In China, an optometrist in the crowd can be defined as an optometrist: a person who writes an optometry sheet can be called an optometrist as long as he can optometry myopia with optometry equipment. No matter what educational background, major or technical level you are concerned about, even many patients who need optometry don't know what major the optometrist belongs to, including you who are reading this article.
In Britain and the United States and other countries, if you want to be an optometrist, you must graduate from optometry, which is the most basic threshold. Non-graduates, including general ophthalmologists, are not allowed to engage in optometry. The purpose is to ensure professional counterparts and let people with real professional knowledge engage in optometry. In some countries, the threshold is higher, and a doctor's degree in optometry is required to issue optometry licenses. Having said that, it is necessary to talk about the difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist. Ophthalmologists focus on treating eye-related diseases, and medical knowledge is the main thing. Optometrists focus on optometry and optical knowledge. Let's briefly introduce the optometry major first, so that everyone can know about it.
Ophthalmic optics, also known as optometry, is a combination of modern optical technology and modern ophthalmology; Using modern optical principles and technology to solve visual impairment is a new interdisciplinary subject. There are two main contents in school: medical knowledge and optical knowledge. Basic medical knowledge includes anatomy, physiology, histology, pathology and ophthalmology. The basic contents of optical science include applied optics, physiological optics, special ophthalmic examination, ophthalmic diagnosis, instruments and meters, contact lenses, spectacle optics, optician, low vision and so on. In a word, optometry is a subject aimed at improving eyesight.
Why is there no threshold for optometrists in China? This is related to the national conditions of China. On the one hand, there are too few schools offering optometry in China. As a result, senior three students in many places can't see this major at all on the list of volunteering, and only a few areas have schools to carry out this major, resulting in few graduates of this major, which is why many people don't know or understand optometry.
On the other hand, China has a large population, and the yellow race's genes determine the high probability of myopia. The knowledge of optometry is not popular. Not knowing how to guide children to use their eyes correctly has also caused a very high rate of acquired myopia. China's educational model, especially the academic burden of junior high school and senior high school students, has caused a large number of people with vision problems. Simply put, there are few optometrists, but many people need optometry. In China, there are many "optometrists" who study with their masters for a period of time and train a few classes before they take up their posts to engage in optometry. Especially in those places where there are no schools specializing in optometry, the proportion of optometrists who actually graduated from optometry is very small, including ophthalmology in many hospitals. Many hospitals prefer ordinary ophthalmologists and nurses to do optometry rather than optometrists who specialize in optometry. There are many reasons. The main reason is that optometry is too professional, and it can only succeed in optometry, and it is difficult to transfer to other departments because it knows little about other diseases other than ophthalmology. Another reason is that we don't know the optometry major in China. Many people mistakenly think that optometry should be done by ophthalmologists, who think that optometrists are accurate, not optometrists who specialize in optometry. So doctors are more acceptable to patients than optometrists. Ordinary optical shops are reluctant to hire professional optometrists with high salaries because of the problem of salary expenditure (high salaries for professional graduates and low salaries for non-professionals) and customers' lack of attention to optometry. In order to cater to customers' psychology, the funds are only used to rent a good market, expand stores and decorate.
In some places, optometrists account for a large proportion of optometry graduates, and these places generally have schools specializing in optometry. For example, Tianjin where Tianjin Medical University is located, Wenzhou where Wenzhou Medical University is located, Guangzhou where Sun Yat-sen University is located, and so on. As the saying goes, where there is an optometry school, there are people who understand the importance of this major, and those who need optometry will naturally take the initiative to find an optometrist in this major. Non-professional "optometrists" were given a cold shoulder, which in turn pushed the bosses of optometry industry to hire optometrists, and the professional optometrists were naturally paid high. The high salary of this major in turn promotes the willingness of senior three graduates to fill in this major, resulting in more and more professionals in this major. More professionals, in turn, will crowd out non-professional "optometrists", which is a virtuous circle. In places where there are few professional optometrists, the situation is just the opposite. You can think the other way around.
Everyone must know one thing, that is, it is often reported in the news that the pass rate of glasses sampling is very low. While condemning the merchants, we should also think about the admission system of optometrists in China. The current situation of optometrists in China is extremely low. Even the optometrist's qualification certificate was cancelled last year. It is common for ordinary ophthalmologists and even nurses to optometry patients in hospitals. Optical shops can open stores as long as they have a business license. Non-professionals can optometry glasses, how to ensure the qualified rate of glasses in this situation? Having said that, everyone should understand that the reason why the unqualified rate of glasses spot checks in news reports has been high is because there is no threshold for employment. In order to improve the qualification rate of China glasses industry, we must solve this fundamental problem.
