Name of eye doctor?

The only term for an eye doctor is ophthalmologist.

An optometrist or an "optometric physician" is NOT an eye doctor. The term "optometric physician" is a misnomer because they are simply not physicians. Do they have an MD degree? NO. So, they are not physicians.

If you have an eye problem needing more than just a simple refraction, do yourself a favor - go to an ophthalmologist. That would be an EYE MD.

To YAGMAN: Actually, no - I don't look at osteopaths as equal to MDs either. And I don't consider podiatrists physicians. (But that's just me.)

The reason why the complication rate of optometrists may be lower than that of ophthalmologists is because a yag capsulotomy, for example, obviously has a lower complication rate than, let's say, a vitrectomy. Also, if 80% of your "practice" consists of prescribing lenses, you would obviously carry less risk than an ophthalmologist whose practice consists of more complicated conditions which require more difficult treatment. It's just a simple case of carrying less risk!

Who cares what the legislators say? If you had a retinal problem which may have a systemic basis, would you rather have an MD or a non-MD diagnosing and managing your condition??? Why go to someone (an optometrist) who would have to refer you to someone who KNOWS MORE and KNOWS BETTER (an ophthalmologist with an MD) anyway? ;)

I don't doubt that you're good at what you do... but, you can't speak for the "others" and my point is that you really shouldn't claim to be a physician. Can you heal the sick? Would you know what to do for someone who has COPD? Infective endocarditis? Didn't think so... but I guess you could always "google" it, right? Do you want a piece of that pie too?

SECOND EDIT: Say what YOU want, but if I were a patient, I would feel more confident in the hands of an MD vs. a non-MD. Forgive me for being rude, but let's face it, those who CAN become MDs and eventually Ophthalmologists. Those who CAN'T become optometrists. Based on the name alone - optometrist - your field of "practice" should be limited to defects of the eye related to "measurements". That would be refractive errors. Why insist on prescribing eyedrops and performing cataract extractions? Let's face it - in most cases, the optometrist is just a MIDDLE MAN between patient and ophthalmologist. You DO end up referring UP ("up" being the more educated and more skilled TRUE physician). The buck doesn't stop with you! The buck stops with the ophthalmologist! Stick to correcting refractive errors. That's what your profession name says you should do anyway. I pity people who try to save money by "consulting" optometrists instead of ophthalmologists. In my opinion, they are doing themselves a disservice!

And regarding cardiac diseases - while an ophthalmologist may not be capable of treating let's say a myocardial infarction as well as a cadiologist, the ophthalmologist would have SOME IDEA about what to do since he or she also learned this in school! Yes, he may not be as skilled at general medicine as an internist, but he is fully aware of other diseases processes and how to treat them! He or she had to read about this and pass exams about this in MED SCHOOL, which is where true physicians go! He or she would know the parts of the brain, the arm, the leg, the heart, the abdominal cavity, etc. You get the idea.