MightyRecruiterOptometrists are responsible for examining, diagnosing and treating parts of the visual system. Typical duties include performing vision tests, diagnosing sight problems, prescribing contact lenses and eyeglasses, performing surgical procedures, and providing rehabilitation or therapy for vision issues. Many optometrists will also counsel patients to help promote eye health.
There are a number of important qualities that good optometrists possess, and these should be included in your optometrist job description. Being detail-oriented is important in order for patients to receive the correct treatment, prescriptions and medications. Optometrists should also be good at making decisions in regards to the best treatments for patients.
Because much of their day is spent with patients, optometrists need to have good interpersonal skills and be able to communicate clearly with patients and other healthcare professionals. Take a look at the following optometrist job description template to get an idea of how to create yours.
Optometrist Job Summary
Are you an optometrist who is looking for a place to develop professionally? Do you want to be a part of a dynamic and thriving group? In our practice, you will be able to use your skills and expertise to provide high-quality vision care to our patients. You will have the opportunity to get to know your patients, as you will be involved with their care from beginning to end. We have also built great relationships with medical doctors and ophthalmologists, which will help build your referrals. Your hard work will be rewarded with a great salary, a company-matched 401K, paid holidays and great benefits including long-term disability insurance.
Job Responsibilities
- Document history including complaint and relevant symptoms, ocular health, medication usage, medical and family history, current vision aide if applicable, and any other pertinent data
- Examine eyes using observation, pharmaceutical agents and instruments to determine visual perception, acuity, coordination and focus. Tests may include subjective refractions, retinoscopy, lensometry, slit lamp examination, visual fields, pupil and mobility testing, genioscopy, and tear function testing
- Based on exam, diagnose diseases and anomalies such as color blindness or glaucoma
- Clearly document diagnosis and treatment plan, including referrals, therapeutic prescriptions and long-term medical management, in patients’ charts
- Prescribe and fit vision aides such as contact lenses and eyeglasses
- Perform eye surgeries, such as laser vision correction and cataract, and provide pre- and post-operative care
- Maintain communication with ophthalmology, optical and support staff in order to optimize quality clinical care and service
- Provide any necessary low-vision rehabilitation and vision therapy to improve visual issues
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Doctor of Optometry (OD) Degree
- State optometric license
- Minimum two years of work experience
- Ability to work weekends
Preferred:
- Completion of one-year ACOE accredited residency program
- Glaucoma certified
- Certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents
- Experience with Electronic Medical Record
Optometrist Job Responsibilities
Finding a qualified optometrist requires you to adequately communicate what you’re looking for in the ideal candidate. The most substantial part of your job posting will be a list of daily duties and other essential tasks that your new hire will perform. Candidates will use the job responsibilities section to understand what the role entails, what they’ll be doing if they’re hired and how the position will contribute to your organization’s success.
Readability and clarity are both important in this section of your optometrist job description. Bullet points visually separate the job responsibilities from the rest of your text and give a subtle mental signal that this content is vital. Six or eight points focusing on the position’s central duties should be enough, as you don’t want to burden jobseekers with too much detail. Strong action verbs are also descriptive and explicit, leaving no doubt about the essentials of the job.
With so many critical duties involved in this position, you might have difficulty thinking of what to include in your optometrist job description. These examples of optometrist job responsibilities should provide some inspiration for your own list:
- Conduct vision testing on clinic patients
- Diagnose vision problems, along with conditions impacting eye health
- Prescribe contacts, glasses and other visual aids
- Recommend preoperative and postoperative care instructions for patients undergoing surgery
Optometrist Job Specifications
You’ll also specify the job skills and qualifications necessary for the ideal applicant in your optometrist job description. When writing this portion of your job posting, remember that it serves a few different purposes. It not only conveys what education, abilities and work experience you desire for your new hire, but it’s also a method to weed out applicants who aren’t a good fit for the job. That reduces the pileup of responses in your inbox and increases the likelihood that you’ll have a good pool of qualified jobseekers from which to choose.
Unless you’re also the direct supervisor for the position, you’ll need to confer with the appropriate hiring manager or senior leadership. They are familiar with the schooling, skills and career expertise needed for the job, so collaborating with them is a vital step in writing an effective optometrist job description. Keep in mind that you should separate this list in two groups, “required” and “preferred,” in the text of your posting. The former are the absolute essentials to performing the job, while the latter are great bonuses that add value for your organization.
As you’re composing your optometrist job specifications list, you might find these examples useful:
- Possess a Doctor of Optometry degree
- Current active license issued by the State Board of Optometry
- 3 years or more of previous experience in a vision center or optometry practice
- Strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
