Posted April 29th, 2020
By Kris Powers
Ophthalmic assistants work with and under ophthalmic technicians and an ophthalmologist. They prepare the patient for their exam and perform initial testing before the ophthalmologist sees the patient. These tests may include preliminary eye function tests, testing vision, measuring the dimension of the eyes and measuring the distance between the eyes. They may also discuss procedures and medications with the patient and obtain medical histories. In some offices, they may also assist the ophthalmologist with surgical procedures.
The most common duties of an ophthalmic assistant include:
- Gathering medical records and patient information
- Taking ocular measurements, both anatomical and functional
- Administering or preparing medications
- Providing eye care and contact lens information to the patient
- Maintaining and cleaning ophthalmic instruments
- Assisting the ophthalmologist in basic procedures
Ophthalmic assistants work in either small private practices or for larger companies. If an ophthalmic technician is working in a small private practice their duties may include, attaching medical codes to procedures, billing clients and insurance companies, greeting patients, and scheduling appointments. Along with their patient care, they may also be responsible for office duties as well.
As the population continues to age, the demand for ophthalmic assistants will continue to grow. While more people are opting for Lasik eye surgery, there is still a need for eye examinations, glasses and contacts. Start your career as an ophthalmic assistant today and always be in demand!
Ed4Career offers Complete Career Training Programs in the medical field including the Ophthalmic Assistant Associate Program. This program includes the Ophthalmic Assistant and Microsoft® Office (MOS) 2016 courses. You will learn the anatomy of the eye, common diseases and disorders, how to test and treat these disorders, surgical techniques, types of eye surgeries and much more. Our Microsoft® Office course will teach you how to use all of the different programs within Microsoft® Office including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, etc. These will prepare you to work in an office setting as an ophthalmic assistant.
Upon successful completion of our Ophthalmic Assistant course, students will be prepared for an entry-level position as an Ophthalmic Assistant and will be prepared, in part, to become a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Certification (COA-A3) by taking the JCAHPO Career Advancement Tool Quiz.
Upon successful completion of our Microsoft Office 2016 course, students will be prepared to sit for Microsoft Office certification exams to become a Microsoft® Office Specialist (MOS). Only one exam is required for the MOS certification. This course prepares you for the following Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams: Exam 77-725: MOS: Microsoft Office Word 2016, Exam 77-727: MOS: Microsoft Office Excel 2016, Exam 77-729: MOS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2016, Exam 77-731: MOS: Microsoft Office Outlook 2016, Exam 77-730: MOS: Microsoft Office Access 2016.
