How to become a low vision optometrist

How to become a Low Vision Optometrist

Becoming a low vision optometrist involves completing standard optometry education and then pursuing additional training and clinical experience in low vision optometry. Here’s an overview of the pathway to the career:

Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
Most students complete a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field such as biology, physiology, or health science. Prerequisite courses usually include biology, chemistry, physics, and math.

Take the Optometry Admission Test (OAT)
The Optometry Admission Test is a standardized examination designed to measure general academic ability and comprehension of scientific information. The OAT is sponsored by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) for applicants seeking admission to an optometry program. All schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and the University of Waterloo, Canada (the only provider of English-language instruction for optometry in Canada) require the OAT.

The OAT consists of four tests: Survey of the Natural Sciences (Biology, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry), Reading Comprehension, Physics, and Quantitative Reasoning.

Complete a Doctor of Optometry (OD) Degree
This is a four-year professional program, required both in the United States and Canada, encompasses classroom learning in optics, ocular anatomy, diseases of the eye, pharmacology, and vision science. Clinical rotations, which provide practical, hands-on experience, may include low vision optometry.

To become a registered optometrist in the UK, you must complete a General Optical Council (GOC)-approved optometry degree and then undertake a 12–18-month pre-registration training scheme, which involves practical experience.

Obtain Licensure
You must pass a licensing exam to practise:

• US – Pass the three-part exam series administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO). Part I: Applied Basic Science, which tests fundamental knowledge of ocular and systemic systems; Part II: Patient Assessment and Management (PAM), which evaluates clinical decision-making through case studies; and Part III: Patient Encounters and Performance Skills (PEPS), which assesses practical clinical abilities in patient interactions and skills. Canadians who wish to pursue a residency in the US must complete the NBEO exam.
• Canada – The Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) administers the registration and jurisprudence exams required to practise optometry in Canada.
• UK – Pass the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and then register with the general Optical Council to practise.

Complete a Low Vision Rehabilitation (LVR) Residency (Optional but Highly Recommended)
Throughout this one-year-long post-doctoral program, residents gain experience in understanding and measuring visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual field losses, functional vision changes with low luminance testing, prescribing hand-held and spectacle-mounted optical systems for distance and near activities, and prescribing devices to compensate for peripheral vision loss.

Residents also learn about electronic magnification systems and computer hardware and software solutions. By working with rehabilitation specialists, they acquire knowledge about rehabilitation services such as support group programs, educational access and modifications, orientation and mobility instruction, low-vision driving evaluations, contrast enhancements, adaptive techniques, and lighting options. In many programs, residents rotate through low vision clinics and vision rehabilitation centers in their local community.

Pursue Certifications
Low vision optometrists can earn a variety of voluntary credentials to demonstrate advanced expertise beyond general optometry practice. Here’s a look at some of the most respected certifications:

• Board Certified Optometrist / ABO Diplomate – This certification, awarded by the American Board of Optometry (ABO), requires graduating from an accredited optometry school, completing a residency or qualifying points, and passing a comprehensive exam.
• ABO Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) – The ABO’s CAQ program allows Diplomates to earn added secondary credentials in two areas: Glaucoma and Cornea/Contact Lenses.
• Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT) – This CLVT designation, offered by organizations such as the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP), is more common for vision rehabilitation therapists, but optometrists can benefit from this credential to strengthen their knowledge in rehabilitation strategies.
• Assistive Technology Training Certifications – Offered by device manufacturers, professional workshops, or accredited training programs, these certifications in the use of electronic magnifiers, wearable vision devices, or AI-based low vision tools can further validate an optometrist’s ability to integrate technology in low vision care.
• Certified Optometric Vision Therapist (COVT) – This certification in vision development, vision therapy, and vision rehabilitation is offered by the Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association (OVDRA) and administered by its International Examination and Certification Board. It focuses on treating conditions like amblyopia, strabismus, and convergence insufficiency. While most valuable for vision therapy optometrists, the COVT credential provides valuable skills that can support low vision work.

Continue Professional Development
Low vision optometrists often pursue continuing education through courses, workshops, and conferences to maintain licensure and stay updated on emerging low vision devices, technologies, and rehabilitation approaches.

Professional Organizations
In addition to the certifying bodies referenced above in the Certifications section, the following organizations also support low vision optometrists and the broader optometric community:

• American Academy of Optometry – Low Vision Section – serving as a primary source for papers, courses, information, and research regarding the diagnosis of and management in low vision care
• Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) – while primarily for rehabilitation professionals, the AER supports collaboration with low vision optometrists
• American Optometric Association (AOA) – the leading professional organization for doctors of optometry, optometry students, and paraoptometric staff
• Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) – supporting optometrists with clinical guidelines, continuing education, and advocacy in Canada
• World Council of Optometry (WCO) – an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting eye health and vision care as a human right by advancing the optometric profession globally through advocacy, education, and humanitarian outreach
• International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) – offering resources and training programs relevant to vision rehabilitation and low vision care globally