One of the most common questions I get asked by friends both inside and outside of the world of medicine when I tell them that I am going to be an ophthalmologist is – “what is the difference between an ophthalmologist, optometrist, and optician?” For many, the phrase “eye doctor” conjures the image of dark exam rooms, dilating eye drops, and the infamous question – “1 or 2?” Some have never seen an eye doctor in their entire adult lives, and have no idea what care involving the eye entails beyond glasses, contacts, or LASIK. Is the eye doctor the…