Ophthalmology involves the treatment of the eye and vision disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats eye disorders and diseases, and sometimes performs eye surgery. Ophthalmology is more than just vision care. This specialist is trained to medically or surgically treat all ocular and vision problems, including disorders of the eyelids and visual pathways. The ophthalmologist also provides comprehensive vision exams and prescribes glasses and contact lenses.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 21,949 practicing ophthalmologists. Broken out by state, ophthalmology doctor density in Alabama is 260, in Alaska is 34, in Arizona is 354, in Arkansas is 166, in California is 2,578, in Colorado is 318, in Connecticut is 344, in Delaware is 72, in District of Columbia is 153, in Florida is 1,369, in Georgia is 504, in Hawaii is 115, in Idaho is 66, in Illinois is 895, in Indiana is 361, in Iowa is 225, in Kansas is 195, in Kentucky is 284, in Louisiana is 340, in Maine is 83, in Maryland is 654, in Massachusetts is 763, in Michigan is 768, in Minnesota is 374, in Mississippi is 167, in Missouri is 442, in Montana is 61, in Nebraska is 114, in Nevada is 111, in New Hampshire is 92, in New Jersey is 817, in New Mexico is 105, in New York is 1,932, in North Carolina is 585, in North Dakota is 44, in Ohio is 807, in Oklahoma is 182, in Oregon is 282, in Pennsylvania is 1,116, in Rhode Island is 103, in South Carolina is 315, in South Dakota is 46, in Tennessee is 414, in Texas is 1,245, in Utah is 155, in Vermont is 55, in Virginia is 520, in Washington is 410, in West Virginia is 133, in Wisconsin is 398, and in Wyoming is 23.