Ophthalmic Medical Personnel

Ophthalmic medical personnel (OMP) play a vital role in the allied health profession. OMP work with ophthalmologists and their patients. OMP are part of a professional team of eye care providers, and supply important information to the physician who is treating the patient. OMP assist in areas such as surgery and patient education/compliance, as well as the following:

	Taking patient histories
	Providing patient services
	Taking eye measurements
	Testing visual acuity
	Reading visual acuity
	Reading eyeglasses

A career as an ophthalmic allied health professional offers you:

	Prestige
	Job security
	Excellent compensation
	Career advancement
	Ability to help others

The distinction between ophthalmology and optometry is a frequent source of confusion. In addition to the fact that both are concerned with eye care, several other factors contribute to this misunderstanding. One source of confusion stems from the fact that both ophthalmologists and optometrists are referred to as "eye doctors", although, unlike ophthalmologists, optometrists often do not have medical degrees.

The scope of an ophthalmologist's practice is broad. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (MD) who specializes in all aspects of eye care, including diagnosis, management, and surgery of ocular diseases and disorders. Optometrists traditionally involve examining the eye for the purpose of prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses and screening vision to detect certain eye abnormalities.

Ophthalmologists have a full medical education, followed by extensive clinical and surgical training in ophthalmology.

The function of the ophthalmic allied health professional is to assist the ophthalmologist by performing  tasks, collecting data, administering treatment ordered by an ophthalmologist, and supervising patients.

Duties that may be performed by an ophthalmic allied health professional include:

1. Taking a medical history
2. Performing diagnostic tests
3. Taking anatomical and functional ocular measurements of the eye and surrounding tissue
4. Testing ocular functions, including visual acuity and visual fields
5. Administering topical ophthalmic and oral medications
6. Instructing the patient in personal care and the use of contact lenses
7. Caring for and maintaining ophthalmic instruments and equipment
8. Caring for, and maintaining and sterilizing surgical instruments
9. Assisting in ophthalmic surgery in the office, hospital, or ambulatory surgical center setting
10. Taking optical measurements including A-Scan ultrasound
11. Assisting in the fitting of contact lenses
12. Such other tasks as may be delegated consistent with sound medical practice (eg, use of computerized ophthalmic equipment)
13. Performing ophthalmic clinical photography and fluorescence angiography of the eye
14. Administering advanced ocular motility and binocular function tests
15. Carrying out ocular electrophysiological procedures
16. Performing advanced microbiological procedures
17. Providing supervision and instruction of other ophthalmic personnel and patients

Ophthalmic allied health professionals supply important information to the physician who is treating the patient and assist in areas such as surgery and patient education/compliance; they are not independent practitioners and  do not diagnose or treat eye disorders, nor do they prescribe medications.

Main Practice Setting*

	60% Private MD Group Practice
	14% Multispecialty Clinic
	9% Consultant / Self-Employed / Independent Contractor
	5% University Clinic
	4% Other Practice Setting
	3% Hospital
	3% HMO / PPO
	1% Corporate/Industry
	1% VA/Military

* 2005 National Salary & Benefits Report for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel, Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology

Work in a ambulatory surgery center is more flexible because surgeries tend to take place during the morning hours and on a limited number of days per week.

Approximately 43 educational programs are currently in existence and located throughout the United States. Programs are sponsored by colleges and universities, hospitals, medical schools, and other institutions that meet comparable standards. Programs last anywhere from 4 weeks for entry level ophthalmic assistants to two years for orthoptists and ophthalmic technicians/technologists.

For further information on educational training programs, contact the Commission on Accreditation for Ophthalmic Medical Programs (CoA-OMP).

Equivalent experience that combines knowledge gained on the job and independent study is also an option.

For further information on independent study, contact the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

Original Training to Become an Ophthalmic Allied Health Professional*

	38.0% Completed AAO Home Study Course
	34.4% Relevant Employment Experience
	14.0% Completed a Training Program
	13.2% Other Training
	0.3%   Completed Canadian Home Study Course

* 2000 National Salary & Benefits Report for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel, Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology

To learn more about pay, order the 2005 Salary Survey.

Compensation*

$16.52 - $23.31 Average Hourly Wage Range $40,000 - 58,500 Average Annual Salary Range

* 2005 National Salary & Benefits Report for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel, Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology

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last update: 5/21/07