ophthalmologist or optometrist?

I hope you don't mind but I'm going to take exception to this statement, because I saw an ophthalmologist every year of my life from age 8 to age 28, not the same one each time because we moved a couple times, and it was not until I switched to an optometrist that my detached retina was found. In my case, I was referred to a retinologist (ophthalmologist specialty).

Yes, all eye doctors and even eye techs are trained to spot abnormal when they see it. (I have a background in dental hygiene, and although I was not allowed by law to diagnose or to inform a patient when and if I found something wrong in their mouths or on their x-rays, it was one of my duties to make sure to point out my findings to the dentist when he or she came in to do the exam.) So of course, all optometrists should know what a detached retina (or a badly healed detached retina) or diabetic retinopathy looks like, so they can make appropriate referrals, which is what happened to you. It's been my experience, however, that very few optometrists bother with eye dilations for routine eyesight exams.

I like going to my ophthalmologist because he has MD after his name-- yes, he does surgery, and if and when I need laser treatments for my retinas, he will refer me out to a laser specialist, but I like that he has a thorough understanding of my diabetes and its impact on my eyesight, and I trust his opinion about his findings. The practice I go to also has optometrists on staff, and I'm sure they do retinal exams too, but as I said, I doubt they do many dilated ones.
Naturally, everyone is free to see the kind of doc they want to see.
Judy D.