Optometric Assistant Job Description

An Overview of Optometric Assistant Jobs in the United States

There are many jobs for medical assistants in the United States. If you want to work in an optometric clinic, then you should consider becoming an optometric assistant. An assistant to an eye doctor performs various clinical and administrative functions which are dependent on the doctor's specialty and the size of the facility.

The Optometrist usually requires a specialized and intensive training. It is a great stepping stone to become an assistant to an orthodontist. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of the time, the optometrist assistants work in a clean office or a clean clinic environment.

Optometric assistants have great skills in communication and need to be groomed. GED or high school diplomas are required to become an optometric assistant. Some employers prefer candidates who have completed a course in an accredited school for an internship.

An associate degree is required for those who want to become an orthodontist. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics in the United States projected that optometric assistants are one of the fastest growing careers. The salary range for an optometric assistant is between $28,300 and $29,300 per annum.

Optometric Assistants

Optometric assistants help the optometrists by performing patient screenings, light clerical duties, pre-examinations, and handling insurance and billing matters. The Optometric assistants are usually supervised by the office manager and are employed in all types offices. Optometric assistants don't have to travel in the course of their job because they work full- and part-time during the week and weekend.

Optometric assistants keep patient files organized, record data for optometrists, and perform other light clerical tasks in the front office. They also record data for patient billing. The vision insurance benefits that optometric assistants can expect to receive are through their employer.

An Overview of Optometric Assistant Jobs

An optometric assistant is called an ombometric assistant and they help with vision care centers. Customer service, clerical and technical aspects of the job are included. optometric assistants greet customers, answer questions and conduct follow-ups as part of the customer service component.

The clerical duties include documenting patient histories, scheduling appointments, and filing insurance claims. An optometric assistant is expected to have strong organizational and communication skills because of the multi-faceted job responsibilities. A good amount of precision is required for the job to be done well.

In private practices, optometric assistants find work in vision care centers. A higher salary is possible if optometric assistants train for a future job as optometric technician. The average time frame for an optometric assistant educational program is six months.

Students will be taught the essentials when it comes to visual acuity and Refractive errors. There are many lessons on contact lens, frame parts, frame types and more. Students learn about the eye, how to use optical equipment, and how to use contact lens procedures.

A formal education is not required to work as an optometric assistant. The optometric assistant is lumped in with all medical assistants according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That profession is also growing at a rapid pace.

Administrative and clinical support is provided to the optometrists. If you're considering a career as an optometric assistant, read on to see if it's the right choice for you. Administrative tasks and duties related to patient eye care both performed by Optometric assistants.

Responsibilities may include greeting patients, coordinating medical records, scheduling patient appointments, and showing patients how to put in and take out contact lens. In some cases, optometric assistants may give eye drops to patients and place them at eye test machines to prepare them for an exam by the optometrist. There are no requirements for being an optometric assistant.

The Pay of Optometric Assistants

A wide range of professionals can be involved in eye and vision care. Medical doctors who are qualified to diagnose disease and perform complex surgical and medical treatments on the eyes require a significant time commitment when it comes to their education and training. If you want to help people get the most out of their vision, but don't want to spend eight years of training and education, then optometric assistant is a good choice.

Paraopticians, optometric technicians or optician assistants are also referred to as optometric assistants. They are not medical professionals who help doctors. Optometric assistants support eye doctors who can diagnose and treat a wide variety of eye problems, and also fit eyeglasses and contact lens for patients.

Employers who hire optometric assistants will look for applicants with a high school or general equivalency degree. The nature of the work, which is very varied and at times quite specialized, means that applicants who can demonstrate strong organizational skills, reliable attention to detail, and goodInterpersonal skills will have an advantage. Drug screening and a criminal background check are required for optometric assistants who may be working with vulnerable people and handling sensitive patient data.

While some vision clinics are willing to hire people without previous experience in the field of eye and vision care, offering on-the-job training, the norm is to hire people who have a nationally recognized certification in optometric assisting. There is no breakdown for optometric assistants on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website, but there is information for medical assisting. The year 2020 median pay is $17.23 per hour, which is a bit under $36,000 per year.

The number of medical assistant roles is expected to grow by 20% across the country between the years of 2020 and 2029, which is much faster than average. Although pay is higher in more populated parts of the country, it is still an essential health service that is offered in all 50 states. There is a lot of variation in the working lives of optometric assistants.