Madison Area Technical College provides an optometric technician training program through online distance learning. Applicants must be affiliated with or employed at an eye care clinic in order to secure access to the required training commitment that is need to complete the majority of the courses. A professional mentor is also required to supervise some aspects of the coursework. This two-term program combines general education requirements in human anatomy and physiology, body structures, psychology, and human relations with specialized instruction in optometry. Additional requirements include ocular anatomy, optical concepts and dispensing, contact lenses, patient relations, specialty testing, and professional clinical practice.
Madison Area Technical College
3550 Anderson Street
Madison, WI 53704
800-322-6282
matcmadison.edu
The Penn Foster Career School offers an optician training program through online distance learning. Students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to select and fit prescriptive eyeglasses and contact lenses for vision-impaired individuals. Course topics include technical math for opticians, optical principles and terminology, optic anatomy, ophthalmic dispensing, and contact lens dispensing. A six-month practicum in a professional clinical setting in the student's residential community, such as a laboratory or ophthalmologist's practice, is also required. Graduates are prepared to sit the national opticianry competency examination (NOCE) that is administered by the American Board of Opticianry (ABO).
Penn Foster Career School
925 Oak Street
Scranton, PA 18515
800-275-4410
pennfoster.edu
The employment outlook for ophthalmology technicians is excellent. This is largely due to an aging American population, since vision tends to deteriorate when individuals get older. According to the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the demand for well-trained ophthalmic laboratory technicians will increase by at least 15 percent through to 2018. As of 2010, the average income of an ophthalmic laboratory technician is $27,210. The highest 10 percent earned over $42,890.