Description
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent eye diseases and disorders through medical, laser, and surgical care. Provide vision services, including prescribing glasses, contact lenses, and medications.
- • Provide ophthalmic consultation to other healthcare professionals.
- • Refer patients for subspecialty care when conditions exceed scope or expertise.
- • Teach and supervise interns, residents, and fellows in ophthalmic procedures and techniques.
- • Develop and implement plans, policies, and procedures for ophthalmic services.
- • Educate patients on eye health, disease prevention, and treatment options.
- • Conduct clinical or laboratory research in ophthalmology.
- • Collaborate with multidisciplinary care teams to optimize patient outcomes.
- • Provide and direct postoperative care.
- • Document and evaluate medical and ocular histories.
- • Prescribe corrective lenses, including glasses and contact lenses.
- • Prescribe or administer topical, injected, or systemic medications for ocular conditions and pain management.
- • Order, perform, and interpret diagnostic or clinical tests.
- • Develop individualized treatment plans based on history, goals, disease severity, and risk-benefit considerations.
- • Perform laser eye procedures to alter, remove, reshape, or replace ocular tissue.
- • Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitreoretinal, eye muscle (strabismus), or oculoplastic procedures.
- • Prescribe ophthalmic therapies such as intravitreal injections, chemotherapy, cryotherapy, or low vision therapy.
- • Perform comprehensive eye examinations to determine the nature and extent of ocular disorders.
- • Diagnose and treat injuries, disorders, and diseases of the eye and adnexa, including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, eyelids, and orbit.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
