Question of titles

[Audiyoda]

Greetings - long time reader, but have never posted.

I was recently having a discussion with one of my reps about titles opticians use. We were discussing a former colleage of mine whom graduated from Ferris State University's 2 year associates program in opticianry (before the program was laid to rest).

Although he is quite skilled as an optician, he has never taken the ABOC which in the state of Michigan is in my mind the only determining factor of real skill (and not much of one if you ask me). I know people with 4 year degrees from a variety of colleges and quite honestly, a 4 year degree does not a skilled person make. So I would argue his two years associates degree alone is not a real determining factor in his ability to be called a Master Optician.

So I ask all of you, does the aforementioned optician have the right to call himself a "Certified Master Optician"? As I said, I won't argue his skills or his background, but what gives any optician the right to put that word 'Master' in from of their title? Is it years of experience, background, education, training....or is it just a b@llsy thing to do that no one will/could call him on?

-Craig

[chip anderson]

Who cares what he calls himself? I have answered forms with "untitled commoner" . I once had stationary which said: Charles E. Anderson, HPM*

At the bottom of the page was another astyric followed by "High Priced Mechanic", This was back when there was money in contact lens fitting.

Chip

[Audiyoda]

I personally don't care - my question remains, what criteria is there for an optician to call themselves a 'master' optician? Does my 15 years and a 97 on the ABO give me credence to say I am a 'master' optician? Does his 15 years and 2 year assiciates degree give him the credence?

Or to put it another way, is there a keystone that determines how any optician can title themselves?

[HarryChiling]

To call himself a master optician is just his preference, but to call himself a certified master optician implies that he took not only the ABO but also the ABO Advanced test and wrote a thesis wich adds to the body of opticianry. If he is calling himself a certified master optician that is just wrong.

[Framebender]

a masters designation under the old apprentice program. I forget how many thousand hours it took to reach it. Something like 12 or 17 years worth. All those folks are probably dead by now though. I think the only valid masters designation today is the one you get from the ABO.

Gosh Chip you must be old. You can remember when there was money in contacts?? My Dad told me that story, but I thought it was a fairy tale!!
:D

[CME4SPECS]

CJ, your coworker can't call himself a certified master optician, until he has held the ABOC for 3 years. He then can pass the ABO Advanced certification and write a 2,000 word technical thesis. Then he can have that honor. It would be fraudulant to call himself a certified master until then. He might just as soon call himself an MD.

[Blake]

So he's 1) degreed but not certified, 2) not recognized as a master by anyone but himself and 3) calls himself a Certified Master Optician. Makes you wonder about that last bit...

IMO, if there is a recognized standard for using such a title (ABOC, ABOM, etc.) that is what you should achieve if you wish to use such a title.

[chip anderson]

I always liked the lab owner who went in dispensing after selling the lab and called himself : J.W. Underwood, Dp.O Looked like he was an O.D.

[Darryl Meister]

Here is a link to the Master Optician program.

[fjpod]

Boy, I'm so tempted to say something here, but I won't.

[Pete Hanlin]

I suppose one can call themselves anything they wish, unless prohibited by law... For example, in Florida there are legal requirements which must be fulfilled by anyone wishing to call him/herself an "optician."

I'm not sure there are any legal requirements surrounding the title of "Master Optician-" however, as previously mentioned the American Board of Opticianry does have a Master's Certification program, and ABO designates anyone who passes the program to be a "Certified Master Optician." So, the self-appointed title "Certified Master Optician" would seem to be- at best- somewhat deceptive.

I'm all for getting certified, licensed, and certainly educated- but at the end of the day, its how you utilize your dispensing knowledge that instills quality into your patient's eyewear- not what you call yourself (as your original post certainly seems to insinuate)!

Pete

[Darryl Meister]

Honestly, if he has already graduated from a two-year program, feels that his education warrants it, and wants the "Master" certification, he should just go take the test and write the paper. The process is really not that difficult, especially for a college graduate.

I made this case already in another thread, but a certified "Master Optician" is a trade designation from a recognized regulatory or certifying agency, similar to a board certified "Master Plumber," an ASE certified "Master Mechanic," an IFPO certified "Master Photographer," and so on. You can think of yourself as a "master" of your craft, but that isn't a title. And the term certification, in particular, implies that an independent body has conferred this title upon you.

[Diane]

Greetings - long time reader, but have never posted.


So I ask all of you, does the aforementioned optician have the right to call himself a "Certified Master Optician"? As I said, I won't argue his skills or his background, but what gives any optician the right to put that word 'Master' in from of their title? Is it years of experience, background, education, training....or is it just a b@llsy thing to do that no one will/could call him on?

