Requirements

[OdTech]

Hello to everyone

What are the requirements to progress further, after taking ABO and getting lisence.
I don't understand the website of abo-ncle.org
about the years, which aren't specified to take Advanced ABO and then ABOM.

Please be specific as you can ;)

[stephanie]

Not quite sure exactly what you want to know but I assume you are wanting to know how you keep your license up. Well with ABO/NCLE you renew every three years. You are also required to attend CE hours every year. My state requires 8 hours 4 ABO and 4 NCLE each year. Depending on what NY requires may be different in TN. In other words time and money!! LOL!! I am not sure I have answered the question. Maybe someone else can be a little more detailed than I am.


Steph

[BobV]

If you want to obtain advanced certification, you must be ABOC for at least one renewal period, i.e. 3years. Then you may take the exam for advanced. As I understand, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, you must take the "approved courses" for the advanced exam, which again I believe may be purchased at the NEO website.

After passing the advanced test, you may write a dissertation on something pertaining to optical to obtain Master's status.

Hope that answers your questions. Take care.

Bob V.

[stephanie]

Well I thought I read the entire post but apparently messed up with the reply. Sorry!! As you can tell I am no ABOM!! LOL!!!


Steph

[OdTech]

Hello to everyone;)

Stephanie thnx for answering at your best but not close enough.

BobV you got the right answer. From other past replies i learned that oopticians have to take an ABOM exam that's it but the paper :angry: i learnd on the website hate writing the papers.

Please anyone share the experience writing the paper passing the exam.

Also i only oriented to optics not contact lenses, will i be able to take advanced exam with out taking contact lens related courses.

Thanx to all:D

[Lee Prewitt]

ODTech,

The ABOM is spectcles only. The NCLE has a seperate exam for contacts. I just heard from ABO and they have done away with the advance courses requirements. After 3 years of experience the paper should be not as difficult as you may think. 2000 words sounds like a lot but not really. I would recommend taking some of the advance courses. It seems difficult to get the overall experience necessary in only 3 years but of course that would depend on the situation you find yourself in after 3 years. I can tell you this...know your math and read everything you can about all disciplines in the optical field. The test is for a Master after all and it does cover a very wide range of topics.

[BobV]

Am I reading correctly that ABO has done away with the "advanced" designation and has gone back to "master's" testing?

Why and when did this come about?

Bob V.

[Lee Prewitt]

Bob,


I think they are still designated as AC but the requirement for sitting for the exam is only 3 years of ABO membership. I got this email response from Kara Burgess at ABO yesterday.

"Mr. Prewitt,

The Advanced courses are no longer required to take the Advanced Exams. I
will send you an updated registration form.

Kara "

The process is still pass the exam (150.00) and be ABOC-AC and then write paper (another 150.00) and be ABOM.

[wmcdonald]

The Advanced Certification requires an examination only, but I must caution you, the exam is rigorous. Pass rates are low and I encourage you to take as many courses you possibly can. The paper required for the Master's Certification is not anywhere close to a thesis or dissertation. The typical dissertation is somewhere near 50,000-80,000 words, although they are not typically counting words....they want to have the doctoral candidate answer research questions to solve problems in the field of study. A 2000 word paper is small indeed, and should not be a problem. Writing a paper on a topic of interest to you in Optics is all that is required in this case. It will be judged by a committee as to its acceptance for the Master's Certification. I completed the program in 1977, and it was not easy, but is different today. Students are not as well prepared, and the exam material is expanded. The NCLE has a basic level exam as well, and an advanced certification exam that is a pre-requisite for Fellowship in the CLSA (a practical is required by CLSA after the NCLE-AC). Good luck as you progress, but STUDY, the ABO-AC is not easy! Good luck

Dr. Mac

[OdTech]

Hello and thanx to all who answered. I know i'm far away from ABOM but which literature would you reccomned since some of you mentioned it is rigorous test.

[wmcdonald]

The best way to learn optics is in a formal program. Ther are several institutions that have on-line programs. See the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (www.nfos.org) and look for the on-line link. The National Academy of Opticianry has an extensive solection available (www.nao.org). OAA (www.oaa.org) offers some review material. There are several schools in your area that can also assit you. Interboro Institute and NY City Technical College have good libraries that you may be able to access.
If you will read the ABO/NCLE web page which can be found on the links page at the Academy (I believe it is www.abo.org, but don't remember off hand) they have some suggested information available. Good luck!

Dr. Mac

[OdTech]

Well some of the literature i already have llike
Ophthalmic Optics Dictionary & Optical Formula Tutorial
but not the "Management for Opticians"
Authors: Appler, Dennis, Muth and White
Contents: How to run an Optical Establishment

If anyone read or have this book please review it, tell its usefullness.

[wmcdonald]

The ABO/NAO/OAA has clearly published suggested study guides and materials as I described them before. On the Master's exam there are some management questions. The book is very useful, and well designed for Opticians and any other interested in managing an optical dispensary. If you have the material, then great....you won't have to buy any additional materials. If not then take a look at them. There are libraries at the optical colleges in NY that have copies of them all.

[mooga]

What ca you do with Masters title? What I mean is what kind of job oppurtunities will it open up for you?

[Darryl Meister]

What I mean is what kind of job oppurtunities will it open up for you?

Well, you get a spiffy lapel pin, for one. ;) I don't know that having a Master's certification will "open up" any additional job opportunities for you, but I do believe that it will certaily increase your chances if certain opportunities do open up. You should think of it more as a personal enrichment exercise. While it does have some degree of status in the industry, to those familiar with the ABO anyway, I would only recommend pursuing it if you want to excel in what you do out of a sense of commitment or pride in your chosen field, want to distinguish yourself and your level of expertise from other opticians, or if you would enjoy the sense or personal accomplisment and self-improvement that obtaining the certication would provide.

Also, the purpose of the Master's certification is to demonstrate to others that you have a higher level of expertise in our field by asking you some questions that are representative of a higher level of knowledge. If you only take the test to "get a better job," you will generally only learn enough to pass the test. Consequently, you very likely won't have the kind of knowledge of which the certification is indicative after passing the exam. This has been an issue with the basic ABO exam, as well. Often, "exam preparation courses" are little more than lists of embellished answers to possible ABO questions for opticians who just want the title, not the knowledge actually reflected by the title.

On side-note, I also think it was a big mistake on behalf of the ABO to water-down the Master/AC exam and to make its content focus vague and overly general -- not to mention inappropriate for most opticians. My understanding is that several of the new content areas have little to do with ophthalmic optics and dispensing, and relatively few opticians actually manage practices or refract in the US. Frankly, I feel that practice management and refracting questions are outside of the intended scopes of the ABO and Master in Ophthalmic Optics certifications.

Best regards,
Darryl

[chip anderson]

Daryl:

Haven't you figured it out yet? What is wanted is someone with little opthalmic expertise who is a good salesman and can keep the records, inventories, returns, and most of all the bottom line in tact.

Being an Optician has little to do with being an optician.

Chip

[mooga]

Thankyou for the info. The main reason why I asked about job oppurtunities is I am becoming bored doing the same thing everyday. I was wondering if it opened up a differrent realm of being an optician, or a different line of work with the same principles.