Three young women are using their talents to help people see well. Kelly Barto, Denise Hershey and Janel Ruhl, all graduates from Central Pennsylvania College, work as optometric technicians at Eye Associates of Lancaster in Pennsylvania.
A typical day for these optometric technicians begins around 7:30 a.m., when they make sure the exam rooms are ready for incoming patients. This involves making sure the rooms are clean and fully stocked with medication and other items necessary during an examination. Barto, Hershey and Ruhl are the first to examine patients. They prepare patients for the doctor by doing initial vision checks, measuring eye pressure and dilating patients’ eyes if necessary.
Barto, Hershey and Ruhl all majored in optometric technology and received associate’s degrees in applied science. A degree in optometric technology requires study in optics, anatomy, physics, physiology, eye diseases and optometric procedures.
Barto became interested in the field of optometric technology after reading a pamphlet about Central Pennsylvania College’s program (http://www.centralpenn.edu). Hershey knew she wanted to be in the health-care field. She didn’t want to go into dentistry, and optometry seemed interesting. Ruhl entered Central Pennsylvania College in the physical-therapy program. When she learned about the optometric technology program, she decided to switch majors.
These optometric technicians say the best thing about their job is helping patients to see well. Ruhl enjoys being part of a team that is able to help correct a person’s vision. Barto says that one of the great things about being an optometric technician is the ability to meet new and interesting people. “There are all different types of people who come into the office everyday,” she says. “It’s interesting to learn about them.”
The worst part about being an optometric technician is that there are some people who can’t be helped. “There are some patients that have a disease that affects their eye sight. It’s always sad when you have to tell them that you can’t help them,” Hershey says. Barto and Ruhl both agree that being unable to help a patient it is frustrating and sad.
The future of optometric technology is optimistic. With new technology being developed, there will be new opportunities to help people see better.
If you are interested in becoming an optometric technician, Barto, Hershey and Ruhl suggest studying optometric technology. Hershey emphasizes that math is a necessary part of the field. Required classes in optics involve physics and geometry. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology are also important.
As part of their program at Central Pennsylvania College, Barto, Hershey and Ruhl interned at optics practices. This was when they were able to decide the specialty in which they were most interested. The specialty of optometry, for example, deals mainly with the overall health of the eye while ophthalmology deals mainly with eye surgery. In ten years, all three women still see themselves working in the field of optometry. There are many different certification levels than an optometric technician can receive. Barto, Hershey and Ruhl all say they hope to become more experienced and receive more certifications as they continue to work in their field.
Check out these Web sites:
www.centralpenn.edu/education/programs/optometric_technician.htm: Central Pennsylvania College’s optometric technician site
www.eyeassociateslancaster.com: Eye Associates of Lancaster
www.poaeyes.org/index.html: Pennsylvania Optometric Association
www.aoanet.org/accreditation-manual-technician.html: American Optometric Association
