Duke University's medical school, in Durham, provides the only accredited program in North Carolina for ophthalmic technicians. Sponsored by the Duke Eye Center, the school has offered this training for more than 20 years. The program consists of 51 weeks of full-time instruction, including classroom sessions and clinical experience in a variety of settings at the Eye Center. Graduates receive a certificate from Duke and are then eligible to test for credentialing through the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology.
The Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) is located in Norfolk, Virginia, about 30 miles from the North Carolina border. EVMS offers a 22-month program in ophthalmic technology, which trains students in a wider variety of diagnostic and clinical responsibilities. Applicants to the program are required to have at least two years of college, or 60 credits, which may be waived if the applicant already holds a bachelor's degree.
Volunteer State Community College is located in Gallatin, Tennessee, about 280 miles from the North Carolina border. The ophthalmic technician program is a two-year course, with one year of prerequisites and general education, followed by a year of courses for the ophthalmic major. Graduates receive an associate degree in science, which may be upgraded with further study.
Emory University's Eye Center is located in Atlanta, Georgia, about 110 miles south of the North Carolina border. The ophthalmic program offers an accredited ophthalmic technologist program and an ophthalmic technician program for which accreditation is pending as of February 2011. The technician program runs for one year and has no prerequisites; the technologist program requires applicants to have at least 60 credits. The curriculum includes several clinical rotations.