David J. Lechner, M.D.

Marcus A. Meyer, M.D., FACS

Thomas G. Mulligan, M.D.

William P. Mulligan, M.D.

Aaron P. Weingeist, M.D.

What does Board Certified mean?

All of the Ophthalmologists at the West Seattle Clinic are Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Board certification is not required to practice, however, certification is intended to provide assurance to the public and the medical profession that a physician has successfully completed an evaluation designed to assess the knowledge, experience and skills requisite to the delivery of high standards of patient care in ophthalmology.

Some medical doctors choose to join The American College of Surgeons. Members of this association are referred to as “Fellows”, and place the initials F.A.C.S. after their names. Being a Fellow of the ACS means that the surgeon's education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct has passed a rigorous evaluation, and has been found to be consistent with the high standards established and demanded by the College.

What is an Ophthalmologist?

The doctors at WSHEC are all Ophthalmologists or Eye MD’s. Ophthalmologists are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions, including ALL aspects of eye care. From routine glasses and contact lens prescriptions to complex medical and surgical cases, ophthalmologists do it all.

Ophthalmologists must have completed:

1. A college degree (or minimum of three years of college),
2. Four years of medical or osteopathic school,
3. A one-year internship in medicine or surgery
4. Three years of an ophthalmology residency (hospital-based training), and
5. They must pass a national licensing examination.

Some ophthalmologists also perform fellowships after completing their residency training. Fellowships can be an additional one or two years of medical and surgical training in an ophthalmic subspecialty, e.g. glaucoma.

Other Eye Care Providers:

There is a great deal of confusion regarding members of the eye care team. The National Consumers League created a simple site to help patients distinguish between different types of eye care providers.

Optometrists are not medical doctors, they have a Doctor of Optometry degree that requires a minimum of three years of undergraduate studies at a college or university, followed by four years at an accredited optometry school. They must pass both a written and clinical state optometric board exam in order to receive a license, required by all states. They are regulated at the state level, and must report to a state board of optometry for their license renewal.

Doctors of optometry provide routine, primary vision care. They examine eyes to detect vision problems and diagnose some eye diseases. Optometrists also prescribe glasses and contact lenses, and in some states administer and prescribe medications to help diagnose vision problems and treat some eye disease. In Washington State optometrists are prohibited from performing injections and eye surgery.

Opticians fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following prescriptions written by optometrists or ophthalmologists. They are licensed (required in twenty-one states) after they have earned either an associate opticianry degree (one to two year program), or after they have apprenticed for at least two years.