COST/BENEFIT ratio of formal opticianry training in Canada
Costs associated with BC College of Optic's 6-month OPTICIAN/CONTACT LENS Fitter course
Is paying the education costs associated with BCCO's 6-month OPTICIAN/CONTACT LENS FITTER training program a worthwhile investment? Consider the average cost of room and board in Vancouver CANADA for our 6-month opticianry program... average cost is about $1000.00CDN/month or about $6000.00 for the entire program, and then add a $3000.00 expense buffer. So your total living expense would be about $9000.00CDN. But the Canadian dollar is 30% weaker than the US dollar, so the actual cost for living expenses would be closer to $6300.00USD.
Then add our BCCO $13,670.00CDN tuition fees and $425.00 books expense for a total educational expense of $14,095.00CDN, or about $9800.00USD. Your total student training cost for R&B and tuition of just over $16,000.0USD.
What do you get for this $16,000.00 in education investment? Effective proven training in dispensing and contact lens fitting by our BCCO team of experienced and caring professional instructors, with all hand tools, trial contact lenses and practical in-house training included. See our school website for course outlines of our curriculum... www.bccollegeofoptics.ca
Our condensed 6-month program trains you to pass both ABO and NCLE exams to the Advanced level. BCCO graduates are capable of passing the most rigorous opticianry exams in Canada and North America... the NACOR proficiency exams in Dispensing and Contact Lens Fitting ( www.nacor.ca ). NACOR permits a maximum of four (4)-attempts in each of Dispensing and Contact Lens Fitting. 98+% of BCCO graduates pass NACOR Dispensing on their first (1st) attempt while about 70% pass NACOR Contact Lens fitting on first (1st) attempt, a pass record as good as , or better than all the other longer 2-year Canadian opticianry programs.
This means that you can earn a full 18-months of real optical wages before the 2-year graduates complete their 2-year opticianry training... which could mean $35,000-$55,000USD in your pocket. And you will have the confidence to immediately handle anything optical that comes in the door. This is the real return on your education investment... all your educational costs can be recovered quickly.
Imagine, you will understand how to fit the more difficult front toric, back toric and even bi-toric RGP lenses and scleral contact lenses, not just spheres. And be proficient in using all opticianry instrumentation including keratometer, slit-lamp, radiuscope, lensometer, etc. And you will have the benefit of having all your opticianry questions answered immediately by our knowledgeable BCCO staff.
So if you are serious about pursuing a career as an optician in the USA, you will have the training and knowledge that will set you apart from your untrained peers. Ask your present employer for a 6-month 'leave of absence' and join our Sept 9th, 2019 classes.
Also, all school tuitionfees/books paid may be income tax deductible in the USA (they are in Canada) so check with your accountant.
