Is a medical optometrist optometry (OD), and a doctor. Optometrist is licensed to conduct eye exams, prescribe corrective lenses and glasses, as well as to diagnose and treat eye diseases. He works with a variety of treatments for disorders of vision, and can prescribe medication in your eyes. If surgery is necessary, the patient is sent to an ophthalmologist (MD). Many people mistakenly believe that an ophthalmologist, a physician, it is better to see for routine eye exams as an optician. While there is nothing wrong to see an ophthalmologist, his experience is surgery, but the optician this is necessary for routine eye exams and noninvasive therapies for eye diseases. taxes ophthalmologists usually much higher than optometrist, and perhaps hand out a lot of routine testing in-house optometrist anyway.