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Skills You'll Need - Optometry (pre)

When working with patients, there is a need for more than technical skills. Soft skills are also needed. Patients want to be heard, so it is important to be an active listener to understand their needs and concerns. Once the patient has had the opportunity to express his or her thoughts, it is the doctor's responsibility to use critical thinking and optic knowledge to help resolve the vision problem.

Effective written and verbal communication is a necessity. Charts must be understandable and prescriptions must be clear. When working with a team of vision professionals, everyone involved must work as a unit to effectively assess the needs and treatment options of every patient.

Many optometrists have a private practice, so business skills are vital to the success of the office. Some office skills include:

• knowledge of computer programs
• ability to delegate office responsibilities
• knowledge of insurance plans and regulations
• record keeping
• organization of paperwork
• strong interpersonal skills