Eyecare Specialist

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Eyecare Specialist

Did you know 80% of all visual care in the United States is provided by Eyecare Specialists? This means they are a vital member of the eye health field.

Eyecare Specialists help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists. They are also commonly responsible for maintaining patient charts, obtaining patients’ histories, patient screening, selecting frames for prescription mounting and prescription verification. Additional duties may include scheduling customer appointments, administrative activities, ordering supplies and helping customers decide which eyeglass frames or contact lenses to buy.

The need for quality eye care services is growing as the older population increases and rates of certain chronic diseases that may cause vision problems rises. As a result, there are excellent opportunities in the optometric and ophthalmology fields and in the fashionable eyewear industry for trained Eyecare Specialists.

Eyecare Specialist

Eyecare Specialist Overview

The Eyecare Specialist program at North-West College is a professional health care training course designed to provide the fundamental knowledge and education needed to work as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision.

Eyecare Specialists routinely perform a variety of important tasks, including:

Scheduling patient appointments.
Receiving customers’ prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Measuring customers’ eyes and faces, such as the distance between their pupils.
Helping customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments, such as eyewear for occupational use or sports, tints or anti-reflective coatings, based on their vision needs and style preferences.
Helping customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments, such as eyewear for occupational use or sports, tints or anti-reflective coatings, based on their vision needs and style preferences.
Creating work orders for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, providing information about the lenses needed.
Adjusting eyewear to ensure a good fit.
Repairing or replacing broken eyeglass frames.
Educating customers about eyewear—for example, showing them how to care for their contact lenses.
Performing business tasks, such as maintaining sales records, keeping track of customers’ prescriptions, and ordering and maintaining inventory.

* North-West College cannot guarantee employment.

Proudly accredited, licensed to operate and/or recognized by the following institutions:

Attend Classes at a California (CA) Campus Near You!

The Eyecare Specialist program is available at the following campuses:

Meet a Graduate

Questions?

Let us help you launch your career by contacting us today. Simply fill out the form below or call us at 1-888-408-4211. Classes are starting soon!

Eyecare Specialist Careers & Work Environment

Eyecare Specialists and Opticians who work as part of a group optometry or medical practice work with optometrists and ophthalmologists to provide eye-related medical care to patients. Other common work environments include stores that sell eyeglasses, contact lenses, visual aids, and other optical goods. These stores may be stand-alone businesses or parts of larger retail establishments, such as department stores. Graduates of the Eyecare Specialist program at North-West College will be eligible to accept entry-level positions as a technician work as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision and are qualified to take the American Association of Opticianry examination. There are also jobs in optical laboratories, optical merchandising firms, fashion boutiques and other lens-related businesses.

Graduates of the program routinely find jobs working in:

Ophthalmology offices
Optometric offices
Optical laboratories
Hospitals and medical clinics
Specialty lens-related eyecare centers
Drug stores, pharmacies and department stores
Other health care related facilities

Quick Facts about Eyecare Specialists*

Employment of Eyecare Specialists and Dispensing Opticians is projected to grow 24 percent nationally from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
The growth in the older population is anticipated to lead to greater demand for eye care services, as people usually have eye problems more frequently as they age.
Optometrists and ophthalmologists are increasingly offering glasses and contact lenses to their patients as a way to expand their businesses, leading to a greater need for Eyecare Specialists in those settings.
Increasing rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes may also increase demand for opticianry services because some chronic diseases cause vision problems.
About half of opticians worked in offices of optometrists or offices of physicians in 2014.
*Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/opticians-dispensing.htm More information, including median wages and the job outlook for Eyecare Specialists in California can be found in the California Occupational Guide published by the State of California Employment Development Department. For the latest national information, please visit U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Eyecare Specialist Course Material

Successful graduates of the Eyecare Specialist program are qualified to take the American Association of Opticianry examination and will be able to function as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision, measuring the curvature (or power) of letters of a specific size at a specific distance, recording pressure or tension within the eye, assisting in detection, determining the power of lenses in old and new prescriptions, and frame measurements. The program is divided into eight class course modules, including a 200-hour clinical externship where students will apply the skills they learn in the classroom in an actual health care practice setting.

