Ophthalmic medical technicians work with medical doctors who specialize in the anatomy, function and diseases of the eye. These technicians are in great demand that should only increase, according to area experts.
The most efficient method to train for becoming an ophthalmic technician is to attend an education program ranging from three to 24 months, according to Aaron Shukla, Ph.D., COMT, associate professor and director of the ophthalmic technician program at the College of St. Catherine School of Health. Graduates of accredited programs are eligible to take one of the certification examinations administered by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (www.jcahpo.org) in order to be certified as an ophthalmic assistant (COA), ophthalmic technician (COT) or ophthalmic technologist (COMT).
How they work
Ophthalmic techs work closely with patients; taking histories; performing tests, measurements and procedures; fitting contact lenses; maintaining optical and surgical equipment; and assisting ophthalmologists in treating eye disorders. It's a job with tremendous variety, according to Dianna Graves, COMT and clinical service manager at St. Paul Eye Clinic. Graves manages 42 certified ophthalmic assistants (COAs), COTs and COMTs who train on the job and work at the clinic's seven sites.
"These people need to know a great deal on anatomy, theory of refraction, how to do good patient care. To learn that on your own in a fast-paced clinic is very, very difficult," Graves says. "You need a special person who is extremely willing to do a lot of work on their own."
Local education options
Those who elect to go to school can choose from local programs, new and old. The program at the College of St. Catherine School of Health (www.stkate.edu/academic/ophthalmic) will graduate its first class of COTs in December and they already have jobs lined up, according to Shukla. Regions Hospital School of Ophthalmic Medical Technology (http://www.regionshospital.com/Regions/Menu/0,1640,13255,00.html), which is 42 years old, trains COTs and COMTs, the latter of whom must have completed at least two years of college before entering the program. "The program is the same," says Kris Fey, school director. "It's just what exam they can sit for at the end of their time here."
The first year at Regions is coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, optics, eye diseases and ocular pharmacology. The second year is clinical, with students rotating through nine sites in the Twin Cities, including pediatric, surgical, contact lens and photography of the eye. "We graduate a class every May," Fey says. "One hundred percent of them have found jobs within three months of graduating."
