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Background:Optometry is a primary health-care profession (PHCP) and this study aimed to elucidate the factors influencing the choice of optometry as a career for Saudi students, the students' perceptions of optometry and the effect of gender. Methods: Two hundred and forty-seven students whose average age was 21.7 ± 1.5 (SD) years and who are currently enrolled in two colleges of optometry in Saudi Arabia-King Saud University (KSU) and Qassim University (QU)-completed self-administered questionnaires. The survey included questions concerning demography, career first choice, career perception and factors influencing career choices. Results: The response rate was 87.6 per cent and there were 161 male (64.9 per cent) students. Seventy-nine per cent of the participants were from KSU (males and females) and 20.6 per cent were from QU (only males). Seventy-three per cent come from Riyadh and 19 per cent are from Qassim province. Regarding the first choice for their careers, the females (92 per cent) were 0.4 times more likely (p = 0.012) to choose optometry than males (78.3 per cent). The males were significantly more likely to be influenced by the following factors: the Doctor of Optometry (OD) programs run at both universities, good salary and prospects (p < 0.05, for all). The women were significantly less likely to be influenced by another individual (p = 0.0004). Generally, more than two-thirds of the respondents viewed the desire to help others, professional prestige and the new OD programs as the three most influential factors in opting for a career in optometry. Conclusion: Females were more likely to opt for a career in optometry and males were more likely to be influenced by the new OD programs, good salary and job prospects. Service provision to others in the community was a primary motivation to opt for a career in optometry among young Saudis. Optometry is a primary health-care profession.1,2 The health-care workforce is influenced by political, societal and economic changes, 3 which can influence the number of health-care professionals in a society. A number of studies have examined students' motivations to opt for particular careers and the practice of those professions; [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] however, many of these studies have been carried out within other health-care professions, such as medicine, 4,6,7 dentistry, 5,13 nursing 9,10 and physiotherapy. 11,12 Only one published study 8 examined students' motivations for a career choice in optometry. To retain an adequate and motivated workforce, it is essential to understand the opinions and expectations of the prospective professionals in that society. 14,15 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula. The population of Saudi Arabia (indigenes and foreigners) rose rapidly from 9.6 million in 1980 to 29.9 million in 2013, with a population of 13 million males (55.2 per cent) and 10.5 million females. 16,17 The remaining 6.4 million are foreigners. This population growth necessitates a corresponding growth i...

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We sought to evaluate central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to associate potential differences with diabetes duration and treatment modality in a prospective, randomized study. We measured ECD, CCT and IOP of 125 patients with type 2 DM (mean age 57.1±11.5 years) and compared them with 90 age-matched controls. Measured parameters were analyzed for association with diabetes duration and glucose control modalities (insulin injection or oral medication) while controlling for age. In the diabetic group, the mean ECD (2511±252 cells/mm2), mean CCT (539.7±33.6 µm) and mean IOP (18.3±2.5 mmHg) varied significantly from those the control group [ECD: 2713±132 cells/mm2 (P<0.0001), CCT: 525.0±45.3 µm (P=0.003) and IOP: 16.7±1.8 mmHg (P<0.0001)]. ECD was significantly reduced by about 32 cell/mm2 for diabetics with duration of >10 years when compared with those with duration of <10 years (P<0.05). CCT was thicker and IOP was higher for diabetics with duration of >10 years than those with duration of <10 years (P>0.05). None of the measured parameters was significantly associated with diabetes duration and treatment modality (P>0.05). In conclusion, subjects with type 2 DM exhibit significant changes in ECD, IOP and CCT, which, however, are not correlated with disease duration or if the patients receive on insulin injection or oral medications.