Ophthalmology – The Hidden Gem of Healthcare Careers!
Are you a fast-learner with great people skills?
Are you compassionate, empathetic, respectful, and professional?
How about your communication skills? Are they strong?
Do you want to be part of a team helping Central Illinois preserve and protect vision?
Consider a Career at Illinois Eye Center
We offer entry-level healthcare positions with paid on-the-job training at our office. What could you do at Illinois Eye Center? Front Desk, Optical, Medical Records, Call Center, Office Scheduling, Patient Accounts, Pre-Certification, Surgery Administrative Support, and more!
Or provide direct patient care alongside our physicians and optometrists (eye doctors) in our clinical department.
Why Ophthalmology?
Job Demand
Predicted to grow by more than 25% in the next 10 years
Highly competitive salary
Countless opportunities for advancement
A Career with a Difference
Help enhance patients’ quality of life
Work as an essential part of a team
What Do Our Clinical Department Employees Do?
- Gather and document patient health histories
- Perform diagnostic testing on patients’ eyes
- Perform patients’ initial exam to assist the doctor
- Administer dilating eye drops
- Assist the doctor by documenting his or her findings in the medical record
- And much more!
There are Two Ways to Enter the Ophthalmic Career Field
- Attend an accredited academic educational program.
- Begin working for an ophthalmologist now and learn the necessary skills through experience achieved under their supervision.
Either path can prepare you for a career in ophthalmology. You will learn the skills needed to work with people who need spectacles or contact lenses, and those who have a variety of eye disorders such as cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic eye disease.
The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) was established as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization in 1969 to offer certification and continuing education opportunities to ophthalmic allied health personnel. Currently more than 30,000 people in the U.S., Canada, and around the world hold an IJCAHPO certification.
- Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) The COA is the entry level core designation designed to start eye care professionals on the path to success.
- Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) The COT certification designation is designed to test the COA who intends to advance their career in the eye care field, or the COT program graduate.
- Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) The COMT certification designation recognizes accomplished eye care professionals who have progressed through the COA and COT levels or are COMT training program graduates.
Opticians are in High Demand
Opticians are technicians trained to design, verify and fit eyeglass lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to correct eyesight. They use prescriptions supplied by ophthalmologists or optometrists, but do not test vision or write prescriptions for visual correction. Opticians are not permitted to diagnose or treat eye diseases. Illinois Eye Center assists their opticians to achieve the American Board of Opticianry certification.