The National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) has announced the date for the 2024 Advanced Competence in Medical Optometry (ACMO) Exam – it will be administered at over 220 U.S. Pearson VUE Professional Centers on Friday, June 7, 2024.

• ACMO Exam – Overview, Fees and Tutorials
• ACMO Exam – Registration Dates (PDF)
• Pearson Vue – Test Center Information
• Register for the Exam (NBEO Website)

Important Notes

This exam is administered once per year.

Registration Opens: October 25, 2023
Registration Deadline: May 24, 2024
Extended Registration: May 25-31, 2024

The ACMO exam has a 2-tiered fee structure and there is a significantly reduced fee if you sit for the exam during the residency-year in which you complete your residency program. Exam Fees.

Since the availability of seats at some test centers may be limited, candidates are encouraged to register as soon as possible to reduce the likelihood of having to travel a long distance to the next available test center.

Register for the Exam

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New Specialists in Medical Optometry

The Board would like to welcome these Optometrists newly certified in the Specialty of Medical Optometry:

• Grace Bissonnette
• Victoria Butcko
• Michelle Chen
• Andrew Crist
• Heather Jones
• Andrew Mick
• Margaret Moore
• Kendra Pollard
• Sanjeet Virk

If you work with any of these Specialists, please introduce yourself and congratulate them on their new certification – they’ve done a great deal to accomplish this!

Journal of Medical Optometry – First Edition

The Journal of Medical Optometry (JoMO) recently published its first issue. If you haven’t seen it please check it out and, of course, consider submitting your own article(s) for publication. Remember, this is your journal.

Board Members Doug Rett (JoMO Editor-in-Chief) and Richard Zimbalist (JoMO Designer) along with all first edition contributors have done an incredible amount of work to bring this to fruition.

Journal of Medical Optometry (Website)
Journal of Medical Optometry (Facebook)

Lapel Pins Available

ABCMO has a limited number of 1” diameter lapel pins available. To request one, please submit your current mailing address at the link below.

Request Lapel Pin

Email Signature Lines

For Optometrists who wish to highlight their certification as specialists, ABCMO recommends the following:

Abbie Seemo, O.D., Board Certified in Medical Optometry

or

Abbie Seemo, O.D., Board Certified in Medical Optometry (ABCMO)

This is a topic that will be addressed in more detail later. For now, it is important to recognize that the use of “Board Certified in _____” is standard within Medicine and well-understood by the public.

Journal of Medical Optometry – A Small Sample

• Subjective Dyschromatopsia as Presenting Symptom of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration,  Adam C. LePosa, OD, FAAO, Rigo Arteaga, Lindsay Agro, OD, FAAO
• Conjunctivochalasis: A Report of Two Cases,  Eric M. Lee, OD, FAAO
• Principles of Diabetic Care, Leslie Wilderson, OD, FAAO

The Journal of Medical Optometry (JoMO) is supported by the American Board of Certification in Medical Optometry (ABCMO). The following is an excerpt from the journal’s first editorial. JoMO is freely available online here.

Welcome to the first edition of the Journal of Medical Optometry! JoMO is the official journal of the American Board of Certification in Medical Optometry and we are so proud to bring this publication to you. The genesis of this journal is the attempted solution to a problem: the dearth of journals designed for clinical optometrists. As an optometrist in a teaching hospital, each year I see colleagues and trainees come up with ideas for publication. And all too often I see them discouraged by the submission process. They see amazing cases which could be seen by eyecare providers everywhere and which could develop all of our knowledge; but this knowledge often goes unshared. This journal exists to be a platform where we can all come to learn and to share. Its audience is anyone who wants to learn about the medical-based problems (and solutions) that an eyecare provider might encounter on any given day… Read More

Journal of Medical Optometry, Issue 1 – May 2023

Three Articles from the First Edition
Subjective Dyschromatopsia as Presenting Symptom of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Conjunctivochalasis: A Report of Two Cases
Principles of Diabetic Care

Douglas J. Rett, O.D., FAAO
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Medical Optometry
Secretary, ABCMO Board of Directors
Chief, Boston VA Optometry

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Welcome New Specialists in Medical Optometry!

First and foremost, the Board would like to welcome all those Optometrists newly certified in the Specialty of Medical Optometry:

• Matthew Beard
• Luanne Chubb
• Sara Ciccotelli
• Matthew Cordes
• Luke Cyr
• Deborah Duan
• Jason Fliegel
• Angella Gentry
• Alicia Greene
• Lindsey Hardy
• Matthew Horton
• Yun-Ting Huang
• David Johnson
• Allicia Kelly
• Jenna Leber
• Elizabeth Lemos
• Jarett Mazzarella
• Guadalupe Mejia
• Tran Nguyen
• Joshua Oliver
• Neelam Patadia
• Shephali Patel
• Hilary Price
• William Prunty
• Eric Reinhard
• Lea Rogers
• Allison Schafers
• Ryan Terry
• Julie Tuten
• Erica Vanderpool
• Eric Viloria
• Michael Wingard

If you work with any of these new Specialists, please introduce yourself and congratulate them on their new certification – you know exactly how much work they’ve done to accomplish this!

