The Washington Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons (WAEPS):

As the professional organization for eye physicians and surgeons (Eye M.D.s) in the state, we help ophthalmologists offer their patients the full range of options for eye care by staying at the leading edge of medical, surgical and optical care. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors—physicians and surgeons. Read more about the difference between ophthalmologists (Eye M.D.s) and optometrists here.

WAEPS response to 2023 Optometric scope of practice expansion

The Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons supports safe, accessible, expert eye care and surgery performed by eye surgeons, or ophthalmologists. Optometrists are not surgeons, and are not trained to the rigorous standards necessary to operate safely on the citizens of Washington State, yet they want to legislate the ability to do surgery with no live patient encounters and training only over a weekend seminar. Ophthalmologists train for 3-5 years, with 12-15,000 patient encounters and hundreds of surgeries performed to be able to be competent surgeons. Please write your legislators today to support surgery being done by medical doctors trained to be surgeons (ophthalmologists), and to oppose optometrists who want to be surgeons without the necessary training. You can find your legislators here.

 If you’d like to help us fight to keep surgery in the hands of surgeons in Washington State, please email us

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Our Mission:

The Washington Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons is an organization comprised of eye physicians and surgeons--medical doctors uniquely trained in the medical and surgical care of the eye. WAEPS serves the educational and professional needs of its member ophthalmologists and is devoted to promoting the health and well-being of the citizens of Washington.