ASCO and the American Board of Optometry (ABO) are currently offering a special benefit to qualified, full-time optometry faculty. ABO will waive the $1,500 examination fee for faculty members who sign up to take the July 2016 Board Certification exam and agree to complete a one-time feedback survey about the exam and to review and provide feedback on one Self-Assessment Module or one Performance in Practice Module prior to publication. New modules are published throughout the year and ABO asks that a review assignment be accepted once within three years of taking the exam.
The offer is available only to full-time faculty at ACOE accredited optometry programs. For more information, e-mail the ABO. Those wishing to take advantage of the opportunity need to apply online. (There is a $300 application fee and 150 hours of post-graduate requirements that must be met. Required hours can be met in various ways, including a recent residency, CE hours, fellowship, years in active clinical practice and various scholarly activities.) Once approved to sit for the exam, the $1,500 exam fee can be waived by e-mailing the ABO Operations Manager or calling (314) 983-4234.
In a recent letter to faculty, ABO Chair Dr. Barbara L. Reiss noted, “A well-structured board certification program has put optometrists on par with our ABMS colleagues and is becoming increasingly recognized by employers, third-party payers and the public as a necessary credential. Our intent at ABO is to work together with ASCO to educate and prepare future ODs and then provide them with a path to continue that learning throughout their professional career.”