Use of the Title Canadian Certified Optometric Assistant

Graduates of the CAO’s Optometric Assistant Course, who remain in good standing with all required CE and fees, have the right to use the title Canadian Certified Optometric Assistant and its initials: C.C.O.A. while working in an optometric practice and employed by a CAO member Optometrist.

If you choose not to re-certify, you will have to change your title to CAO Trained Optometric Assistant and remove the professional initials C.C.O.A., for you will no longer be certified.

Assistant’s View Newsletter

The Assistant’s View newsletter is published quarterly by the CAO. It is devoted to topics and information of interest and pertaining to Canadian Certified Optometric Assistants. Any CCOA in good standing may receive a free subscription by sending his/her name, year of certification, and contact information to terry@opto.ca.

Issues are published:

• March 15;
• June 15;
• September 15;
• December 15.

As soon as the current issue is distributed, the previous issue is posted to this website. Select Assistant’s View Newsletter on the menu to the left to view the archives.

Deadlines for submission of articles are the 15th of the month prior to the month of release. Queries about content should be addressed to Terry Theiss, terry@opto.ca.

CCOA Job Board

The Job Board is a no fee service provided by the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) for use only by its member optometrists and Canadian Certified Optometric Assistants (CCOAs) in good standing. For detailed information see CCOA Job Board.

100% Certification Program

CAO offers a program, which recognizes practices whose optometric assistants are 100% Canadian Certified Optometric Assistants (includes staff currently enrolled in the Optometric Assistant Course). If you believe that your practice qualifies, please download the application, complete it, and send it to:

Lise Loyer, National Director, OA Course
Canadian Association of Optometrists
234 Argyle Avenue
Ottawa, ON K2P 1B9

OR

Fax it to 613-235-2098

Once CAO has processed your application, an attractive certificate suitable for display will be sent to you. Please note that the certificate will be valid for a three-year period, and you must reapply to receive a new one at the end of the three-year period.

This is a no-fee benefit to CAO members.

If you have questions about the application or CAO’s 100% certification program, please contact Terry Theiss, Manager of Special Programs for the Optometric Assistant Course at 1-888-263-4676, extension 218 or at terry@opto.ca.