# Professional and Educational Organizations > Professional and Educational Organizations Discussion Forum >  Can't manage CE

## Graduate

This is a big problem, i can't manage required continuing education credits to meet recertification deadlines.

How you guys & gals do it? with your busy life.

My life keeps me so occupied with work & family;I recently failed to recertify myself. :cry:

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## NavyChief

Try registering for the free subscription to 20/20 Magazine.  They have CE articles every month. Occasionally they have free ones.  
http://www.2020mag.com/

They also have a page with online courses.  Some of them are free too.
Look under continuing Education:
http://www.2020mag.com/index.asp?pag...etype=SiteSpec

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## CME4SPECS

In case you didn't know. You have a 1 year grace period on your ABO certification.

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## shanbaum

> This is a big problem, i can't manage required continuing education credits to meet recertification deadlines.
> 
> How you guys & gals do it? with your busy life.
> 
> My life keeps me so occupied with work & family;I recently failed to recertify myself.


As Chris would say, why not do it at one of the Vision Expos?

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## NavyChief

Not everyone can afford to get to and attend an Expo.  So, I'd suggest some of the online ways. 

I've attended Expos  in Vegas and New York City.  Very educational and a good time, but can be very expensive.

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## Karlen McLean

There's online CE, print CE, and what about locally-held CE? Does your state association hold CE? What about traveling CE's, like from some vendors and the National Academy of Opticianry? What about your labs? Research what's in your "neighborhood," there may be more options than you think to get lots of hours when you need them.

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## rbaker

Check your priorities. Your career must certainly be worth a few lousy hours a year.

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## Graduate

Certainly benefitted,thank you all for being guiding colleagues.

I wish Optiboard was issuing CE credits for posting;)

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## Diane

I agree with Dick.  There are too many ways out there to get CE's not to keep up your certification.  Karlen suggested a number of easy ways.  Face to face is certainly the best way, but alternate ways certainly prevent you from losing your certification.

Just my humble opinion.

Diane

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## Graduate

> I agree with Dick. There are too many ways out there to get CE's not to keep up your certification. Karlen suggested a number of easy ways. Face to face is certainly the best way, but alternate ways certainly prevent you from losing your certification.
> 
> Just my humble opinion.
> 
> Diane


I agree with you and others,pretty lady.It is wise opinion to attend expos to gain maximum CE credits in short time while doing business.It's killing 2 birds with single stone.

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## Gerry

When you order your CECs online from the Optical Training Institute, the system automatically keeps track of the courses you have taken and how many credits you have earned. And if you have any specific questions regarding your credits you are always welcome to contact them via email or telephone.

www.opticaltraining.com

info@opticaltraining.com

949-551-5455

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## chip anderson

What is your problem?  I have taken as many as 12 hours on Dec. 30 from CLSA and ABO on line and been re-certificed Jan.1.   Every optical trade magazine has at least one hour, you read the article which gives your the answers, fax or mail it in with a few bucks and your done.   If this is too difficult, perhaps you should put in for a welfare check.  Or perhaps some Civil Service job with Fema, or Homeland Security or similar agency.


Chip

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## Darryl Meister

> If this is too difficult, perhaps you should put in for a welfare check


Chip, if you wrote that response from a bell tower as you were preparing to fire a high-powered rifle into the crowd below, let me know and I'll dial 911. ;)

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## Cindy Hamlin

Check out this thread.  It contains on-line CEs and most are free.

http://www.optiboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6469

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## 35oldguy

I, for one think for some individuals it is necessary to be over and over,  re- educated from time to time. 

It is unnecessary to have to retake the same said courses over and over again to regain certification. It should be a one time certification. I graduated from the university with a degree in geometric optics. I passed!! Why should I be required to do it all over again to keep the professors employed?


When I was in the US Army I was a training NCO. We repeated the same courses over and over again and again. The motto of MANY ORGANIZATIONS is to keep the money rolling in to support their staffs and to keep a JOB.

