Become an Optical Assistant

If you think you'd like to become an optical assistant, this is the course for you! You'll take a comprehensive look at the diverse world of optical assisting. You'll see why optometry is such an interesting field and how rewarding it can be to help people solve their vision problems.

You will be amazed to learn all the different places optical assistants can work! You'll cover optical assisting in private practice, healthcare clinics, the military, teaching facilities, and in retail sales. You'll discover the personal and professional skills needed to work in a front and back office and in an optical dispensary and lab. You will understand all the things optical assistants must know about frames, styles, lenses, contact lenses, and working with people. Along the way, you'll discover how the human eye works, and examine some common eye conditions. Finally, you will learn how to become certified and licensed, which will open up even more opportunities for you and identify you as an expert. This course is an ideal springboard for starting a career in this growing and ever-in-demand field!

What you will learn

• Discover how to become a certified and licensed optical assistant
• Learn about opportunities in optical assisting for private practice, healthcare clinics, the military, teaching facilities, and retail sales
• Understand all the things optical assistants must know about frames, styles, lenses, contact lenses, and working with people
• Discover how the human eye works and learn about common eye conditions

How you will benefit

• Use what you learn as a springboard for starting a rewarding career in a growing field
• Acquire the knowledge and skills to help people with their vision - one of the most important concerns in life
• Discover how to open up more opportunities and be identified as an expert through certification

Outline

What Optical Assistants Do

Discover the wide range of opportunities available in optical assisting as you determine whether this fun and in-demand career is right for you.

The Amazing Eye

Take a tour of the parts of the eye, and find out how they work together to create the miracle of vision. This lesson will give you a big head start on the path to becoming an optical assistant.

Common Eye Problems

Common eye problems cause millions of people to need glasses, contact lenses, vision therapy, or low vision aids. You'll also learn about common eye disorders and receive important tips on protecting the eyesight.

Other Eye Conditions and Terms

Explore eye conditions like color-blindness, having a "lazy eye", and what it means to be legally blind.

Front Office Skills for Success

Take a look at front office optical assisting—a great career if you're a "people" person and a multi-tasker. Learn about becoming a goodwill ambassador, triage, and the ins and outs of scheduling patients efficiently.

Back Office Basics

Check out back office assisting if you're looking to perform hands-on patient care. Learn about taking a patient's medical history, the tests used to gather vision data, and two specialty areas in back office assisting: contact lens fitting and surgical assisting.

The Prescription

Gain the power to understand the language of optical prescriptions! Learn how those numbers and symbols on an eye doctor's prescription translate into just the right lenses for a patient.

Glasses: Function and Fashion

Learn the insider secrets of eyeglass styling so you can pick frame styles that make most people look attractive and feel confident.

All About Contact Lenses

Contact lenses help correct vision. Learn how optical assistants fit contact lenses and educate patients about using them correctly.

Essential Customer Service Skills

Look at the best ways to make people feel welcome, respected, and well treated at every step of their visit to a doctor's office or retail store. You'll also get great tips for smoothing the waters if problems arise.

Specialties: Something for Everyone!

Take a look at three of the most interesting optical assisting specialties: low vision clinics, vision therapy, and refractive surgery.

Certification and Licensing

Learn how certification puts you in line for promotions and management positions as you take a look at the different types of certification you can achieve in the optical assisting field.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.