Originally Posted by
Wes
Almost any degree will make you more employable than having none.
Back to licensing. Puerto Rico is not a state. It is a territory of the US. Many people do not realize this, and many consider Puerto Rico to be undeveloped, in relation to the US. But, Puerto Rico regulates the opticianry field, while 29 states do not. Maybe Puerto Rico is more advanced that we are?
Oregon won't let me pump my own gas, but they'll let anyone practice as an optician, with no requirements. Odd. Being an optician seems more difficult than pumping gas to me, but maybe not in Oregon.
Let's face it, the NOCE is so easy because most opticians' skills are insufficient for the job. It HAS to be easy to be considered a valid exam, and it's because of how this profession has failed itself.
The people concerned enough about the field to post on here tend to be the more knowledgable people in the field. Yet, I find myself reading the posts on here and I am appalled at the acceptance of the inferior, with the "we don't need no education" attitude, and the defeatism of "we can't do anything about it". I have changed my position as to what comes first. Legislate. The optician is going to have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the classroom. Otherwise, he will not go. The optician will have to have education and professionalism forced upon him, or he will become extinct. Choose.