Important Skills as a Ophthalmic Technician

As an undergraduate, Donnie Rhett Koonce studied anthropology. He went on to earn a master of science in biomedical science. Donnie Rhett Koonce also worked as a research assistant conducting data analysis for projects studying retinal diseases. He is an ophthalmic technician at Charlotte Optometric Clinic in North Carolina.

An ophthalmic technician’s daily tasks include performing advanced eye exams and measurements, taking and recording a patient’s vitals, and maintaining and troubleshooting equipment. Part of the work also includes rendering retinal images of patients and performing visual acuity for the doctor. Meanwhile, the required coursework includes anatomy and physiology, ocular anatomy and physiology, and eye disease and irregularities. Gaining Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) certification is also a requirement.

Patient care is also important to keep in mind. The ability to instruct patients about medications, tests, and procedures is part of the expected reality of being an ophthalmic technician. Another important skill is explaining patient procedures well.