OD Education Program Information

Click here for the Optometric Education Program.

Continuing TPA-Certified Education Requirements for California Optometrists
California optometrists must take 35 hours out of a total of 50 hours of continuing education every two years in any combination of the following areas: glaucoma, ocular infection, ocular inflammation, topical steroids, systemic medication, and pain medications toward fulfillment of their license renewal. Continuing optometric education programs that are approved as meeting the required standards of the California State Board of Optometry include offerings from the California Optometric Association, a state affiliate of the American Optometric Association.

OD Course Designations
To help you identify topic areas for OD sessions, OptoWest educational sessions have been designated as:
    TPA: Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agent
    O: Other
    PM: Practice Management (no credit in CA)

OD Course Approvals
The OptoWest 2010 continuing education program has been submitted to COPE. If you are licensed outside of California, most state boards of optometry accept COPE-approved courses toward credit for licensure renewal.

Some approvals were not available at press time. Do not assume that courses you register for are approved. Please note that COPE courses do not include CEEs. COA will not be responsible for courses that are not approved by COPE.

For an updated listing of approved courses, click here.

Credit for Course Attendance
To comply with the California State Board of Optometry continuing education requirements, attendees must remain in the session for the duration of the course. If an attendee leaves early or arrives more than 10 minutes late, no CE credit will be given. Note: Partial credits are NOT available. Transcripts will be mailed to you 6-8 weeks after the conference.

Paraoptometric/Staff Certification Continuing Education Information

Click here for the Paraoptometric Education Program.

ABO and/or NCLE Certification Renewals
The OptoWest 2010 paraoptometric continuing education program has been submitted to ABO (American Board of Opticianry)/NCLE (National Contact Lens Examiners). Some approvals were not available at press time. Do not assume that courses you register for are approved. COA is not responsible for courses that are not approved by ABO/NCLE.

For an updated listing of approved courses, click here.

If you are attending a course that is ABO or NCLE approved, you will receive an ABO or NCLE CE slip for that course at the end of the class. You will need to complete the appropriate form and submit it to ABO/NCLE in order to receive credit towards ABO/NCLE re-certification.

American Optometric Association Paraoptometric Section Certification Renewals
The American Optometric Association Paraoptometric Section accepts all continuing education provided by COA to be used toward any AOA certification renewal. You will need to retain a copy of the CE transcript for your records, which COA will mail to you approximately 6-8 weeks after the meeting. A copy of the CE transcript must be submitted to the AOA in order to receive credit for the courses you attended towards your certification renewal.