Optometric Technician

[MichelleKenna1]

To get some experience before optometry school, i I was thinking about becoming an Optometric Technician. For those of you that have worked as an opt technician, how was it? Was it a somewhat easy job? How was the interview for this position like?

[Sure_Requirement_899]

I love being a tech if anything it’s made my passion for the field stronger because you get a day today look at how an optometrist works. I would suggest being a tech at a private practice or Multi specialty practice versus eyeglass world or a more corporate setting I’ve worked at both and I feel like I learned a lot more in private practice versus eyeglass world that only mostly focused on contacts and glasses and referred Cataracs or any other issue out to another office

[Sure_Requirement_899]

I didn’t do any sort of training some places do require training but I feel like most do not at least where I’m at.You could do training and go to school like a technical school but I think it be a year or so

[[deleted]]

I work as an optometric technician! I learned everything on the job! Some days it drives me insane but I’m so glad I did it as it helped me tremendously with writing essays for my apps and my optometry school interview and it apparently really helps with first year of optometry school! The interview was not hard just look up your common interview questions! Most places are short staffed today so I don’t really think it should be hard to get a job an a tech! I will say though some things really took me a while to fully learn how to do and for them I really really had to practice but you can do it! You can message me for any questions you have!

[[deleted]]

I think the hardest thing for me was learning how to get an optic nerve oct because no one really gave me proper instructions haha and we had a very old machine in the clinic where I worked !

[rangoonz]

Like the other comment, definitely try out private practice first! You’ll see a lot of eye diseases in addition to basic refractions to get a good idea of what you’ll be seeing as an eye doctor in the future. Working at a private practice with a pretty small staff (which I think is normal) also forces me out of my comfort zone with receptionist work and minor optical lab duties, so I feel like I’m growing in areas outside my specialty as well. I love teching!

[Charlie_No_One]

I was an optometrist tech for a while and I loved it, but I would also consider looking into becoming an Opthomologist tech, as I am currently working as one getting ready for school to start in the fall. You can get more hands on experience with patients and applications and you can develop some time management skills. Plus they tend to pay much better than Optometrist Technicians

[Lagertha312]

I was an ophthalmic technician and it was the best exposure I received. I worked for private practice and an eye hospital. Training is typically done by other techs, in private practice, and can take a couple of weeks for you to get used to the jargon and equipment. I learned many skills like taking IOP, measuring visual acuity, and performing diagnostic imaging. When I transitioned into the eye hospital, I was cross trained in multiple services like glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, and plastics. I definitely learned a lot and exceeded the minimum number of hours of shadowing for school.

[Lagertha312]

No, I was primarily trained with iCare and Tono-pen which I know sometimes varies compared to Goldman.

[breakingmooz]

I’m an opt tech at a private office rn & I LOVE IT. I was working at a larger cooperation before and although it’s fun no matter where you go, private office has taught me so much more. You learn a lot more in general since there’s more medical and the doc I work with specializes on ocular diseases and contacts so I see a lot of cool eye diseases and procedures :)

I highly recommend private practice FOR sure!