Looking For Info About Ophthalmic Medical Assistants?Those who are interested in a career in medical assisting might want to look into the job of Ophthalmic Medical Assistant. As with any type of medical assistant position, this job requires you to complete a training program which includes an externship. An Ophthalmic Medical Assistant helps ophthalmologists by showing patients how to use and care for their contact lenses, conducting diagnostic tests, maintaining instruments, and possibly administering eye medications and assisting the ophthalmologist in surgery as well. Training for a career as an Ophthalmic Medical Assistant usually includes courses in the areas of medical terminology, general anatomy and physiology, CPR, opthalmic medical assisting, law and ethics, ocular anatomy and physiology, opthalmic patient services, eye diseases/glaucoma, maintenance of opthalmic equipment, ocular emergencies, and other basic skills. This is similar to the training for other medical assistants, except with more of a focus on opthalmic health. The required externship that is undergone in the course of studying to become an Ophthalmic Medical Assistant gives the student a chance to see what the day to day work of an Ophthalmic Medical Assistant is like, as well as giving them a little bit of work experience. Many times this externship also turns into a job opportunity for the student after graduation, though this is not always the case. When choosing a training program for a career as an Ophthalmic Medical Assistant, you should look for one that is certified by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). There are programs for training as a Ophthalmic Medical Assistant available in Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The complete list can be found on the JCAHPO website. Once you have completed your training program to become an Ophthalmic Medical Assistant you should apply to JCAHPO for certification. The certification allows you to be called a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA). If you apply for certification more than one year after you complete your Ophthalmic Medical Assistant training program you will need to obtain 18 JCAHPO continuing education credits for each year since you have finished the program in order to qualify for certification. Certification by JCAHPO is exam based, with exams being offered every five years. The JCAHPO Ophthalmic Medical Assistant certification exams are based on the typical tasks that Ophthalmic Medical Assistants perform, making sure to include questions relevant to each category. The JCAHPO website has all the information you need to apply for the exam, as well as the fees and timing of exams. They also have exam information and a sample to give you an idea of what the JCAHPO certification exam for Ophthalmic Medical Assistants is like. |