There is also a phenomenon in China called free optometry. This phenomenon is a way for the glasses industry to compete for customers and attract customers. Over time, it has become a rule. When customers mention optometry, they will naturally think it is free.
But what we don't know is that a truly professional optometry is a process. In a simple case, it is normal to spend at least a few minutes, more than an hour or even several hours. How can you work for so long and so much energy for free? An optometrist who graduated from professional optometry has to go through ten years of cold window and long working practice to reach that professional level. Will he be willing to have a free optometry? Even if you are willing to do it for professional ethics, the bosses won't let you play. Why not? It's mainly a matter of time. Free optometry won't give you much time. Generally, the computer checks the degree and takes another look, even if it is completed. Most of the necessary optometry procedures, including the most important fine-tuning procedures, are omitted (some can't be omitted because optometrists with non-professional backgrounds can't operate standardized procedures at all). In many hospitals in China, especially on holidays, optometrists line up in a long line, but the number of optometrists is limited. If optometrists follow the standard optometry process, how many people can an optometrist test on average every day according to the working hours of eight hours a day? In this case, only the optometry time of each patient can be reduced. Generally, only a few procedures can be used to complete optometry.
It is often reported in the news that the same person goes to different places for optometry, but the results are inconsistent. Part of the reason is the error within the allowable range. More often, every optometry place is a simple optometry, and there is no precise adjustment and verification process. How can we ensure the accuracy of optometry results? It is natural that every family gets different results.
Parents often want to give their children glasses, but they are worried that glasses that are not allowed to optometry are harmful to their children's eyes, so they come up with a "smart" way, that is, to go to different places to optometry and then compare the data. The places they are looking for are either free or low-priced, and they get different results. As a result, they are very confused and don't know what the true degree of their children's eyes is. They don't know that the comprehensive analysis of cross-comparison is right, but the basis of comprehensive analysis of cross-comparison should be the conclusion drawn by professional optometrists in strict accordance with the process, otherwise it is not comparable. Free and low-cost optometry is generally a simple optometry conducted by non-professionals. Even professional optometrists who graduated from professional optometry are simple and routine optometry, and it is impossible to spend a long time strictly following the process.
In Britain and America, optometry is charged. The cost of optometry is greater than that of glasses. But the process of optometry is strictly regulated. Although I hate the harm done to China by countries such as Britain and America in modern times, I admire their optometry industry standard system, and China should learn from them in this respect. These countries have highlighted the importance of optometry, which has brought benefits to ensure the accuracy of optometry and eliminated the harm of glasses with inaccurate degrees to the eyes.
I often meet some people with better economic conditions. They pursue the materials of spectacle frames and spectacle lenses, and even buy some big brands of spectacles at high prices. There is certainly nothing to say about materials, but they often ignore the importance of optometry. If the degree is not accurate, what's the use of the best materials? For example, if a person wants to buy a pair of shoes, they will consider choosing the material of the shoes during the purchase process, but their first consideration is not this, but whether the size of the shoes is suitable for their feet. If the size is wrong and the quality is good, most brands will not buy it. Imagine that there are two pairs of shoes in front of you. One pair is made of ordinary materials, but the size meets the requirements. The other pair is made of big brands, and the material is very good, but the size is not suitable. Which pair of shoes would you choose to wear? Optometry is to measure the degree of eyes, which is equivalent to the size of shoes. Whether the size is accurate or not is the most basic guarantee for wearing comfort. Similarly, the accuracy of the degree is also the most basic guarantee for whether the glasses are suitable for the eyes. What shoes are the best? Shoes with good materials are really good shoes on the premise that the size fits the foot, and what glasses are best to wear. On the premise of accurate degree, choosing the right materials is a good glasses.
I advocate that China should introduce the optometry access system in Britain and America to improve the treatment of optometrists. Only in this way can more senior three students be willing to apply for optometry and become optometrists, the enthusiasm of professionals can be improved, the accuracy of optometry can be guaranteed, and everyone's glasses can meet their own eyes. Glasses sales organizations should implement optometry fees and optometry in strict accordance with standard procedures, and reduce the price of glasses, that is, "optometry fees and glasses at low prices". I hope my suggestion can get the attention of relevant departments.
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