What Are the Differences Between Optometrists and Ophthalmologists?

Before you can schedule an appointment for eye care or to determine why you have experienced a change in your vision, you must first understand the difference between optometrists and ophthalmologists in Chico and Paradise CA.
 

Optometrist Basics in Chico and Paradise

Optometrists, like all doctors, must complete a four-year degree. After they get their undergrad degree, they must then complete a four-year postgraduate program at an optometry school. Once they have completed their optometry education, they are given a doctor of optometry degree (OD). Optometrists are then permitted to prescribe corrective lenses, perform eye exams, diagnose and manage chronic eye diseases and prescribe certain medications. They may even be able to perform pre and post-surgery evaluations, depending on the state. It is important to understand that optometrists are not medical doctors.
 

Understanding Ophthalmologists in Chico and Paradise

Ophthalmologists must also attain a four-year degree. Then, they attend medical school for another four years. Once they complete medical school, they must complete a one-year internship and another three years of residency at a hospital.
 

Ophthalmologists are medical doctors with a specialization in diseases and conditions of the eye. Ophthalmologists can perform eye exams, write prescriptions for glasses and contacts, diagnose and treat eye diseases and perform eye surgeries. This means your ophthalmologists in Chico and Paradise, CA, can perform all of your eye care from prescribing glasses to performing vision correction surgery and surgery to help manage eye diseases, like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
 

Visit Your Local Chico Ophthalmologists and Local Paradise Ophthalmologists in California

To schedule an appointment with our eye doctors in Chico and Paradise, contact us today. To get in touch with our Chico office, dial 530-899-2244. To schedule an appointment at our Paradise office, dial 530-877-6583.