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## William Walker

My biggest struggle is to remember when each license is due, the fee, and how many CE's are needed and what type for each.  Although it's not a ton, I'm balancing Florida State license (has it's own number of ABO/NCLE hours), ABOA (soon to be ABOM hopefully:)), NCLE, and CPO (soon to be CPOA).  Add to it the renewing of memberships to POF, OAA, & NAO, and I'm tapped out, mentally and financially.

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## CME4SPECS

> My biggest struggle is to remember when each license is due, the fee, and how many CE's are needed and what type for each.  Although it's not a ton, I'm balancing Florida State license (has it's own number of ABO/NCLE hours), ABOA (soon to be ABOM hopefully:)), NCLE, and CPO (soon to be CPOA).  Add to it the renewing of memberships to POF, OAA, & NAO, and I'm tapped out, mentally and financially.


Come on William, you haven't used all of the alpahabet yet! Hang in there!   :hammer:

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## Blake

> I, for one think for some individuals it is necessary to be over and over,  re- educated from time to time. 
> 
> It is unnecessary to have to retake the same said courses over and over again to regain certification. It should be a one time certification. I graduated from the university with a degree in geometric optics. I passed!! Why should I be required to do it all over again to keep the professors employed?
> 
> 
> When I was in the US Army I was a training NCO. We repeated the same courses over and over again and again. The motto of MANY ORGANIZATIONS is to keep the money rolling in to support their staffs and to keep a JOB.


If you're just relearning the basics over & over, you are cheating both yourself and your patients.  How would you feel if your OD/MD never took any CE and therefore still believed Franklin bifocals in glass were the state of the art?

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## chip anderson

Opticly, Ben Franklin bifocals are state of the art.

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## William Walker

How many of us still remember all the symbols on the periodic table of the elements?  I had to know them at one time, but don't anymore.  Or half the crap in Calculus II.  Or anything by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Or, for that matter who the heck Tybalt was from Romeo and Juliet.  

Point is, you have to go back to keep things fresh in your mind - maybe not the basics, but the things you don't run into in your day to day atmosphere.  I'm all for CEs - as long as I feel I actually learned something.

And as for the alphabet, I'm trying to make alphabet soup of it all.  Next I need to find out if you can add letters after your name for getting a degree in Opticianry!

Later,

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## Darryl Meister

> Next I need to find out if you can add letters after your name for getting a degree in Opticianry!


AAS

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## William Walker

Really?  Awesome.


(and when I read that quickly, I thoght you were calling me a bad name!)

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## Darryl Meister

Yes, most opticianry programs confer an Associate of Applied Science degree. However, if you've been attending a program and that hasn't already been made clear, you should probably verify that they are, in fact, accredited.

As for the "alphabet soup" thing, generally the credentials you want to display will depend upon the context. For instance, in a licensed state, you would want to indicate your "LDO" on business stationery for the benefit of patients and customers. However, an "ABO" certification credential would be redundant in that situation. Also, if you were writing an article, the fact that you're licensed isn't really meaningful, and you would probably want to indicate any formal education credentials you have that pertain to your subject, such as your "AAS."

When it comes to related certifications, which in a licensed state would be mainly for the benefit of your peers, you would want to indicate your highest level. Finally, you would generally not need to indicate your casual membership in an organization. For instance, "FNAO" just refers to the fact that you pay yearly dues to a particular trade organization, which probably wouldn't be important to many people. On the other hand, if you were a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) or Fellow of the British Dispensing Opticians (FBDO), these credentials signify additional education.

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## Ed_Optician

Generally one adds letters pertaining to degrees earned professional affiliations and certifications eld...no more than one of each
One Professional org  FNAO or FOAA
One Degree  AAS BA BS  MA MS or PhD  highest level earned
One Certification  ABOC NCLC  ABO/AC or ABOM  highest level of certification

NOT THE ENTIRE BLOODY BOWL OF ALPHABET SOUP

Ed

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## Darryl Meister

> One Professional org FNAO or FOAA


I wouldn't even include simple "affiliation" with an organization (as is the case with the OAA and NAO). After all, it is nothing more than an indication that you sent your $70 dues in.

