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Ophthalmic Medical Technicians

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions. May administer eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct the patient in care and use of corrective lenses.

What you’d do

  • Take and document patients' medical histories.
  • Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure.
  • Operate ophthalmic equipment, such as autorefractors, phoropters, tomographs, or retinoscopes.
  • Take anatomical or functional ocular measurements of the eye or surrounding tissue, such as axial length measurements.
  • Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.
  • Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.
  • Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications.
  • Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Service Orientation
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Writing

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant
  • Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT)
  • Ophthalmic Assistant
  • Ophthalmic Tech (Ophthalmic Technician)
  • Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technician (Certified Ophthalmic Medical Tech)
  • Certified Ophthalmic Technician-Surgical Assistant (COT-SA)

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