Are you worried about the career after B.Sc Optometry?
Are you interested to know the demand for the B.Sc Optometry?
Please read this article till the end to know more
What is B.Sc Optometry?
The B.Sc Optometry is the branch of allied health science that completely deals with eye care eye disorders and vision treatments. The students who have completed their PUC/12th or equivalent are eligible to apply for the B.Sc Optometry. The B.Sc optometry is the 3-year degree programme and the students willing to apply to this course should have studied any of the following three subjects Physics, Chemistry, Biology in their PUC/12th or equivalent from the recognized central or any state board.
Roles of the B.Sc Optometry students
The B.Sc Optometry students are trained on multiple tasks apart from eye care and optics. They are trained to work in both healthcare and non-healthcare sectors. They will be gaining numerous skills that are related to vision and optical systems. They will also be trained to assist the eye surgeons during the eye surgeries. Some of the important roles of the B.Sc Optometry students are:
- They are given the training to check the vision of the patients using the sophisticated optical instruments
- They are given the training to diagnose the vision disorders in the patients
- They are trained to perform vision checks and prescribe the lenses of exact power of spectacles and lenses
- They are given the training to administer the anaesthesia to the eyes of the patients undergoing eye surgery
- They are given the training to assist the eye surgeon in the eye operations
- They are given the training to manufacture the lenses of both spectacles and contact lenses according to the specific power and refractions
Job roles available after the B.Sc Optometry
There are various job roles available after B.Sc optometry. They are having ample job opportunities across the different fields that are related to eye disorders and vision care. They are usually hired in eye hospitals, eye clinics, optical centres, optical shops, optical manufacturing companies etc. Some of the job roles available after B.Sc Optometry are:
Optometrist
The Optometrist is the independent primary health care provider who performs the primary diagnosis of eye disorders. They specialize in eye care and visual health but not medical professionals. They mainly focus on regular vision check-ups and prescribe the relevant powered glasses for the patients. They perform eye check-ups using the equipment and judge the exact power for the patients and prescribe the same power for them. They are also responsible to perform free eye tests to the underprivileged along with the associations of hospitals and NGOs.
Optician
The opticians suggest the glasses and lenses to the patients according to the prescription given by the optometrist and ophthalmologist. They work in optical manufacturing companies and optical shops. Their main role is to prepare the glasses and spectacles according to the prescribed powers. They have to calibrate the glasses and lenses for exact powers and deliver to the patients. The opticians along with the eye hospitals and NGOs will sometimes take part in free eye check-up camps in the villages.
Optical Analyst
The main job role of the optical analyst is to perform the quality assurance tests on the optical products especially the spectacles and contact lenses. They are required to measure the exact refractive index, optical dimensions of the lenses, power of the lenses and many more. They are usually seen working in optical instrument manufacturing companies, spectacles and lens making companies, optical shops etc.
Ophthalmic Assistant
The ophthalmic assistants are mainly hired in the eye hospitals, eye clinics, multi-speciality hospitals, nursing homes, eye care centres etc. They are responsible to assist the eye surgeons in the eye surgeries. They are required to calibrate the surgical instruments; they are required to administer the local anaesthesia to the patients undergoing eye surgery. They are also necessary to closely monitor the healing process after eye surgery in the patients. They are also responsible to procure the required items for the eye surgery.
Optical Executives
The optical executives are hired in large numbers in the companies that manufacture the optical instruments and glasses and lenses. Their main aim is to create market demand for optical products. They are also required to certify the finished products before delivery to the clients. They are required to perform extensive quality checks on the products and perform the required calibration to the instruments according to the requirements of the clients.
Salary Packages
The average salary package for the B.Sc optometry students is around 4 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum. The average B.Sc optometry fresher will be earning around 4 lakhs per annum. The salary varies according to recruiters. Some may pay high while some may pay less. The salary exponentially increases according to the skills and experience gained during their careers.
Placement Opportunities
The B.Sc Optometry students can find ample job opportunities in the field of eye care and vision care. They are largely hired in government eye hospitals, private eye hospitals, super speciality hospitals, multi-speciality hospitals, nursing homes, eye care clinics. They are also hired in optical companies, optical shops, optical manufacturing companies and many more areas that are related to eye care and vision care.
Some of the top recruiters for B.Sc Optometric students are:
- Narayana Netralaya
- Shankara Netralaya
- Nethradhama
- Vasan Eye Care
- Lenskart
- Specsmakers
- Ben Franklin
- Tata Eye+
- John Jacobs Glasses
- Ray-Ban glasses
- Carl Zeus Lenses
- Crizal Lenses
Conclusion
The demand for the B.Sc optometric students has gained importance in the last decade. The changed lifestyle of the people has created a room for many B.Sc optometric job opportunities. The increased usage of the televisions, laptops, mobiles has resulted in the development of the many eye disorders at a very young age. This has increased to eye hospitals and eye clinics. The demand for skilled professionals is increasing day by day.
The students who are passionate about eye care and vision care can choose to pursue B.Sc optometry. The B.Sc optometry course helps them to land in lucrative jobs in the field of eye care and vision care and also the sectors allied to it. There is a fair amount of demand for the B.Sc optometry students in the medical field especially in the field of ophthalmology. It is not mandatory to do MBBS to get inside the medical field, the students have abundant opportunities in the medical field even without an MBBS degree.