-Craig

:angry: He would be deceiving others to refer to himself as a "Certified Master Optician". :finger: There is a standard in place that includes Certified Master Optician and that is the ABOM, which can be validated through credentials, and a piece of paper stating such. Certified indicates being able to be evaluated on a scale of some sort. How could he desigate that? As at least two OTHER ABO Master certified opticians have answered this thread, I would state that he needs to prove himself through a certifying body. Pete, Darryl.

He can claim all he wants, but being able to produce credentials is another story...he should test out to prove his claim.

I don't usually pull the ABOM designation, but this time I will. I am a "Certified" ABO Master Optician, and have the credentials to prove it. :p

Just my thoughts,
Diane

[Audiyoda]

Thanks for all your responses. I have 0 (zero) respect for this particular gentleman (and I use that term loosely) and just wanted to see what others in the trade would feel about this. I worked with him for about 3 months and to be honest, he's a decent optician - but he has no class and no tolerance for someone who might actually know as much (or maybe more) than he does.

My personal feelings on the subject is that no one should give themselves a title gratis - you earn it.

[Pete Hanlin]

As Diane mentioned, I don't usually pull out the ABOM hammer, but it does help tap in a nail from time to time.

The certificate hangs just above my head as I type, right next to my B.A. I'd say I've spent at LEAST as much time studying optics as I did studying in college. Unfortunately, I cannot claim to have graduated from a formal optics program- I'd like to think I'll find time to accomplish that some day, since formal education is the only real chance opticianry has of advancing itself beyond the semi-regulated state it now endures.

[William Walker]

I don't have anything qualitative to add, but here's another person who thinks that's not cool.

[Chris Ryser]

If you would just look at the European countries where this problem does not exist. You learn to become an optician......3-4 years......do your exams, 2 days of theoretical and practicals exams, ................... the get a paper from the state that you are now qualified to work as an optician.

The after a few years you can go on and take a 2 years course to become a master optician, which after the end exams will earn you a diploma you can frame and hang on the wall.

The whole thing translates into a total of 5-6years of learning on and off.

[ziggy]

cj, If I were you I would contact ABO-NCLE. They should have a list of ABOM's you can see if your "friend" is on the list. It should be simple enough. I have never known of any one that went to, and compleated a AAS who did not go on to take the ABO/NCLE. Not to say that didnt happen. If he is NOT an ABOM then every one should know. Let us know how this comes out.


ps. I went ahead and called ABO/NCLE, There are ONLY 350 ABOM's and ONLY 13 are in Mich.

[HarryChiling]

It is a big deal. There is aproximately 38,000 ABO certified opticians and of those opticians only 350 hold the masters designation. That is less than 1% of certified opticians that proved they had the knowledge. It is not right for him to call himself certified, but you can call him certifiable. :hammer:

[Audiyoda]

I already know he has no ABO certification whatsoever. He simply calls himself a Certified Master Optician. But if you knew the practice in question and how they do business, it's par for the course.

Again, not that I care about him or that practice (I no longer live in Lansing), I was just talking about him with one of my reps. The rep brought him up knowing I had worked for them. My rep was telling me how that practice no longer cares to have boards managed and want every company they deal with to give them frames on consignment. They feel that they are established enough that they should receive special treatment from companies - well my rep won't put her frames in there on consignment so they wanted her to return around 60 frames from her company. Of course she wouldn't do it - at which point she was berated in front of patients. That's just a taste of how that practice is run - it's all about the $$$ there, nothing about patient care.

When I was there (for a long and agonizing 4 months) I saw some strange stuff. One of the docs teaches @ MSU and is the clinical optom for MSU Sports. They'd just give away stuff (which by NCAA bylaws is illegal) to the student athletes who received a stipend from their scholarships for eyewear and yet Mr. Certified Master Optician would upcharge long time patients (things like telling patients the lab charged the practice $20 or $40 for high powers - so he'd charge them $60 when in reality the high power charge was $4.00). The way they do business is so convoluted it boggles my mind. I just can't imagine approaching patient care that way...but then I only lasted 4 months with them.

Enough of a rant - I'm not here to denounce him or the practice - I just don't appreciate how they do business or how he handles himself.

[sharon m./ aboc]

It is annoying whenever people try to make themselves feel important with invalid titles. My brother in law calls himself an architect but he never even finished college. You know what's even more annoying? He owns his own business and is fairly well off financially. Or come to think of it maybe that's a lie too!!!!;)

[K B MANNA]

Makes The World Go Round!

[OPTIDONN]

Shoot tell him your an OPTICAL GOD!! Since he's making up titles do him one better.