Bachelor of Optometry

Overview

Bachelor of Optometry is a four-year undergraduate degree program that trains students to become licensed optometrists. The curriculum covers various aspects of optometry, such as anatomy and physiology of the eye, optics, ophthalmic instrumentation, ocular pharmacology, and binocular vision. Students also gain practical experience through clinical rotations and internships.

Graduates of Bachelor of Optometry programs are equipped to provide comprehensive eye care services, including vision testing, diagnosis and management of eye diseases, prescription of eyeglasses and contact lenses, and pre- and post-operative care. They can also specialize in areas such as pediatric optometry, geriatric optometry, sports vision, and low vision rehabilitation.

The demand for optometrists is increasing, and graduates of Bachelor of Optometry programs have excellent career prospects. They can work in various settings, such as private practices, eye clinics, hospitals, and community health centers. They can also pursue research and development in the field of vision care. Admission requirements typically include completion of high school or an equivalent qualification in science subjects.

Course Objective

Prepare students for quality eye-care, as an independent practitioner and/or as an optometry professional with modern knowledge, skills, and attitude in areas related to optics and vision, instruments, diagnostics, speciality practices, clinical ophthalmology, and public health.
Enable them to adapt to the changing and emerging lens and dispensing techniques, clinical assessment of refraction, binocular vision, low vision, vision diagnostics and aids for effective prevention, care, and rehabilitation of vision health with utmost regard to continuous learning, medical ethics and social responsibility.

Career Opportunity

The career scope of a Bachelor of Optometry (B.Optom) graduate is quite diverse, with many opportunities available in the field of vision care. Below are some of the career options available for B.Optom graduates:

Optometrist: The most common career path for B.Optom graduates is to become licensed optometrists, providing primary vision care services, such as eye examinations, prescribing eyeglasses and contact lenses, and diagnosing and treating eye diseases. Optometrists work in private practice, clinics, hospitals, or retail settings, and they may also specialize in a particular area of optometry, such as pediatric optometry, sports vision, or low vision.
Ophthalmic Technician: B.Optom graduates can also work as ophthalmic technicians, providing support to ophthalmologists in diagnosing and treating eye diseases. Their responsibilities may include measuring visual acuity, performing visual field tests, and assisting with surgical procedures. Ophthalmic technicians can work in hospitals, clinics, or private practice settings.
Vision Scientist: B.Optom graduates can work as vision scientists, conducting research in the field of optometry and vision care. They may work in academic or industrial research settings, developing new technologies and treatments for eye diseases and vision disorders. Vision scientists may also work in government agencies or non-profit organizations focused on improving eye health and preventing blindness.
Educator: B.Optom graduates can pursue a career in teaching and research, working as faculty members in optometry colleges and universities, training the next generation of optometrists and vision care professionals. They can also develop and deliver continuing education programs for practicing optometrists.
Sales and Marketing: B.Optom graduates can work in the sales and marketing departments of eyewear and contact lens manufacturers, optical equipment suppliers, and other vision care companies. They can help promote and sell products to eye care professionals or directly to consumers.
Entrepreneur: B.Optom graduates can also start their own optometry practice or vision care business. They can offer specialized services or products that cater to a particular market or niche, such as sports vision or pediatric optometry.

In conclusion, a Bachelor of Optometry (B.Optom) degree provides graduates with a wide range of career opportunities in the field of vision care. With the increasing demand for vision care services and the need for accurate diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, B.Optom graduates have a promising career scope in various fields of optometry and vision science.

Course Structure

Core Curriculum

Optics and Vision

Geometrical & Physical optics:

mirrors and lenses, properties of the images formed on the retina, optics of the eye, study of light, its properties and its interaction with matter.

Visual Optics:

concept of eye as an optical instrument, optical components of eye, types of refractive errors, clinical approach in diagnosis and management of various types of refractive errors.

Instruments & Diagnostics

Ophthalmic Instrumentation:

Advanced learning of design, methods of different ophthalmic instruments and its diagnostic procedures in eye care

Ophthalmic Lens & Dispensing:

spectacle lenses and frames, their materials, types, advantages and disadvantages, calculations involved, when and how to prescribe, the construction, design application and development of lenses, particularly the methods of calculating their power and effect.

Optical and Ophthalmic Instrumentation:

commonly used optometric instruments, its basic principle, description and usage in clinical practice.

Clinical Refraction:

various clinical refraction procedures, pediatric optommetry, special population,neuro optometric evaluation, sports vision etc

Optometry speciality Practices

Binocular Vision & Ocular Mobility:

Theoretical aspects of Binocular Vision, ocular mobility, clinical application, normal binocular vision and space perception, Gross anatomy and physiology of extraocular muscles, various binocular vision anomalies, its diagnostic approaches and management

Low Vision Aids & Visual rehabilitation:

Science of low vision, epidemiology aspect of visual impairment, types of low vision devices and its optical principles, clinical approach of the low vision patients, assistive devices for totally visually challenged, art of prescribing low vision devices, training the low vision patients and other rehabilitation measures, causes of Low vision, functional and psychosocial consequences, best suitable low vision care through functional assistive devices and rehabilitation.

Contact lens:

Fundamentals of ocular lens, theoretical and practical aspects of Contact Lenses.

Clinical Ophthalmology

Microbiology & pathology:

basic biological, biochemical and pathogenic characteristics of pathogenic organisms.

Ocular Anatomy and physiology:

gross, functional and applied anatomy, various structures in the eye and adnexa, structure and connections between the various parts of the central nervous system and the eye, normal functioning of all structures of the eye and their interactions, physiological aspects of normal growth and development of the eye, the phenomenon of vision

Biochemistry:

Structure ,function and interrelationship of biomolecules and consequences of deviation from the normal, Integration of various aspects of metabolism and their regulatory pathways, Understand metabolic processes taking place in different ocular structures.

Ocular Disease:

To understand various ocular diseases affecting various parts of the eyes. It covers clinical signs and symptoms, cause, pathophysiological mechanism, diagnostic approach, differential diagnosis and management aspects of the ocular diseases.

Systemic condition and the eye:

Definition, classification, clinical diagnosis, complications and management of various systemic diseases with its ocular manifestations.

Public Health

Public Health and Community Optometry:

Fundamentals of public health, basic sciences of public health optometry, community optometry, epidemiology of vision problems especially focused on Indian scenerio, case studies

Pharmacology:

actions, uses, adverse effects and mode of administration of drugs related to eyes, application and interpretation, clinical optometry procedures in routine optometric examination

Research methodology & Biostatistics:

Fundamentals on qualitative and quantitative research methods, biostatistics and statistical application on vision data, data analysis, basic principles of research and methods, inferences from the research findings, field project