usa optician moving north

[usamovingnorth]

hey to all,

I am currently an ABO/NCLE certified optician in illinois. We do not require licensing here. I am looking at moving to Toronto to be with my fiance and I am trying to find any info I can about taking the license exam. I have been in this industry for 15 years. My question is do I have to complete the 2 year degree before I can sit the exam? I do have extensive knowledge on contacts, lens manufacturing, as well as dispensing. I am just begining this process and I am having a hard time finding any concrete info.

any help anyone can offer would be greatly apreciated

[wmcdonald]

Canada, unlike 27 states here is the US requires completion of a 2-Year Diploma in Optical Science. The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology offers their program in the states, and will provide advanced standing for the ABO and NCLE. Please PM me and I will try to answer any further questions. I believe you may also complete an AAS degree in Opticianry here in the US and be able to sit for the exam, but I am not positive. Schwing......any input?

It is indeed a shame folks in your position are unable to verify your knowledge. Many are now fighting to make formal education a requirement for all Opticians entering the field.

Good luck!

[For-Life]

Originally Posted by wmcdonald

Canada, unlike 27 states here is the US requires completion of a 2-Year Diploma in Optical Science. The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology offers their program in the states, and will provide advanced standing for the ABO and NCLE. Please PM me and I will try to answer any further questions. I believe you may also complete an AAS degree in Opticianry here in the US and be able to sit for the exam, but I am not positive. Schwing......any input?

It is indeed a shame folks in your position are unable to verify your knowledge. Many are now fighting to make formal education a requirement for all Opticians entering the field.

Good luck!

Only thing is that I do not think the Alberta license is transferable to Ontario. I know some people were trying to take the Seneca route for getting their licenses out of province then transferring it here. My understanding is you have to go to Georgian College in Barrie and do the two year diploma.

With that said, Ontario tends to pay much better than non-licensed States.


Edit - here is the info:

http://www.georgianc.on.ca/programs/OPTI/outline/

See at the bottom:

Adults with significant life and work experience may receive credits toward a college certificate or diploma program through an assessment process.

[Comma]

Originally Posted by wmcdonald

Canada, unlike 27 states here is the US requires completion of a 2-Year Diploma in Optical Science. The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology offers their program in the states, and will provide advanced standing for the ABO and NCLE. Please PM me and I will try to answer any further questions. I believe you may also complete an AAS degree in Opticianry here in the US and be able to sit for the exam, but I am not positive. Schwing......any input?

It is indeed a shame folks in your position are unable to verify your knowledge. Many are now fighting to make formal education a requirement for all Opticians entering the field.

Good luck!

Correction : in Quebec, where I live, that's a three years full-time program in a real brick and mortar school. Even more (or less...), in some provinces, there are simply no "real" optical schools, just distance programs.

Maybe I should add that all things regarding professionnal interests are ruled by provinces, not by Canada ?
I can't blame you, I can't ask an American citizen to know what's most Canadians don't know. Fellow Canadians : Have you ever have any Constitutionnal law courses ? You should

Why don't you just communicate with the Ontario opticians board ?

www.coptont.org

[Refractingoptician.com]

If you are good , buy an established practise and hire an optician. You do not have a business unless you can run it with others.

[usamovingnorth]

thanks so much for everyones input it has helped. ok so here is my next question... can I get a job (in Optical) with out getting my liscense right away? We do not have the ability for me to NOT be employed when I first move. I have tried to email the opticianry board and havent gotten a response.

[For-Life]

Originally Posted by usamovingnorth

thanks so much for everyones input it has helped. ok so here is my next question... can I get a job (in Optical) with out getting my liscense right away? We do not have the ability for me to NOT be employed when I first move. I have tried to email the opticianry board and havent gotten a response.

You know, I was not thinking. You can work for an OD and not have a license. You can get a job and a pretty good one at that. Actually, it is illegal in Ontario for an licensed optician to work for an OD (ridiculous, I know).

[usamovingnorth]

thats what i needed to know!!! thanks so much for your help!!!

[usamovingnorth]

you have all been really helpful with your info... now does anyone know of an office that might be looking to hire a US optician and sponsor me for a work visa in Ontario.. anyone intrested please PM me and I will forward my CV.

[For-Life]

I only know one place in Toronto. I forwarded this thread to him. I do not know if he is interested or not. We will see.

You plan on becoming a Leafs fan when you move?

[Refractingoptician.com]

Does it have to be in Toronto or would you look a little further away ?

By the way , a licensed optician can work for an OD . The OD regs are being changed as they woould not stand up any better in Ontario courts than they did in BC courts. Their regs were a violation of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms as they prohibited freedom of associaiton. Professionalism , hmmmm

[usamovingnorth]

i am not a hockey fan at all but it will be nice to watch baseball in april and not have it snow on me.. thanks for the forward i really apreciate it

[usamovingnorth]

I wouldnt mind be a little out of the city but we will be living right in the beaches is Toronto so not too far away

[For-Life]

Originally Posted by Refractingoptician.com

Does it have to be in Toronto or would you look a little further away ?

