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Educating
and Training the American Optician |
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This month’s article examines the
education and training of the American Optician. The series
will include a very brief history, and discuss educational
opportunities for those currently in the field, as well as
those who seek to enter. I hope you find it enjoyable. |
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History: Apprenticeship versus Formal
Education
Originally Opticians in this country and
across the world were trained via apprenticeship, as were
most professions. Medicine, Law (Abraham Lincoln was an
example) and many others were trained via a structured
apprenticeship program, in which the apprentice was almost
an indentured servant to the master. This type of training
was effective for that time in history, but is not in favor
in today’s complex world. According to contemporary
educational research, apprenticeship lacks the ability to
disseminate complex ideas.
Medicine, law and others are too complex
for the one-on-one methods of the past. Many, including this
author, feel Opticianry has become too complex as well, and
that current “training” programs have become nothing
more than cheap labor. As evidence, review the pass rates of
standardized tests, such as the ABO/NCLE, and some of the
more rigid state licensure examinations. In my own state of
NC, apprenticeship pass rates are abysmal. Unfortunately,
the “old masters” of the past are no longer with us and
those being trained are not getting a complete and thorough
grounding in all facets of the field.
With each new generation we are “dumbing-down”
those who follow us, and this needs to change. This has been
a sensitive issue for years, quite frankly. Some see the “new
breed” of Optician as a threat. If apprenticeship was good
enough for granddad, and good enough for me, why is it not
good enough for the future? I don’t want them to get ahead
of me! This kind of thought permeates the industry, and we
need to find an area of compromise where we can all feel
comfortable, and move into the next century!
International Comparisons
This author has often wondered how we
could affect positive change in regards to education and
training for current and future Opticians. To provide some
insight, let’s look at our peers in several other nations
across the globe.
Canada
In Canada, Opticians must attend a formal
program of study and be licensed in each of the ten
provinces. There are several institutions across the country
where Opticians can study. In Ontario, for example, two
traditional colleges, Georgian College and Seneca College,
offer excellent face-to-face programs over a two year
format, similar to our community/technical colleges. In
Alberta, The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology offers
an outstanding program via the Internet that provides
training for Opticians all across the country, also a two
year program offered in conjunction with apprenticeships.
The student must be working and have a supervisor who
reviews their clinical application to assure competency. In
British Columbia, there is a condensed 6-month program at
the British Columbia College of Optics that shortens the
training program, but students are prepared and allowed to
sit for licensure in British Columbia.
Canada allows the fitting of contact
lenses, and in some provinces, sight testing, by Opticians.
This is a far cry from most states in the US that has no
requirement of any sort to call oneself an Optician.
Europe
The English system is similar to Canada.
In reviewing the data, it is clear that English Opticians
were also ahead of us in that they require formal education
and licensure. There is also a bridge to become an
Ophthalmic Optician (Optometrist) as well for those who wish
to go further.
German Opticians are trained via a
rigorous apprenticeship program that combines hands-on
clinical application with classroom experiences. The
training program is very structured and combines significant
clinical and work experiences.
These are just a few examples of our
counterparts in other areas of the world. It is enlightening
to see what others are doing, and I encourage the reader to
do your own search. Comparing the US to other nations may
provide some insight into things not before considered.
Educational Opportunities
There are many opportunities for US
Opticians to get a formal education. Let’s take a look at
some of those, and hopefully you will get some idea of the
depth and breadth of educational offerings here in this
country.
The National Federation of Opticianry
Schools
This outstanding organization is made up
of schools and colleges across the country that offer degree
and certificate programs for Opticians. They have an
excellent website (www.nfos.org) that provides a great deal
of information about not only the schools that are members,
but about the profession itself. The current list of members
is 35, and these institutions and programs range anywhere
from the standard two-year Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
degree programs, to shorter, condensed certificate programs.
The site provides excellent information on each individual
program, so we will not take up our limited space for
descriptions, but reviewing the site can provide a great
deal of information for those who seek educational
opportunities, both in face-to-face traditional formats, as
well as distance education opportunities.
The Ophthalmic Career Progression Program
The National Academy of Opticianry offers
a home-study program, utilized by several states as a
component of the apprenticeship program that allows them to
sit for the state licensing exam. Several states require
some formal education during the apprenticeship, and this is
an approved program by those states. The website for the NAO
is www.nao.org. You can easily find information there
regarding the OCPP. This home-study program allows the
student to complete the program at home via correspondence,
and in a comfortable time frame. Proctored examinations are
required. The books are well written by industry
professionals, and provide a solid foundation in the
spectacle dispensing side of Opticianry, preparing
self-directed individuals with optical theory sufficient to
sit for the ABO examination.
The Contact Lens Society of America
Similar to the CPP, the CLSA offers a
home-study program for contact lenses. Completed generally
via correspondence with required proctored examinations, the
program is well written by excellent contact lens
practitioners, and provides the self-directed learner with a
solid foundation in contact lenses.
NAIT Optical Sciences
As a matter of full disclosure, this
author is a consultant for the Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology, representing the Optical Science Program here in
the US. This outstanding program provides Opticians across
the country the opportunity to gain a two-year diploma in
Eyeglasses, Advanced Diplomas in Contact Lenses, and Sight
Testing. The program is extremely well written and offered
via the Internet. The courses are led by full-time
instructors who are there for full support for the student
across the entire depth and breadth of the course. NAIT
currently partners with state optical associations to
deliver the program to their respective members here in the
US. Texas, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and Kentucky are
currently partner states. Information on the program can be
found at the websites for each participating state partner.
Summary and Conclusion
With all these opportunities out there,
why do the NFOS schools seem to struggle to find students?
Apprenticeship is not a structured learning experience in
the US, but merely a poor do-it-on-you-own kind of thing.
Unfortunately we cling to it like the Holy Grail! Why do we
not seek to improve the future for the profession, and seek
to upgrade our standards? We cannot forever remain mired in
mediocrity, but must seek new benchmarks for success.
This article is designed to provide these
outstanding programs with some visibility, but they will
never reach their full potential until the profession
supports them completely. I am always amazed during my
lectures across the country at the lack of understanding of
some of the very basic optical principles, but at the same
time the strong desire to learn exhibited by those in
attendance. It is time for Opticianry to move forward. Or is
it past time?
References on request
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