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## Ed_Optician

FNAO or FOAA is appropriate if the OD and MD posts their affiliations why should we not do so.  THey are our big voice in theory  Consumers dont know what the requirements are  write a checkadd the initials even though they are legitimate organizations promoting the profession

Ed

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## Darryl Meister

> FNAO or FOAA is appropriate if the OD and MD posts their affiliations why should we not do so


You're comparing apples to oranges. Optometrists only indicate their affiliation to the American Optometric Association to their _patients_ (if even then), not to their peers.

The American Academy of Optometry is nothing like the National Academy of Opticianry. It's not even close.

To become a fellow of the AAO, an optometrist must be licensed to practice at the highest level in his/state (including DPA/TPA certifications), be recommended by another fellow, submit one or more written papers (scientific, case histories, etc.) for peer review, and sit through an oral examination. The AAO and its members also publish one of the most respected journals in vision science, Optometry and Vision Science magazine. The yearly dues are over $300.

I would encourage you to visit the AAO's site and the NAO's site for information about both organizations.

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## Darryl Meister

I should add that I am certainly not trying to discourage anyone from joining the NAO, but rather pointing out that these fellowships indicate very different things. Currently, "FNAO" is only an indication of basic ABO certification, which most opticians already display after their name anyway.

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## Graduate

> You're comparing apples to oranges. Optometrists only indicate their affiliation to the American Optometric Association to their _patients_ (if even then), not to their peers.
> 
> The American Academy of Optometry is nothing like the National Academy of Opticianry. It's not even close.
> 
> To become a fellow of the AAO, an optometrist must be licensed to practice at the highest level in his/state (including DPA/TPA certifications), be recommended by another fellow, submit one or more written papers (scientific, case histories, etc.) for peer review, and sit through an oral examination. The AAO and its members also publish one of the most respected journals in vision science, Optometry and Vision Science magazine. The yearly dues are over $300.
> 
> I would encourage you to visit the AAO's site and the NAO's site for information about both organizations.


you are comparing apples to oranges,opticianry is nothing like optometry,so obviously NAO cannot be like AAO,does make sense now.

but FNAO is to the opticians what FAAO is to the optometrist.

If you are licensed optician,i encourage you to join this wonderful academy!

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## Darryl Meister

> FNAO is to the opticians what FAAO is to the optometrist.


As a former fellow, I can tell you that it is _not_ the same thing, whether you want to join or not.

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## OPTIDONN

To be honest the only real benefit of joining the NAO is the discount on CE's and that's about it. There are NO groups like the American Academy of Optometry for opticians. If the NAO is the closest thing to it well then thats just a sad state of affairs for us.

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## wmcdonald

is  absolutely correct. Fellowship in the NAO (which I have held proudly since 1973) is nowhere CLOSE to fellowship in the Academy of Ophthalmology or Optometry. You take a 100 question multiple choice exam (ABO) and pay your annual dues and you have achieved fellowship in NAO. A fellowship in the others it is not a money-making opportunity, but a real recogniotion of superior professional accomplishments. I have been encouraging NAO for years to make the requirements real. The primay reason I joined and continue to renew my membership is to support the fantastic job they (NAO) does in preparing educational opportunities for Opticians. That is its mission and they do it well. There are some others. The CLSA has an excellent Fellowship program for anyone interested. It requires advanced certification in contact lenses, and an oral and practical examination by the fellow committee. Let me state that I do not hold a fellowship in CLSA. I choose to remain with Opticianry and improve my profession through education and real opportunities. For example, I want to see OAA develop a contact lens section, much like AOA. The use of the designation FNAO is certainly a personal choice. If youu choose to do so, it is fine. Just know that you are not a member of some elite group, you simply paid your dues. There is a plan by another organization to develop a real program to recognize professional accomplishment by OPTICIANS. It will not be dues based, but a membership in a professional group that requires serious effort. NAO wil be enlisted to participate. Keep your ears open to hear the announcement in the coming months. I hope some of you participate in this exciting new program.

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## Graduate

That is my point too, opticianry currently is nowhere close to optometry, so are their membership academies.

You cannot compare lemon to banana.

