American Board of Certification in Medical Optometry

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Growing Optometry Surpluses

For some time, the ABCMO Board has been concerned over evidence of growing surplus numbers of optometrists.

In 1997, following graduation rates around 1,127 for many years, the AOA sponsored National Optometry Census was released and then analyzed in the Abt. Manpower Study in 2000, also sponsored by the AOA. The Abt. Study concluded the supply of optometrists equaled demand in 1997 but the graduation rate of 1,127 would create future surpluses. In 1997 the optometry density was 11.5 licensed optometrists per 100,000.

Since 1997, new schools opened, three more are being organized and a fourth is being considered. This year, graduates will approach 1,600 and increase to nearly 1,900 by 2018. Meanwhile, applications per seat have declined and these high enrollments will lead to record densities of 15-17 per 100,000,

The editorial concludes optometry, unlike medicine, dentistry and podiatry, has a growing surplus of practitioners chiefly produced by:

  • Overly optimistic forecasts of optometry manpower needs.
  • Freely available guaranteed student loans.
  • Accreditation standards lacking quantitative clinical training requirements.

The Optometry Surplus: A Quantitative Determination Of Excess Densities – by Dr. Kenneth J. Myers (PDF)

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Types of Optometry Certification

Introduction

Medicine, osteopathy and dentistry have long had specialty certification boards that issue “board certifications” to those completing residency specialty training in defined specialty areas of each of these professions after licensing. Optometry has one specialty certification board and three boards that issue certifications to general practitioners.

The three boards for general optometry practitioners certify current licensing-level competency rather than specialty competency and differ considerably in their requirements.

All four types of certification are voluntary and not required for licensure, license renewal or the private practice of optometry.

Specialty certification is required, however, of a licensed optometrist seeking credentialing as a specialist at a Joint Commission accredited health care organization.

Read the full paper:

Types of Optometry Certification (PDF)

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A New Educational Model

Unlike medicine and dentistry, optometry education does not receive federal support for clinical education. This new educational model would award the OD degree in 3-years, federal-supported residency training in the 4th year prior to licensing and then board certification in general practice. This would require less student debt; clinical training facilities would receive federal support; and graduates would be board eligible in general practice without additional training.

Read the full paper:

A New Educational Model – by Dr. Charles Mullen (PDF)

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Presentation to ARBO

When the ABCMO was invited to brief the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO) Dr. Ken Myers stressed that “board certification” for general practice optometrists was not required, proposed or contemplated by any health care organization and, specifically, was not part of the recently passed “Health Care Reform Act of 2010”. He explained this was because the Joint Commission On Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations affirmed, in 1986, that while specialists are expected by accredited healthcare facilities to be board certified in their specialty, defined-license, independent prescribing practitioners such as dentists, optometrists, audiologists and psychologists are eligible to be granted those privileges supported by their degrees and state practice acts and need no additional credentials to be granted medical staff membership and general practice clinical privileges.

This reflects the fact board certification is used to denote advanced competence in a specialty of the profession in which a practitioner is licensed and this advanced competence is achieved by additional, accredited, post-graduate clinical residency training, passage of a written examination testing that advanced competence in the specialty followed by certification by a specialty board. Thus there is no need, or precedence, for requiring additional credentials of those engaged in the general practice of a defined-license, independent prescribing profession as they are within the authority of their respective state practice acts.

Read the full presentation to ARBO (PDF)