Maryland Eye Associates
800 Prince Frederick Boulevard
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
(410) 535-2270
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Choosing an Ophthalmologist
An ophthalmologist is a physician, a medical doctor and surgeon (MD or DO). He or she has completed four years of college, four years of medical school and at least four years of post-graduate residency training including three years of specialty training in ophthalmology. In Maryland, he or she is licensed as a medical doctor to perform eye examinations and prescribe lenses or other corrective treatments.
He or she is authorized to prescribe and/or dispense medicine or drugs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. He or she is a surgeon trained to perform invasive ocular surgery to preserve and restore vision. An ophthalmologist can perform complete eye examinations, laser vision correction, medical and surgical treatment of cataracts, diabetic eye complications, glaucoma, macular degeneration, ocular plastic surgery and related vision care services.
The ophthalmologist is the specialist medical doctor to whom the optometrist will refer patients with vision problems requiring medical and surgical treatment. Primary care doctors also refer patients to ophthalmologists for evaluation because the patient has a particular disease or because the person is taking a medication known to affect the eyes. Additionally, there are several “sub-specialty” areas in which an ophthalmologist may pursue additional training and to whom a general ophthalmologist might make a referral.
An ophthalmologist becomes Board Eligible when he or she successfully completes the educational requirements at an approved institution. The board eligible physician achieves Board Certification when he or she passes a written and oral examination, and demonstrates to a panel of experienced, board certified ophthalmology experts that he or she exhibits the knowledge and clinical expertise to warrant becoming a Board Certified Ophthalmologist.
Choosing an ophthalmologist should follow a basic paradigm that one can use in choosing any physician, but with some additional considerations unique to this specialty.
The major factors to be considered in selecting an ophthalmologist are
Education and credentials
Experience and reputation
Recommendation by primary care physician
Approach to patient care
Access to state-of-the-art equipment and treatment modalities
Office etiquette
Convenience
Payment issues/health insurance participation
Your appointment with the ophthalmologist is not just to get updated eyeglasses (although that may be part of the visit). You should be seeing the ophthalmologist for a comprehensive medical assessment of your visual system and its inter-relatedness with your general health.
Research the factors listed. Educate yourself about distinctions between types of eye care doctors. Seek wise counsel from those whose opinion you value. Make the best decision. Then, make that appointment.
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