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## Darryl Meister

> That is my point too, opticianry currently is nowhere close to optometry, so are their membership academies


Which is why you cannot compare the NAO to the AAO, even if both organizations have "Academy" in the title.

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## Graduate

> Which is why you cannot compare the NAO to the AAO, even if both organizations have "Academy" in the title.


You mean to say pigeons should hop like crows :bbg:

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## OPTIDONN

wmcdonald I have heard that there may be a few more serious groups popping up. I wonder if they are all the same people?

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## Darryl Meister

> You mean to say pigeons should hop like crows


I mean to say that slapping the word "Academy" into the name of your organization doesn't add any inherent value to it.

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## Graduate

> I mean to say that slapping the word "Academy" into the name of your organization doesn't add any inherent value to it.


that's your impression,not ours.

fyi- NAO is the longest and the largest Academy,not a recent baby like your AAO;)

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## Darryl Meister

> fyi- NAO is the longest and the largest Academy,not a recent baby like your AAO


I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but it's incorrect. The AAO was founded over 40 years before the NAO, and is _considerably_ larger.

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## Graduate

> I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but it's incorrect. The AAO was founded over 40 years before the NAO, and is _considerably_ larger.


The membership of NAO stands at over 27000, your optometry academy at just 3000 members. I don;t go to internet for informations;)

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## Darryl Meister

The AAO is a much larger organization, and you can review their annual reports to convince yourself of that fact. And, regarding your claim that the NAO has 27,000 members (which is very close to the _total_ number of ABO-certified opticians in the entire country), perhaps you can cite your source for that information.

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## Graduate

> The AAO is a much larger organization, and you can review their annual reports to convince yourself of that fact. And, regarding your claim that the NAO has 27,000 members (which is very close to the _total_ number of ABO-certified opticians in the entire country), perhaps you can cite your source for that information.


Darryl since you not the member of either organization you would'nt know.But the good news is you win the battle and I give up:cheers:

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## Darryl Meister

> Darryl since you not the member of either organization you would'nt know.


You really don't need to be a member of an organization to read their annual report. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, I _was_ a fellow of the NAO. Lastly, I have provided information that is readily verifiable. You have made an incorrect statement regarding which organization was older, and quoted a rather remarkable figure for the NAO's membership (placing it at over 5 times larger than any estimate I've ever seen for the NAO).

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## Graduate

> You really don't need to be a member of an organization to read their annual report. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, I _was_ a fellow of the NAO. Lastly, I have provided information that is readily verifiable. You have made an incorrect statement regarding which organization was older, and quoted a rather remarkable figure for the NAO's membership (placing it at over 5 times larger than any estimate I've ever seen for the NAO).


not for the sake of arguement but for the sake of correct information what do you think is the total membership of the NAO? 

I am a recent associate not a fellow member of the NAO ( the Academy).

For AAO, their recent announcement reads membership standing at 3271.
Link is: http://www.aaopt.org/news/index.asp?...d=207&src=home

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## Darryl Meister

> For AAO, their recent announcement reads membership standing at 3271.


That's actually the total number of _Fellows_. Their total number of _members_ was 4,855 in 2004.




> not for the sake of arguement but for the sake of correct information what do you think is the total membership of the NAO


The highest figure I've ever seen was around 5,000 -- and it was a mailing list, which means that some members may no longer be current.

And, just to be clear, I'm talking about the _size of organization_, including assets, personnel, resources, and so on, not simply the number of members. Although the NAO probably may have fewer _members_ as well, they are certainly a much smaller _organization_. (To put things in perspective, the membership dues of the AAO are nearly 6 times the membership dues of the NAO.)

As a matter of fact, consider that 1) The NAO has much cheaper membership dues than the AAO and 2) The NAO has a much larger population of potential members (there are probably 3 dispensers to every 1 optometrist) than the AAO. Yet the total number of members is probably very similar between the two organizations. Consequently, I think that says a great deal about the benefits optometrists currently see in the AAO versus the benefits opticians currently see in the NAO. However, once again, I am certainly not discouraging anyone from joining the NAO, and would even recommend to opticians that they explore the possibility of membership for themselves.

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