Orthoptist
What the work is
Diagnoses and manages eye movement, binocular vision disorders and ocular diseases, through orthoptic therapy and other non-surgical management for ocular conditions.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Assesses visual function, binocular vision and eye alignment
- Interprets diagnostic testing of visual function and detects eye disease
- Diagnoses eye movement and binocular vision disorders related to childhood strabismus or acquired through stroke, traumatic brain injury or other causes
- Prescribes and provides orthoptic therapy and other non-surgical management for those with eye movement disorders
- Prescribes glasses and low vision aids
- Provides visual rehabilitation for patients with low vision, including education and support with orthoptic and ophthalmic conditions
- Provides pre-, peri- and post-operative care for ophthalmic patients, including assisting in ophthalmic surgery and minor procedures
- Works collaboratively with Ophthalmologists to manage eye disease
- Coordinates and implements vision screening programs
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a hearing clinic with a soundproof testing booth, in a suburban medical centre. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A man hears his granddaughter's voice clearly for the first time in years
- A baby's screening result is checked, and a family gets answers early
- A client who dreaded the first appointment books their next one with a smile
Hard days
- Someone who has been sent in by their family and does not believe there is a problem
- Trying to explain a result to a person who is upset about it
- A day of testing in a small quiet booth, with the same instructions repeated again and again
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 263935, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.