Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Abo history

  1. #1
    Master OptiBoarder tx11's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    822

    Abo history

    Has there always been an advanced certification? or was there just the ABOC and ABOM to start? Does anybody (or can several people piece together) know the history of the ABO?

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Fayetteville, NC, USA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    2,009
    In its infancy, the ABO was housed in the National Academy of Opticianry. There was the basic ABO, and the Masters program. To obtain the ABOM certificate one would have to gain several (3 if memory serves me well) years of experience prior to taking the Master's examination. Once that exam was completed successfully, a "thesis" had to be completed. It remained that way for many years and has now evolved into the separate organization you see today. I hope this brief tidbit is helpful. As an aside, many who completed the older version of the Masters process feel it has been watered down a bit. In the older version you had to know about optics (made perfect sense, since it is a Master of Ophthalmic OPTIICS certificate), but now is much broader......which is NOT what a master anything should be. It is still a valuable measure of knowledge, but I and others here feel it has devolved a bit.

  3. #3
    Master OptiBoarder tx11's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    822
    Thanks wmcdonald. I remember I got my ABO study Guide Review book from the Academy back in the late 80's when I tested. Do you about what year the Advanced Certificate came into being?
    Last edited by tx11; 10-02-2014 at 09:41 AM.

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Fayetteville, NC, USA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    2,009
    It was not too long ago, actually. A year escapes me, but I suspect it has been about a decade......not much more.

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder tx11's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    822
    Was the AC introduced to be a bridge between the ABOM and ABOC? Or was it introduced because of the high failure rate of the ABOC in the early days?

  6. #6
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Fayetteville, NC, USA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    2,009
    You must be having a slow day.......

    Someone along the line had the idea that they should not be required to write this "thesis", so they came up with this advanced level of certification. They maintained the Masters Certificate by adding this middle step. Just another attempt to dumb down the process so anyone can do it.......which is about what we have currently.

    As to ABOC pass rates.......they are currently at the lowest I have seen them. All that is currently required to take it is a pulse and a cleared check. Pass rates the last time I saw them were a little over 50%. Formerly (back in in the day, as my students say) it was about 67%, and required at least a year in the field prior to taking it. Interestingly, these days the NCLE has been showing equal or higher pass rates, and I feel it is because those folks have to study harder to pass the exam. The last set of exams I saw the NCLE pass rate was about 65%, while the ABO was low-to-mid 50s.

  7. #7
    OptiBoard Apprentice
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Lawrenceville, GA
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    25
    The problem with the "pulse and cleared check" approach is that you have people who are good test takers becoming certified but they have no practical knowledge. They cannot apply anything they studied and of course the exam doesn't cover enough.
    Cindy Galloway, LDO, ABOC, NCLEC


    When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people are going to be disappointed they are not it.

  8. #8
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Tallahassee, Florida, United States
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    705
    I understand that they have recently reworked the ABO-AC exam. It is now given at computerized testing centers and the management topics that have been pretty controversial in recent years have been de-emphasized in favor of more ophthalmic optics.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Lab History
    By JMoondog in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 04-11-2011, 10:59 PM
  2. Need history help
    By Now I See in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 01-14-2009, 09:40 PM
  3. Optical history
    By crosseyedwildcat in forum Just Conversation
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 04-02-2008, 07:08 PM
  4. History
    By drlenses in forum Progressive Lens Discussion Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-21-2006, 01:37 PM
  5. History
    By Sylvain Légaré in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 01-20-2006, 06:19 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •