We know that a number of our blog readers are interested to learn what a career as an optical/optometric assistant entails. That is why we tracked down this Q&A interview with actual optometric assistant, Tina Brank: http://www.startribune.com/all-in-a-day-s-work-optometric-assistant/32370199/
In this interview, Tina addresses the following topics:
- Why she decided to become an optometric assistant
- What a normal day on the job is like for her
- How her role as an optical assistant fits into the larger healthcare picture
- And what she likes about her career as an optical assistant
Why did Tina decide to become an optometric assistant?
Tina chose to become an optometric assistant because she wanted to work in a professional and clean clinical setting. She was also interested in the additional educational opportunities available to optical assistants. Another thing that attracted her to her career as an optical assistant is that it is a sustainable occupation because the hours are stable and she doesn’t get fatigued thanks to the balance of sitting, standing, and walking around the office.
What does a normal day on the job look like for Tina?
Tina’s daily tasks include:
- Assisting the doctor during appointments with 10-20 patients a day
- Preparing files
- Reviewing patient charts
- Obtaining results from various vision and eye health assessments
- Updating patient medical histories
- Asking patients about their vision health
- Handling light paperwork
- Fielding phone calls
- Scheduling appointments
How does Tina’s job as an optical assistant fit into the larger overall healthcare picture?
With Tina’s assistance during eye exams, the eye doctor can detect serious health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Her particular optometric office also participates in a federal program called InfantSEE, which provides free eye exams to children from six to 12 months old. These exams are critical as the Center for Disease Control estimates that less than 15 percent of preschool aged children receive eye assessments.
What does Tina enjoy about her job?
Tina likes her work environment. It is a clean and professional clinical setting where she gets a healthy mix of working with people and working with paperwork. She also states something that is pretty common for people in the medical field: she really likes helping people! She especially enjoys educating new patients and helping them have a pleasant first visit to the eye doctor.
Now that we have some insight from an experienced optometric assistant, what are your thoughts about a career as an optometric assistant? Might you also be interested in pursuing a rewarding career as an optometric assistant? If you are interested in becoming an optical assistant and you live in the San Antonio area you’re in luck, because our accredited Optical/Optometric Assistant program can be completed in as little as ten months. Call to speak with your admissions representative today!
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