Ophthalmic Technician

As an Ophthalmic Technician you will work with Ophthalmologists (also known as Eye Doctors) to improve the sight of patients. These patients can come in with a variety of issues, ranging from eye pain to more serious sight problems.

As an Ophthalmic Technician, you serve as a support for the Doctor. Your responsibilities are more complex than those of the Ophthalmic Assistant. More specifically, as the Ophthalmic Technician, you are tasked with taking eye measurements, conducting diagnostic tests, explaining procedures, and helping with surgery. It’s your job to record everything that happens during a patient’s visit, including information like tests done, results found, diagnoses the Doctor comes up with, and medicines prescribed.

You start each session with a patient by writing down their medical history. You record information like allergies, previous health problems, or medicines being taken. Then you get basic information on their eyesight. You test them for color blindness, and check how well they can see. This information prepares the Doctor and allows them to quickly zero in on the patient’s problem.

After the Doctor makes a diagnosis, you might talk with the patient to explain types of exercises that strengthen the eye, educate them about the correct way to wear contact lenses, or instruct them on how much and for how long medicine should be used. You also explain how to care for glasses, or generally answer any remaining questions they may have.