Your Ophthalmologist & The Eye Care Team

Ophthalmologists are highly-trained eye physicians and surgeons, the designated medical leaders in the eye care team.

They are licensed medical specialists in eye and vision care, surgery and medical interventions, and the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of serious eye disease.

Ophthalmologists perform comprehensive eye exams, conduct surgery, prescribe and administer medication, and determine the ideal prescription for corrective lenses.

Ophthalmologists are physicians who, upon graduation from medical school, undertake several years of post-graduate training in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye.

Optometrists are primary health care providers who specialize in the examination, diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of disease and disorders of the visual system, the eye and associated structures as well as the diagnosis of ocular manifestations of systemic conditions.

A four-year doctor of optometry degree program follows a bachelor of science degree.

Opticians are licensed professionals trained to help you see better – whether you’re near or far-sighted, or have low vision due to more complex eye health issues.

Registered opticians are specially trained to design, fit, and dispense eyeglasses, contact lenses, low vision aids, and prosthetic ocular devices.

They interpret written prescriptions from ophthalmologists (medical doctors) and optometrists (non-medical eye care professionals) to determine the specifications of ophthalmic appliances necessary to correct a person’s eyesight.

Ophthalmologists are physicians who, upon graduation from medical school, undertake several years of post-graduate training in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye.

This training begins with a broad exposure to general medical problem management, emergency services, pediatric care, and selected exposure to such disciplines as neurology and endocrinology.

It also includes intensive training in clinical settings with exposure to acute and chronic disease and the experience of long-term follow-up for conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and degenerative disorders.

Extensive surgical experience is incorporated into the last 24 months of training. Many ophthalmologists continue their training for a further 12–24 months in a variety of subspecialties.

As the designated leader of the eye care team in their community or hospital, ophthalmologists work closely with orthoptists, ophthalmic technicians or technologists, nurses, other physicians, and often optometrists.

Ophthalmologists offer a comprehensive approach to ocular symptoms and disease.

In addition to diagnosing and treating ocular disease by medical or surgical means, ophthalmologists can provide comprehensive ocular-visual assessments, including prescribing corrective lenses.

They are also involved in kerato-refractive surgery using surgical and laser techniques to correct a variety of conditions.

Family physicians play a pivotal role in the delivery of health care in Canada, including the prevention and treatment of eye disease.

Their comprehensive medical knowledge allows them to relate ocular symptoms and signs to systemic disease, and their understanding of microbiology enables them to recognize and treat common eye infections.

Family physicians also refer patients to appropriate eye care professionals as needed — to ophthalmologists for the diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease or to optometrists for oculo-visual assessments.

Many emergency physicians staffing hospital emergency rooms are trained in emergency medicine, while others are family physicians with extensive ER experience.

These doctors have the clinical skills to manage acute eye injuries and disease in emergency situations. After initial treatment, patients are referred to ophthalmologists for follow-up.

Pediatricians are physicians with post-graduate training that enables them to recognize and treat diseases in children and adolescents.

As active members of the eye care team, pediatricians play a vital role in identifying ocular signs and symptoms of disease in young patients.

Internists care for adults and, like pediatricians, are important members of the vision care team.

They recognize the signs and symptoms of ocular disease and work closely with ophthalmologists in managing patients with neurological disorders or systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease.

An orthoptist is specially trained to recognize and treat — by non-medical and non-surgical means — anomalies of binocular vision usually associated with the misalignment of the patient’s eyes.

Orthoptists work with ophthalmologists in standardized assessments of ocular motility, important in diagnosing strabismus and amblyopia and in long-term follow-up during treatment with glasses or after surgical correction.

Orthoptists have a strong professional association, The Canadian Orthoptic Society, and are governed by the Canadian Orthoptic Council (COC), which sets standards for entry into the profession.

The COC conducts accreditation visits of orthoptic training programs and administers written and clinical examinations required for entry into the profession.

There are various levels of ophthalmic medical personnel, such as ophthalmic assistants, ophthalmic technicians, and ophthalmic technologists. They work with ophthalmologists to provide patient care by performing clinical functions including patient work-ups and diagnostic or therapeutic procedures under supervision.

The ophthalmologist is responsible for the performance of ophthalmic medical personnel, and absolute responsibility for patient care lies with the ophthalmologist.

Certification at all three levels can be obtained through the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

There are numerous educational programs across the country, including a yearly technicians meeting at the COS Annual Meeting and Exhibition.

Ophthalmic Assistant distance education courses

Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology (Scarborough, Ontario)
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Ophthalmic Technician program (1 year)

Kingston Ophthalmic Training Centre at the Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, Ontario

Ophthalmic Technologist programs (2 years)

Rockyview General Hospital, Calgary, Alberta
IWK Children’s Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia (combined Technologist + Orthoptics)
Kingston Ophthalmic Training Centre at the Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, Ontario
University of Ottawa / Ottawa Eye Institute, Ottawa, Ontario
Stanton Eye Clinic, Yellowknife, NWT

An Ophthalmic Nurse cares for people with eye disorders, including performing pre-operative assessments before eye surgery.

Ophthalmic Nurses are essential during operations, assisting the surgical team and functioning as circulating or scrub nurses. They position patients safely, verify the surgical site, and support instrumentation during surgery.

An optometrist is a health professional trained to assess the eye and visual system, sensory and ocular motor disorders, and dysfunctions of the eye and visual system, and to diagnose refractive disorders.

The optometrist identifies and assesses clinical findings and symptoms, and provides patients with appropriate care according to accepted optometric standards of practice.

They prescribe and dispense corrective and preventative devices and work collaboratively with other members of the vision care team to ensure patients are referred appropriately for diagnostic and therapeutic needs.

An optician supplies, prepares, and dispenses optical appliances, interprets prescriptions prepared by ophthalmologists and optometrists, and fits, adjusts, and adapts optical appliances.

Opticians are also known as ophthalmic dispensers or dispensing opticians.