a high salary. Optometrists in the U. S. earn an average wage of $133,514, but the range usually falls between $118,209 and $147,912. However, some even go beyond $161,020. That might be a good answer if you’re still asking, “why optometry.”
6. Learn In-Demand Skills
The demand for optometry services is unlikely to decrease anytime soon. Indeed, expert predictions indicate that the employment rate for optometrists will increase by 10% between 2018 and 2028. That means you can’t run short of employment opportunities, especially if you study in top schools and gain the necessary expertise and experience. You can even start a private clinic, and you’re sure to attract a large customer base.
Conclusion
Studying optometry in top U.S. schools provides an array of opportunities. The prestige from these institutions of higher learning is enough to set you up for success. On top of this, you have access to internship programs abroad, and your employability increases. Ultimately, you practice in top-of-the-range hospitals, help numerous people with vision problems, and earn good money.
