Becoming a pediatric optometrist requires a strong background in math and science, an undergraduate degree in a science field, a doctorate from an accredited school of optometry, completion of at least one year of work postdoctoral fellow in pediatric optometry, and licensing. Students should prepare in high school and pursue a bachelor’s degree in a science field. After completing at least three years of college education, students should look for accredited optometry schools and complete four years of formal optometry study. After finishing optometry school, optometrists must follow their jurisdiction’s licensing guidelines and complete a graduate program, fellowship or internship in their preferred area of optometry.
Launching a career as a pediatric optometrist begins with a strong background in math and science in high school, followed by an undergraduate degree in a science field, a doctorate from an accredited school of optometry, and completion of at least one year of work postdoctoral fellow in pediatric optometry. Eight or nine years of post-high school study and applied clinical work is the standard for becoming a pediatric optometrist. Licensing is also a requirement in most jurisdictions and usually occurs upon completion of optometry school prior to specialization study.
A person who wants to become a pediatric optometrist should start preparing in high school. Any general science, math, or biology course will be helpful. Once a person has a high school diploma or a graduate equivalence diploma (GED), they should look for accredited colleges that offer pre-optometry programs or courses. Courses in English, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology are required by most optometry schools afterwards, so it is generally more logical for a student to major in a field of science as an undergraduate. Three years of study is the minimum requirement for entering an optometry school; therefore, people usually pursue a bachelor’s degree.
After completing at least three years of college education, a person who wants to become a pediatric optometrist should begin looking for accredited optometry schools. Competition for places at these schools is fierce, with only about a third of applicants being accepted. This is in part because only a few optometric schools are available compared to other academic institutions – in the United States, for example, only 19 colleges were accredited by the American Optometric Association’s Council on Optometric Education in 2007. , students must take and pass the Optometry Admission Test, a competency exam that tests general academic and scientific knowledge.
If a person is accepted into an optometry school, the next step in becoming a pediatric optometrist is to complete four years of formal optometry study. During this time, students take courses such as vision science, optics, pharmacology, systematic disease, and biochemistry. Programs have a clinical component that allows students to practice practical skills under supervision, with most clinical work being done in the last year or two of the optometry program.
After finishing optometry school, an optometrist must follow their jurisdiction’s licensing guidelines. The requirement in the United States, for example, is to apply for a license with the candidate’s State Board of Optometry. This requires taking and passing various exams related to optometry and applicable regulations.
The final step for any optometrist wanting to specialize is to complete a graduate program, fellowship or internship in their preferred area of optometry. Pediatric optometry is considered a specialty area; therefore, a person who wants to become a pediatric optometrist must undertake this postdoctoral work. One to three years is the minimum amount of specialization study. Completion of this work, including clinical studies and case study submission, qualifies the optometrist to take additional examinations in pediatric optometry to become certified in the specialization.
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