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From: tracy@hcrvx1.UUCP (Tracy Tims)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Follow-up on Optometrists vs Ophthalmologists Info
Message-ID: <1116@hcrvx1.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Feb-85 18:25:24 EST
Article-I.D.: hcrvx1.1116
Posted: Wed Feb 13 18:25:24 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 01:51:15 EST
References: <507@bentley.UUCP>
Organization: Human Computing Resources Corp
Lines: 27

I just want to point out a couple of things.  First is that optometrists are
Doctors.  They are Doctors of Optometry.  Up here it takes 6 years of
university to be one.  You can learn a lot in 6 years.

The second thing is that they know a lot more than how to fit glasses and
lenses.  Yup, they can do that really well.  They are also really good
at recognising *medical* conditions.  They study hard to be able to do that.
The goal is so that you *don't have to go to an ophthalmologist* unless you
actually, really, honestly do have something pathological or medical wrong
that needs treatment.

Optometrists know easily enough to send you to the right person when something
goes wrong.  They are trained even to spot signs of diseases like diabetes
in your eyes.  The only thing they don't concentrate on in terms of eyes is
how to *treat* medical and pathological conditions.

Optometrists are involved in research into eyes and visual systems.  There are
graduate programs in optometry.

They are serious eye care professionals.  Think of them as the dentists (rather
than the oral surgeons) of the eye care world.

	"Some of my best friends are optometrists!"

                              Tracy Tims    ihnp4!utzoo!hcr!hcrvx1!tracy
   Human Computing Resources Corporation         utcsri!hcr!hcrvx1!tracy
 Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  416 922-1937          dciem!hcr!hcrvx1!tracy