Seminar for Success

Orientation and success building course for Career Students. Review of basic math, language, vocabulary, and writing skills. Introduction to core career classes, availability of community resources, outlining, summarizing, managing credit, and other life skills

Dispensing

Anatomy of the Eye, Care and Use of the Lensometer, Optical Terminology and Vocabulary, Transposition Practice, PD Rules and Measurements, Frame Selection and Measurement, Frame Adjustments, Use of Salt Pan and Adjustment Instruments, Ordering Prescriptions from the Lab, Bifocal Measurements and Identification, Lens Tinting and Heat Treating, Patient Education

Chairside

Optometric Services, Caring for the Office, Patient Relationships, Introduction to the Phoropter, Keratometer and Retinoscope, Taking Patient Vital Signs (Blood Pressure, etc.), Taking Patient Case Histories, Medical Emergencies, Pharmaceutical Prescriptions, Cycloplegias, Tangent Screen, Use of the Tonometer for Glaucoma Testing, Assisting with Diagnostic Testing, Employee Job Description including: Front Office Attire, Ethics, and Personal Hygiene

Contact Lens

Optics of Contact Lenses, History of Contact Lenses, Types of Lenses, Fitting and Variables in Contact Lenses, Patient Contact Lens

Front Office

Greeting Patients and Visitors, Telephone Techniques, Making Appointments, Filing, Letter Writing, Ordering Supplies, Insurance Terminology, Abbreviations, and Symbols, Insurance Coding Exercises, Processing Insurance Claims, Medical and Legal Terminology, Ethics and

Terminology & Computer Skills

Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye and terminology as it relates to the Eyecare and optometric field; Introduction to Computers, Word, Excel, Medi-Soft, Processing Electronic Insurance Claims, & Creating Professional Quality Résumés

Career Seminar

Internship Workshop, Career Readiness Workshops, New Student Orientation, and CPR

Clinical Internship

Internship to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in an

Eyecare Specialist Course Activities

The Eyecare Specialist program at North-West College is a professional health care training course designed to provide the fundamental knowledge and education needed to work as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision.

Eyecare Specialists routinely perform a variety of important tasks, including:

Scheduling patient appointments.
Receiving customers’ prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Measuring customers’ eyes and faces, such as the distance between their pupils.
Helping customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments, such as eyewear for occupational use or sports, tints or anti-reflective coatings, based on their vision needs and style preferences.
Creating work orders for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, providing information about the lenses needed.
Adjusting eyewear to ensure a good fit.
Repairing or replacing broken eyeglass frames.
Educating customers about eyewear—for example, show them how to care for their contact lenses.
Performing business tasks, such as maintaining sales records, keeping track of customers’ prescriptions, and ordering and maintaining inventory.
*North-West College cannot guarantee employment.

Questions?

Let us help you launch your career by contacting us today. Simply fill out the form below or call us at

1-888-408-4211

Classes are starting soon!

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Eyecare Specialist Overview

The Eyecare Specialist program at North-West College is a professional health care training course designed to provide the fundamental knowledge and education needed to work as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision.

Eyecare Specialists routinely perform a variety of important tasks, including:

Scheduling patient appointments.
Receiving customers’ prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Measuring customers’ eyes and faces, such as the distance between their pupils.
Helping customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments, such as eyewear for occupational use or sports, tints or anti-reflective coatings, based on their vision needs and style preferences.
Helping customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments, such as eyewear for occupational use or sports, tints or anti-reflective coatings, based on their vision needs and style preferences.
Creating work orders for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, providing information about the lenses needed.
Adjusting eyewear to ensure a good fit.
Repairing or replacing broken eyeglass frames.
Educating customers about eyewear—for example, showing them how to care for their contact lenses.
Performing business tasks, such as maintaining sales records, keeping track of customers’ prescriptions, and ordering and maintaining inventory.

* North-West College cannot guarantee employment.

Proudly accredited, licensed to operate and/or recognized by the following institutions:

Attend Classes at a California (CA) Campus Near You!

The Eyecare Specialist program is available at the following campuses:

Meet a Graduate

Questions?

Let us help you launch your career by contacting us today. Simply fill out the form below or call us at 1-888-408-4211. Classes are starting soon!

Eyecare Specialist Careers & Work Environment

Eyecare Specialists and Opticians who work as part of a group optometry or medical practice work with optometrists and ophthalmologists to provide eye-related medical care to patients. Other common work environments include stores that sell eyeglasses, contact lenses, visual aids, and other optical goods. These stores may be stand-alone businesses or parts of larger retail establishments, such as department stores. Graduates of the Eyecare Specialist program at North-West College will be eligible to accept entry-level positions as a technician work as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision and are qualified to take the American Association of Opticianry examination. There are also jobs in optical laboratories, optical merchandising firms, fashion boutiques and other lens-related businesses.

