What courses does an optometric student take?
Optometrists are trained as primary eye care providers. However, the fundamental philosophy of a professional optometric education is equivalent to that of all other health care professional programs. That is, optometrists treat the eye as the gateway to the body, and an indicator of overall health.

The curriculum in the first 2 years of optometric college is similar to that of the first 2 years of medical or dental school. It stresses human physiology, histology, anatomy, pathology, visual science and biochemistry. The third and fourth years focus on clinical medicine, ocular disease, pharmacology, vision care, and patient encounters.  Because optometric post-graduate programs focus intently on the study of the eye, the OD has more specialized education and training in the eye and vision care than the general medical practitioner.