Dear Ms. Moss,

I am reaching out as an American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) certified ophthalmologist with deep concerns about the potential for optometrists, without medical school or surgical training, to perform laser eye procedures.

Ophthalmologists complete 12-13 years of rigorous training, including medical school, surgical rotations, and board certification through ACGME-accredited exams. Optometrists, however, follow a different pathway without these qualifications. Their limited six-year training and certification do not meet ACGME standards and lack the comprehensive surgical experience required for safe, high-standard care.

Recent studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2021, 2024) emphasize that allied professionals like optometrists require MD oversight for patient safety, underscoring that their training does not qualify them to perform procedures independently. Given that a physician’s board exam scores have been linked to patient outcomes, allowing optometrists to perform laser surgery risks lowering our state’s standard of care.

Laser eye surgery is a serious procedure, and we owe it to Virginians to ensure only fully qualified providers are performing it. Please help protect our community’s vision by keeping laser eye procedures within the hands of properly trained ophthalmologists.

Thank you for your consideration