Graduates of the program routinely find jobs working in:

Ophthalmology offices
Optometric offices
Optical laboratories
Hospitals and medical clinics
Specialty lens-related eyecare centers
Drug stores, pharmacies and department stores
Other health care related facilities

Quick Facts about Eyecare Specialists*

Employment of Eyecare Specialists and Dispensing Opticians is projected to grow 24 percent nationally from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
The growth in the older population is anticipated to lead to greater demand for eye care services, as people usually have eye problems more frequently as they age.
Optometrists and ophthalmologists are increasingly offering glasses and contact lenses to their patients as a way to expand their businesses, leading to a greater need for Eyecare Specialists in those settings.
Increasing rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes may also increase demand for opticianry services because some chronic diseases cause vision problems.
About half of opticians worked in offices of optometrists or offices of physicians in 2014.
*Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/opticians-dispensing.htm More information, including median wages and the job outlook for Eyecare Specialists in California can be found in the California Occupational Guide published by the State of California Employment Development Department. For the latest national information, please visit U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Eyecare Specialist Course Material

Successful graduates of the Eyecare Specialist program are qualified to take the American Association of Opticianry examination and will be able to function as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision, measuring the curvature (or power) of letters of a specific size at a specific distance, recording pressure or tension within the eye, assisting in detection, determining the power of lenses in old and new prescriptions, and frame measurements. The program is divided into eight class course modules, including a 200-hour clinical externship where students will apply the skills they learn in the classroom in an actual health care practice setting.

Seminar for Success

Orientation and success building course for Career Students. Review of basic math, language, vocabulary, and writing skills. Introduction to core career classes, availability of community resources, outlining, summarizing, managing credit, and other life skills

Dispensing

Anatomy of the Eye, Care and Use of the Lensometer, Optical Terminology and Vocabulary, Transposition Practice, PD Rules and Measurements, Frame Selection and Measurement, Frame Adjustments, Use of Salt Pan and Adjustment Instruments, Ordering Prescriptions from the Lab, Bifocal Measurements and Identification, Lens Tinting and Heat Treating, Patient Education

Chairside

Optometric Services, Caring for the Office, Patient Relationships, Introduction to the Phoropter, Keratometer and Retinoscope, Taking Patient Vital Signs (Blood Pressure, etc.), Taking Patient Case Histories, Medical Emergencies, Pharmaceutical Prescriptions, Cycloplegias, Tangent Screen, Use of the Tonometer for Glaucoma Testing, Assisting with Diagnostic Testing, Employee Job Description including: Front Office Attire, Ethics, and Personal Hygiene

Contact Lens

Optics of Contact Lenses, History of Contact Lenses, Types of Lenses, Fitting and Variables in Contact Lenses, Patient Contact Lens

Front Office

Greeting Patients and Visitors, Telephone Techniques, Making Appointments, Filing, Letter Writing, Ordering Supplies, Insurance Terminology, Abbreviations, and Symbols, Insurance Coding Exercises, Processing Insurance Claims, Medical and Legal Terminology, Ethics and

Terminology & Computer Skills

Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye and terminology as it relates to the Eyecare and optometric field; Introduction to Computers, Word, Excel, Medi-Soft, Processing Electronic Insurance Claims, & Creating Professional Quality Résumés

Career Seminar

Internship Workshop, Career Readiness Workshops, New Student Orientation, and CPR

Clinical Internship

Internship to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in an

Eyecare Specialist Course Activities

The Eyecare Specialist program at North-West College is a professional health care training course designed to provide the fundamental knowledge and education needed to work as a technical assistant under a doctor’s supervision.

Eyecare Specialists routinely perform a variety of important tasks, including:

Scheduling patient appointments.
Receiving customers’ prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Measuring customers’ eyes and faces, such as the distance between their pupils.
Helping customers choose eyeglass frames and lens treatments, such as eyewear for occupational use or sports, tints or anti-reflective coatings, based on their vision needs and style preferences.
Creating work orders for ophthalmic laboratory technicians, providing information about the lenses needed.
Adjusting eyewear to ensure a good fit.
Repairing or replacing broken eyeglass frames.
Educating customers about eyewear—for example, show them how to care for their contact lenses.
Performing business tasks, such as maintaining sales records, keeping track of customers’ prescriptions, and ordering and maintaining inventory.
*North-West College cannot guarantee employment.

Questions?

Let us help you launch your career by contacting us today. Simply fill out the form below or call us at

1-888-408-4211

Classes are starting soon!