Typical entry-level education of ophthalmic service personnel in Korea, Japan, and the United States
| Occupations | Korea | Japan | Unite States |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPH | 5-years residency (intern & resident) program after graduating college of medicine/school of medicine (M.D. degree) | 4-years residency program after graduating school of medicine (M.D. degree) | 5-years residency (intern & resident) program after graduating school of medicine (M.D. degree) |
| OD | N/A | N/A | 4-years school of optometry after graduating university (O.D. degree) |
| OO | N/A | 1∼2 years training program (after graduating university or college) & 3-years VET program (after graduating high school) | 2-years training program after graduating university (bachelor’s degree) |
| POT | N/A | N/A | 6-months of clinical experience after obtaining |
| a certified paraoptometric assistant (high school diploma and higher) | |||
| POA | N/A | N/A | 5-years of industry experience (high school diploma and higher) |
| OMT | N/A | N/A | 2-years college (associate’s degree) |
| OT | N/A | N/A | 1-year VET program (high school diploma and higher) |
| OPT | 4-years university & 2∼3 years college (bachelor’s degree & associate’s degree) | 2∼3 years VET program (high school diploma and higher) | 1∼2 years VET program or 2-year college (high school diploma and higher) |
| OLT | (OPT available) | (After 2023, changed name from OPT to OLT) | On-the-job training (high school diploma and higher) |
| CLT | 4-years university & 3-years college (bachelor’s degree & associate’s degree) | 4-years university & 3-years college (bachelor’s degree & associate’s degree) | N/A |
Abbreviations: ISCED, International Standard Classification of Education; OPH, ophthalmologist; OD, optometrist; OO, orthoptist; POT, paraoptometric technician; POA, paraoptometric assistant; OMT, ophthalmic medical technologist; OT, ophthalmic technician; OPT, optician; OLT, ophthalmic laboratory technician; CLT, clinical laboratory technologist and technician; MD, medical doctor; OD, doctor of optometry; VET, vocational education and training; N/A, not available.