By the way , a licensed optician can work for an OD . The OD regs are being changed as they woould not stand up any better in Ontario courts than they did in BC courts. Their regs were a violation of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms as they prohibited freedom of associaiton. Professionalism , hmmmm

Are you saying that a licensed optician can work for an OD without controversy or potential college challenge. Or are you saying that because the regs are being changed, if you work for an OD you will most likely get away with it?

Because there is a huge difference here.

I think for the sake of this thread, let's focus on providing direction versus disputing potential holes in clauses.

[Refractingoptician.com]

Originally Posted by For-Life

You know, I was not thinking. You can work for an OD and not have a license. You can get a job and a pretty good one at that. Actually, it is illegal in Ontario for an licensed optician to work for an OD (ridiculous, I know).

It is not illegal, in my humble opinion , because it is equally illegal to violate the Charter of Rights . A law is not a law if it is illegal . Professionalism is hardly professional if it is promoting illegalities .


But let's agree to let this part of the discussion end here so we may stay on topic . I apologize for the direction that my opinions might lead .

[optical maven]

Go to the Ontario Association of Optometrists web site for job search information.

[eyemanflying]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but a quick opinion:

OD's and Opticians joining forces is becoming more common place and rightfully so. I fully support this concept. Nobody will be prosecuted, trust me. They have much bigger fish to fry.

I would in a heartbeat provide 50/50 ownership with an OD. It is an ideal situation and the patients receive the best of both worlds.

Only one small problem...Most OD's are too cheap, narrow minded, too guarded and selfish to give anything up. What you pay is what you get. If you pay $14.00 per hour for an OA, or $24-$30 for a licenced Optician, trust me there is a huge difference in the service and experience levels. Then, at year end split the practice profits after EBITDA.

Let's not step over the quarters to pick up the nickels.

[AdmiralKnight]

Originally Posted by For-Life

Are you saying that a licensed optician can work for an OD without controversy or potential college challenge. Or are you saying that because the regs are being changed, if you work for an OD you will most likely get away with it?

Because there is a huge difference here.

I think for the sake of this thread, let's focus on providing direction versus disputing potential holes in clauses.

From what the docs I work with say, the regs are changing (slowly). A lot of ODs are hiring fully licensed Opticians.

Originally Posted by For-Life

Only thing is that I do not think the Alberta license is transferable to Ontario. I know some people were trying to take the Seneca route for getting their licenses out of province then transferring it here. My understanding is you have to go to Georgian College in Barrie and do the two year diploma.

As far as I know, all provinces' licenses are honored by the rest of the provinces, provided they have the same knowledge base. The only difference with Ontario that he might run into is that unlike the rest of the country (minus Quebec, they're the same as Ontario in this case) they require both a spectacle as well as a contact license to be considered a DO. That's the boat I'm in right now. I have my full license from NS, but because NS has seperate licenses for spectacles and contacts, I need to get my contact license before being able to get my Ontario DO license.

[kitspoint]

Each Province of Canada has a regulatory authority or licensing board. In the case of Ontario you can contact them through their web site www.coptont.org

The Licensing Board/Regulatory Agency is sometimes referred to as a "College" as in the College of Opticians of Ontario; the Nova Scotia College of Opticians or the College of Opticians of British Columbia. Those provinces with older legislation are often called Associations, these should not be confused with advocacy organizations.

Recent changes to each/all provincial legislation require every profession, including opticians, to recognize the registration or licensure of each others registrants regardless of the under lying education or experience. The governments of the provinces have decreed that there will be no exceptions to these requirements.

You would be best served to contact a provincial regulator for the correct information. Some may be required by legislation to assess your experiential qualification. The system for registration for all health professions, of which opticianry is one, are currently being changed by the provincial governments. The changes are designed to be helpful to new Canadians.

Welcome to Canada - it is a great country

[Comma]

Fortunately, there are still provinces that believe in strong, solid and formal education for ALL professionnals, which includes opticians.
They consider us as REAL professionnals (WOW !!!). Important for the vision health of their citizens. So we are required to have stronger education level than other provinces. That's the main reason some provinces are reluctant to accept people with less formal formation.

Want to gain respect ? Just do as all known and respected professions did before us. We are neither known or respected. Just wondering why...
Would you trust a physician (or lawyer, chiropratician, pharmacist...) with an online PhD or no formal education ?

Optometrists would not have the same salaries and other advantages if they would have taken the same way WE took for all these years (less and less...).
We missed a great opportunity to raise ourselves as a profession.


Sorry for hijacking this thread.
I just feel better now

Welcome to the DARK side of Canada
I'm feeling like a big bad ugly troll now.

[Refractingoptician.com]

Originally Posted by usamovingnorth

..... I have tried to email the opticianry board and havent gotten a response........

Yeah , I wish you a lot of luck with that , but do not hold your breath . Probably better to go in person ....technology is used differently there .