JoMO – The Journal of Medical Optometry

Work continues on the first edition of the new journal. Currently, the article submission form is on the ABCMO website but it will move to the JoMO website upon publication. Submissions are welcome, always.

Journal of Medical Optometry – Submit an Abstract or Article

ACMO Exam – June 22, 2023

The next ACMO exam is Thursday, June 22, 2023. If you know any Optometric Residents or participate in their training, ABCMO would appreciate it if you forwarded this email to them. There is a significant discount on exam fees if it is taken in the Residency year.

ACMO Exam – More Info

Verification of Certification (VOC) – What ABCMO Reports

When ABCMO receives a VOC request (most often from a Joint Commission accredited health care facility) it reports one of the following status categories for the O.D. in question: Active, Inactive, Retired, Revoked or Never Certified. Active and Inactive status are based on participation in the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Retired status may be requested at any time.

Verification of Certification
Maintenance of Certification

Medical Optometry – Case by Case

As part of our ongoing mission to keep the definition of Medical Optometry up to date and highlight the advanced competence of practicing Specialists, ABCMO is looking for authors to write case studies about the eye conditions, diagnoses, treatments and outcomes encountered by those practicing Medical Optometry.

Case Studies – Author Info and Signup Page

Continuing Education (CE) – Informal Survey

Are you taking CE that you feel is equal to COPE-ARBO accredited CE in terms of scope and difficulty? Who or what organization administers it? Would you send us some details? As a matter of policy, ABCMO Maintenance of Certification relies on COPE-ARBO accredited CE because it is a national standard but we are also very interested in learning about high-quality CE from other sources.

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Welcome New Specialists in Medical Optometry!

First and foremost, the Board would like to welcome all those O.D.s newly certified in the Specialty of Medical Optometry: Robert Binkley, Mackenzie Black, Patrick Clark, Michelle D’Amura, Dean Fasciani, Caryn Herman, William Hileman, Carrie Ho, Gayle LePosa, Rachael Miller, Elizabeth Phillips, Ashley Rone, David Sarah, Jennifer Sutter and Leslie Wilderson.

If you happen to work with any of these people please introduce yourself and congratulate them on their certification – you know exactly how much work they’ve done to accomplish this.

A Letter to VA Optometry Residency Coordinators: The Benefits of the ACMO Exam

This editorial first appeared in Optimum VA, The Official Newsletter of the National Association of VA Optometrists, January/February 2022. In addition to outlining several benefits of taking the ACMO exam during Residency, this editorial also mentions a major change in 2019 to VA Handbook 5017 and the SAA system.

The Benefits of the ACMO Exam

What is Medical Optometry?

In this editorial Dr. Kenneth Myers, President of ABCMO, discusses the Specialty of Medical Optometry and the historic “split” between retail and clinical health care that can be seen in multiple professions.

What is Medical Optometry?

Verification of Certification (VOC) – What ABCMO Reports

When ABCMO receives a VOC request (usually from a Joint Commission accredited health care facility credentialing committee) it reports one of the following status categories for the O.D. in question: Active, Probation, Retired, Revoked, or Never Certified. More information about these categories can be found on the VOC webpage.

Verification of Certification

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) – What You Need to Know

Effective January 1, 2023 ABCMO will begin reporting O.D.s Certified by ABCMO but not enrolled in MOC as having Status: Probation when asked by credentialing committees and employers. Until then, ABCMO will continue to report Status: Active (followed by an email reminder to the O.D. to enroll in MOC as soon as possible).

Starting in July 2022, and continuing through the end of the year, ABCMO will begin reaching out to each and every Diplomate about their MOC status and if necessary making adjustments to renewal dates for those already enrolled in MOC. This is so that no O.D. falls into the Probation or Revoked category by accident in 2023.

Maintenance of Certification

ACMO Exam Scheduled for Friday, June 10, 2022

While the odds are very high that if you are reading this you have already taken the exam yourself, the odds are equally high you are working with someone who hasn’t. Please share this if any of your colleagues ask about your experience with ABCMO and attaining Certification.

ACMO Exam Scheduled for June 10, 2022

Peer-Reviewed Journal Under Study

ABCMO is currently investigating the feasibility of launching an online, peer-reviewed journal. If you would be interested in submitting work (articles, editorials, interest pieces) or working on the Editorial or Peer-Review teams please use the link below to let us know.

Let us know what interests you!

