Basically, you do all of the care for the eye that is within your scope of practice (which differs with the laws of each state), and ranges from diagnosing, treating, and managing just about every eye disease out there. Ophthalmology does almost all of the surgeries needed, but there are some states that can perform minor procedures as well. Each year, optometrists have a wider scope, and subsequently you will have more possibilities in treatment and management.

Here are the different residency specialties to keep in mind:

-Primary Care Optometry

-Pediatric Optometry

-Family Practice Optometry

-Community Health Optometry

-Geriatric Optometry

-Cornea and Contact Lenses

-Ocular Disease

-Refractive and Ocular Surgery

-Anterior Segment

-Glaucoma

-Retina

-Neuro-Optometry

-Vision Rehabilitation

-Vision Therapy

-Low Vision Rehabilitation

-Brain Injury Rehabilitation

If you would like more letters after your 'OD', additional education for an optometrist can also include a fellowship or further education in each of the following organizations:

-FAAO (Fellow in the American Academy of optometry)

-FNORA (Fellow of the Neuro-optometric Rehabilitation Association)

-FCOVD (Fellow in the College of Optometrists in Vision Development)

-FSLS (Fellow in the Scleral Lens Education Society)

-FIACLE (Fellow in the International Society of Contact Lens Educators)

and others!

Of Course, this course is to help your get into optometry school, so we won't go too deep into more of what they do-- but here's a good website to explore if you want more information on the topic: https://optometriceducation.org/