on sight testing?????

[Neena]

i have a question for everyone. I have been hearing that there is or will be a course available for opticians regarding on sight testing. i was woundering where and how can i take this course.:)

[JJ]

hi neena,

nice to chat with another canadian optician...........i dont think ontario has the course set in georgian or seneca (i could be wrong) but i do know the course is offered throught the OAC www.opticians.ca their web page was underconstruction but you can always call and ask for information.

by the way did you hear that BC got it passed that opticians can sight test to make eyeglasses ! great step forward
good luck

[Neena]

hey JJ nice to meet another canadian optician as well. As far as i know seneca and georgian are not offering the course. however i was thinking about maybe going down to B.C. and taking the course i know i will not be able to practise it but at least i will have it done. i will defintly call up the O.O.A. and see what they have to say thanks for the info. by the way where did you study?:)

[JJ]

I was also thinking of taking the course through oac, but you have to be working in the field and with an optometrist / ophthalmologist so tht counts me out right now. i wanted to take the course just for the info / better understanding but no go.....going to bc to take course and getting licensed there for it would sure help out alot for when you go to other provinces, assist with getting other provinces approved and such


good luck let me know how you make out

ps since you are an intern optician; that indicates you are in ontario from another province? if so which one....as ontario gives intern opticians? i could be wrong and other provinces do too

[Optom]

Hello,

Are preparing to sit for sets of contact lens sections only? You can apply directly to NAIT for refractometry course details once you get through Ontario registration exams.

Best regards,

Optom

[muucow]

It has been a regesterd course at Georgian and Seneca. It may not appear on their websites but I was faxed information from Seneca a few weeks ago.
Just to let you know!!! Yeah more Canadians!!!!

[muucow]

I replied but it ended up at the bottom of this list. Scroll down to view

[Shwing]

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (Edmonton, AB) is the sole provider of opticianry training programs in 7 of the 10 provinces, and is available right across the country. If you are an optician who was trained in Canada (and outside of Ontario) you probably took the NAIT program (either the Eyeglasses or Contact Lens programs). These are all distance delivery programs, and are distributed by the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC). You were correctly directly to the appropriate website.

For over 10 years, NAIT and the OAC have offered a 2 year program called Sight Testing, which instructs you in the science of refracting, and also requires a practicum, whereby you perfect the art. Any Contact Lens practitioner in Canada may enroll directly into the second and final year of the Sight Testing program- contact the OAC for details- registration deadline for the fall intake is only about 3 weeks away. You do not have to be working for an OD or MD to take the program. You must complete the practicum; this may be done under the direct supervision of an OD or MD, but if that is not possible, clinical sessions are held to fulfill the practicum requirement.

What is happening in BC is rather different. The legislation in BC revolves around independent refracting using automated techniques. There is a course for BC opticians requiring the training, but it is quite different from the full Sight Testing program. Also, I do not believe the legislation has passed just yet.