ABCMO offers Board Certification in the Specialty of Medical Optometry which “encompasses the medical diagnosis, management and treatment of primary and secondary diseases and disorders of the human eye, adnexa and visual tracts.”

ABCMO is recognized at Joint Commission accredited medical facilities as issuing board certification in the Specialty of Medical Optometry. Those certified by ABCMO are eligible for credentialing at these facilities as specialists rather than general practice optometrists.

To apply for Specialty Certification in Medical Optometry an OD must:

1. Complete a full-time, ACOE (or equivalent) accredited, postgraduate clinical residency training program having its major emphasis on medical optometry at a health care facility accredited by The Joint Commission, such as a VA medical center.
2. Pass the Advanced Competence in Medical Optometry (ACMO) exam. This exam is significantly discounted for current Residents.
3. Meet additional requirements as outlined on the Certification Application.

For more information about specialty certifications at your medical facility, please talk with the residency supervisor where you are training.

You may send any application questions to info@abcmo.org

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About ABCMO

The American Board of Certification in Medical Optometry (ABCMO) is recognized at Joint Commission accredited medical facilities as issuing board certification in the Specialty of Medical Optometry. Those certified by ABCMO are eligible for credentialing at these facilities as specialists rather than general optometry practitioners.

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About The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission is the recognized agency that accredits federal, state, and local-chartered medical facilities. Over 127 Joint Commission accredited hospitals, clinics and teaching institutions now credential ABCMO Board Certified Optometrists as Specialists in Medical Optometry.

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ABCMO – Fall 2021 Updates

Greetings!

1) First and foremost, the Board would like to welcome all those newly certified in the Specialty of Medical Optometry: Stephanie Carter, Scott DePoe, Adam Fannin, Lisa Himmelein, Meaghan Horton, William Kress, Kathy Lewis, Ethan Leyda, Michael Meyer, Hannah Sipola, Danielle Taylor, and Betty Wang.

If you work with any of these people please greet them with the secret ABCMO handshake (we’re just kidding, there is no handshake, but please say hello).

2) ABCMO would like to introduce Douglas Rett, O.D., FAAO as the newest member of our Board. Doug is the Chief of Optometry for VA Boston, and a clinical faculty member at four different optometry schools.

Full bio here -> https://abcmo.org/board-of-directors/douglas-rett/

3) The Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program is in full operation and all ABCMO certified ODs are expected to sign up and submit all required information when renewing their state license to practice.

Program Info -> https://abcmo.org/maintenance-of-certification/
Bylaws, Article 19 -> https://abcmo.org/bylaws/#article-19

Quite simply, ABCMO has dropped the requirement that you re-take the NBEO ACMO exam every 10 years and replaced that with the requirement that you fill all remaining/extra State Required CE Credit hours with courses in Medical Optometry. This information along with a Self-Query of the National Practitioner Data Bank can then be submitted online every year or every other year (depending on your state license renewal cycle).

Enrollment in the MOC Program is a requirement for continued certification and Verification of Certification (VOC)

4) If you are curious about the early days of the Department of Veterans Affairs Optometry Service or would like to see a picture of our President, Dr. Kenneth Myers, the first Director of VA Optometry Service, please click the link below.

VA Optometry – Summer of 1980

As a profession, Optometry is constantly evolving. We commend all of you certified in the Specialty of Medical Optometry for being part of this evolution and for helping lead our profession forward.

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ABCMO – The Next 10 Years

Important Changes for 2021 and Beyond

In the last ten years the number of optometrists certified by ABCMO has grown steadily from just a few dozen to over 450 as of today. This has been very exciting and we want to thank all of you for helping us build an organization that represents the best, most highly trained specialists in Medical Optometry.

As we look forward to the next ten years the Board has decided to make several important changes. These changes are designed to keep the value of your ABCMO Certification as high as possible while responding to trends in both Optometry and Medicine.

1. The requirement of re-passage of the NBEO’s ACMO examination every 10 years for maintenance of certification has been discontinued. Instead, all certificate holders, regardless of the year of original certificate issuance, will be required to enroll in the following program:

2. The ABCMO Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program will require participants to fill all state required Continuing Education (CE) hours, not otherwise specified or required by their state, with COPE accredited hours in subjects relevant to medical optometry. The fee is $45/year (or $90 for biennial state renewals). Enrollment begins in January 2021 or January 2022 depending on your state license renewal date. Additional requirements along with an online signup form can be found below.

https://abcmo.org/maintenance-of-certification/

3. Verification of Certification (VOC), requested by credentialing offices can now be done online too. In order to prevent delays in verifying your certification with ABCMO make sure you sign up for the Maintenance of Certification program listed above and provide all the required information.

https://abcmo.org/verification-of-certification/

We expect the changes outlined above, in combination, best prepare us all for the next 10 years.