Emily Phan
Mrs. Grise
English Honors
9 May 2014
As students begin to consider different careers to embark in their futures, many have trouble viewing which job is right for them. The most important aspect about choosing a career is the growing passion and the desire to learn about that subject. Growing up, I was always fascinated about the human body and the way it functioned. Because the human body is made of countless parts, I knew I wanted to narrow my focus. I remember my first visit to the optometrist; I was overwhelmed by the idea that the function of a minute body part can give humans the ability to see. Vision is one of the most important senses that enables us to experience life in color. I want to be an optometrist because I want to help others see the beauty of the world and what it has to offer.
Before becoming an optician, certain steps must be achieved. UC Berkeley is an available college in California that offers programs to work in Optometry and supports future optometrists.
To be accepted into a school within the University of California, students must have a GPA of
3.8 or higher, taken AP classes, and completed all the AG requirements.The tuition fees while attending UC Berkeley give an advantage to residents in Califonia by reducing the amount. Per semester, new residents are required to pay 7,610 dollars as an undergraduate, and 7,900 dollars as a graduate. However, undergraduate continuing residents pay 7,438 dollars, and graduate students pay a 7,817 dollar fee. Students pay the fee to complete a four year program majoring in optometry. Applicants must take an entrance exam, the Optomerty Admission Test (OAT), in
Phan
order for optometry schools to accept them. Undergraduates have to take mathematics, english, chemistry, physics, and biology, in order to progress in their future careers as opticians. It is important for them to have a four year postgraduate degree of Doctor of Optometry (O.D) which consist of both clinical work and classroom studies, and must be licensed by the states in which they plan to begin their practice. After completing all the necessary education to become an optometrist, graduating students are challenged to interpret their studies into their jobs.
Approaching the real world and creating an independent life requires much patience and determination. When beginning work in the medical field as an optometrist, the starting salaries may vary by region, state, or city. Although nationally, ten percent of fulltime optometrists may receive an average of less than 51,690 dollars in May of 2011, the higher ten percent of workers is paid more than 183,980 dollars each year. The majority of optometrists collect an annual salary average of 94,690 dollars. As optometry businesses expand due to more patients and appointments being obtained, salary prices in can increase up to 155,300 dollars. But in order to receive a high pay, optometrists have many responsibilities to carry out during their work hours.
Optometrists have many tasks to perform within their profession. They provide primary vision care by examining patients’ eyes, testing their eyesight, prescribing and fitting glasses and contact lenses when needed. With the necessary education, opticians are trained to recognize eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataract, and general health conditions that may arise. Typical work activities of the job include offering advice to patients relating to vision problems and corrections, and using special equipment to issue prescriptions to correct vision defects. Even though optometrists have similar tasks,they work in a variety of work arrangements.Most optometrist receive work in a part of a regional or national chain business or independently,
Phan
while others are alongside other healthcare professionals in hospitals. Some find work in academic settings doing research, teaching, and in optical manufacturing industries.