Bachelor of Optometry course is a paramedical course in the field of optical care. Doctors of Optometry are the healthcare professionals who have the expertise in primary eye care. They perform all kinds of eye tests to detect and treat various eye diseases and abnormalities. An Optometrist usually works along with the Ophthalmologists to provide efficient eye care. But their role gets limited when the abnormality requires any surgery or special care. In such cases, the optometrists would immediately ask the patient to consult with an Ophthalmologist. Ophthalmologists have expertise in eye surgery and other laser therapy to cure vision disorders.
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What is the Bachelor of Optometry course in India?
Bachelor of Optometry is a professional course offered by many reputed medical colleges in India. The course is basically about the study of human eye and vision defects. B. Optom provides expertise to the candidate to work under the supervision of an Ophthalmologist and to develop skills to perform other optometric jobs. The study of Optometry includes the following :
- carrying out Ophthalmic investigations
- imparting skill to manufacture spectacle lenses and contact lenses
- studying about the refraction in order to prescribe glasses, contact lenses and other vision aids
- studying the methodology of conducting early surveys for early detection of eye disorders and preventing then at an early stage
- assessing disorder of Ocular motility and uniocular and binocular visual functions
- studying the organization of eye banks and preserving the ocular tissue
B.Optom Eligibility and Course Duration
Bachelor of Optometry is a graduation course which can be opted after completing 12th from any recognized university. The eligibility for applying for this course is given below
- The candidate should have studied subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in class 12th
- they must have scored a minimum of 50% marks for General category and
- 45% marks for other reserved category.
One should apply for the course only if he/she is eligible. BSc. in Optometry is a 4-year graduation course which includes 3.5 years of academics and 6 months of mandatory internship. Successful graduates of the Optometry course can, later on, pursue majors in the same field or they can join companies hiring for optometrist. This is also a professional course like other paramedical courses in India.
B.Optometry Application Process
The aspiring candidates have to fill an online application form for various colleges and universities offering BSc. in Optometry. Once the registration is done, every college put the admit card on their websites. The mode of exam is usually Online mode with few colleges taking pen and paper-based test. After the successful conduction of examination, the colleges release their respective cutoff lists and invite the eligible candidates for counseling and admission.
BSc. Optometry Top Colleges in India
The course of Bachelors in Optometry is offered by many renowned institutions in India at a reasonable course fee. One has to apply for these colleges and clear the entrance examination in order to get admission for this course. Some of the best colleges in India offering the course of B.Optom are listed below:
Name of the Institution | City / Funding | Avg Annual Fees (INR) |
New Delhi / Govt. | 3,000 | |
Manipal Institute of Technology | Manipal, Karnataka / Private | 4,65,000 |
SRM University | Kanchipuram/ Private | 3,30,000 |
Galgotias University | Noida / Private | 2,00,000 |
Christ University | Bangalore / Private | 16,660 |
Madras Christian College | Chennai/Govt. | 20,000 |
Amity University | Gurgaon/ Private | 3,60,000 |
Fergusson College | Pune/ Govt. | 3,460 |
Presidency College | Chennai / Govt. | 1265 |
B.Optometry Syllabus
The course duration is of four years which includes three years of academics and 1 year of internship. The three year is further divided into 6 semesters, each semester having theory and practical papers. The detailed layout of the syllabus is presented below:
1st Y E A R | 2nd Y E A R | 3rd Y E A R |
Paper- Theory | ||
Human Anatomy and Physiology | Pharmacology and Pharmacy | Clinical and Advanced Optics and Orthoptics |
Ocular Anatomy, Pathology, and Microbiology | Refraction (including prescription, making, and fitting of glasses) | Clinical refraction and contact lenses |
Ocular Physiology and Biochemistry including Binocular reflexes and its maintenance | Investigative Opthalmology | Community Opthalmology and Eye Bank |
Optics | Ophthalmic instruments and appliances | Investigations of clinical Opthalmology and management of OT |
Paper Practical including viva | Practical | Practical |
Anatomy and Physiology | Pharmacology and Pharmacy | Refraction |
Ocular Pathology and MIcrobiology | Refraction (including prescription, making, and fitting of glasses) | Orthoptics and Pleoptics |
Orthoptics | Special investigation, including Orthoptics | Community work |
Lens Grinding and Fitting | Appliances | Investigations of Clinical Opthalmology and manAgement of OT |
Optometry Career Scope and Salary
Optometry has a lucrative career option in India because it has several job prospects. There is a huge demand for Optometrists, who can help people with a better eye care facility. Top recruiting companies such as Crizal, Bausch & Lomb, Titan Eye Plus, RayBan, etc. hire these graduates at a good salary package. The average annual salary of an optometrist varies from 4 to 5 lakhs per annum, depending upon the job profile.
Such graduates can also go for higher studies in Optometry by pursuing a Ph.D. They can join universities/colleges as optics professor and enjoy the perks of a government job. Above all, B. Optometry is definitely a career prospering course. It is a job-oriented course similar to other professional courses in the field of medicine.
