Ophthalmic Medical Technologist Assist ophthalmologists by performing ophthalmic clinical functions and ophthalmic photography. Provide instruction and supervision to other ophthalmic personnel. Assist with minor surgical procedures, applying aseptic techniques and preparing instruments. May perform eye exams, administer eye medications, and instruct patients in care and use of corrective lenses.
Ophthalmic Medical Technologist is Also Know as
In different settings, Ophthalmic Medical Technologist is titled as
- Certified Diagnostic Ophthalmic Sonographer (CDOS)
- Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT)
- Ophthalmic Echographer
- Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (Ophthalmic Medical Tech)
- Ophthalmic Photographer
- Ophthalmic Sonographer
- Ophthalmic Technologist (Ophthalmic Tech)
- Ophthalmic Ultrasonographer
- Registered Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrist (ROUB)
- Surgical Coordinator
Education and Training of Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
Ophthalmic Medical Technologist is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience Required for Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education Required for Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees Related to Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
- Bachelor in Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant
- Associate Degree Courses in Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant
- Masters Degree Courses in Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant
- Bachelor in Radiologist Assistant
- Associate Degree Courses in Radiologist Assistant
- Masters Degree Courses in Radiologist Assistant
- Bachelor in Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Tec
- Associate Degree Courses in Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Tec
- Masters Degree Courses in Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Tec
- Bachelor in Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation
- Associate Degree Courses in Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation
- Masters Degree Courses in Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation
- Bachelor in Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
- Associate Degree Courses in Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
- Masters Degree Courses in Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
- Bachelor in Gene/Genetic Therapy
- Associate Degree Courses in Gene/Genetic Therapy
- Masters Degree Courses in Gene/Genetic Therapy
Training Required for Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Related Ocuupations
Some Ocuupations related to Ophthalmic Medical Technologist in different industries are
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
- Medical Assistants
- Surgical Assistants
- Endoscopy Technicians
- Surgical Technologists
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
- Pediatric Surgeons
- Cardiologists
- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric
- Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric
- Anesthesiologist Assistants
- Optometrists
- Emergency Medicine Physicians
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
- Dermatologists
- Radiation Therapists
What Do Ophthalmic Medical Technologist do?
- Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications.
- Assess abnormalities of color vision, such as amblyopia.
- Assess refractive condition of eyes, using retinoscope.
- Assist physicians in performing ophthalmic procedures, including surgery.
- Calculate corrections for refractive errors.
- Collect ophthalmic measurements or other diagnostic information, using ultrasound equipment, such as A-scan ultrasound biometry or B-scan ultrasonography equipment.
- Conduct binocular disparity tests to assess depth perception.
- Conduct ocular motility tests to measure function of eye muscles.
- Conduct tests, such as the Amsler Grid test, to measure central visual field used in the early diagnosis of macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diseases of the eye.
- Conduct tonometry or tonography tests to measure intraocular pressure.
- Conduct visual field tests to measure field of vision.
- Create three-dimensional images of the eye, using computed tomography (CT).
- Measure and record lens power, using lensometers.
- Measure corneal curvature with keratometers or ophthalmometers to aid in the diagnosis of conditions, such as astigmatism.
- Measure corneal thickness, using pachymeter or contact ultrasound methods.
- Measure the thickness of the retinal nerve, using scanning laser polarimetry techniques to aid in diagnosis of glaucoma.
- Measure visual acuity, including near, distance, pinhole, or dynamic visual acuity, using appropriate tests.
- Perform advanced ophthalmic procedures, including electrophysiological, electrophysical, or microbial procedures.
- Perform fluorescein angiography of the eye.
- Perform slit lamp biomicroscopy procedures to diagnose disorders of the eye, such as retinitis, presbyopia, cataracts, or retinal detachment.
- Photograph patients' eye areas, using clinical photography techniques, to document retinal or corneal defects.
- Supervise or instruct ophthalmic staff.
- Take anatomical or functional ocular measurements, such as axial length measurements, of the eye or surrounding tissue.
- Call patients to inquire about their post-operative status or recovery.
- Clean or sterilize ophthalmic or surgical instruments.
- Conduct low vision blindness tests.
- Instruct patients in the care and use of contact lenses.
- Maintain ophthalmic instruments or equipment.
- Take and document patients' medical histories.
- Perform ophthalmic triage, in the office or by phone, to assess severity of patients' conditions.
- Educate patients on ophthalmic medical procedures, conditions of the eye, and appropriate use of medications.
Qualities of Good Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
- Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
- Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
- Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
- Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
- Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
- Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
- Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
- Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
- Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
- Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
- Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
- Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Tools Used by Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
- A-scan biometers
- Amsler grids
- Automated lensometers
- Autorefractors
- B-Scan biometers
- Bio-microscopes
- Brightness acuity testers
- Color blindness tests
- Corneal pachymeters
- Corneal topographers
- Digital pupillometers
- Electroretinogram equipment
- Eye chart projectors
- Fundus cameras
- Handheld occluders
- Hertel exophthalmometers
- Jaeger lid plates
- Keratometers
- Laser facsimile machines
- Luedde exophthalmometers
- Maddox rods
- Manual blood pressure cuffs
- Manual lensometers
- Manual pupillometers
- Millimeter rules
- Naugle exophthalmometers
- Ocular transilluminators
- Ophthalmic perimeters
- Ophthalmic retinoscopes
- Ophthalmic slit lamps
- Ophthalmic syringes
- Ophthalmic tonographers
- Ophthalmic tonometers
- Ophthalmoscopes
- Optical coherence tomography OCT scanners
- Optokinetic drums
- Personal computers
- Phoroptors
- Potential acuity meters
- Retinal tomography machines
- Scanning laser ophthalmoscopes
- Snellen eye charts
- Specular microscopes
- Steam autoclaves
- Stereo vision tests
- Tangent screens
- Titmus vision screeners
- Visual acuity cards
- Wavefront aberrometers
Technology Skills required for Ophthalmic Medical Technologist
- AcuityPro
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Email software
- EyeMD EMR Healthcare Systems EyeMD EMR
- ezChartWriter
- Hypertext preprocessor PHP
- iChartPlus
- JavaScript
- Medflow Complete
- MediPro Medisoft Clinical
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft operating system
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- NaviNet Open
- SAP software
- Web browser software
- Word processing software