Optometry programs prepare people to work as optometrists. Students learn to examine patients for eye health and vision. They learn to test and treat vision and prescribe corrective lenses. They also learn to advise, educate, and refer patients.

An old proverb goes, "The eyes are the window of the soul." If, however, there are more aspects of the eyes that fascinate you besides their soul-reflecting abilities, optometry may be the field for you.

As a student of optometry, you study the eye and the entire visual system. We often think of optometrists or "eye doctors" as the people who test our abilities to see near and far and who prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses. Although that is part of what optometrists do, there is much more that they must learn as well.

They learn about the inner and outer structures of the eye. They study different eye diseases and disorders such as glaucoma or cataracts in order to diagnose and treat them. They also learn how to check for other diseases such as diabetes, for which eye problems can be symptoms.

Optometrists are primary healthcare providers. As an optometrist, you must be compassionate and learn how to work with patients in sometimes delicate situations. If you want to have your own practice, you must learn how to manage an office.

To be an optometrist, you must complete a four-year postgraduate degree program to earn a doctor of optometry (O.D.) title. There are 17 accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the continental U.S., plus one in Puerto Rico, and two in Canada.