Ophthalmic Assistant Program

Introduction to Ophthalmic Medical Assisting

Tuesday Evening Online Course: 6 months starting each January and July

Lecture & workshop for training Ophthalmic Assistants. Clinical rotations available for students new to the field.

This course can be taken students who are already employed and who wish to increase their knowledge about ophthalmic assisting and are interested in pursuing certification OR by students new to the field of ophthalmology. Course instruction is virtually once a week, Tuesday evenings 5:30 to 9 pm. This includes online synchronous lectures and in-person or live-streamed workshops. This course can be completed fully online if you are not in the Washington DC area.

For students new to the field of ophthalmology, clinical hours in an ophthalmology office are required while taking the course. Guided clinical rotations can be arranged at Washington DC metro area hospitals and practices. Rotation hours are generally Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm but alternate schedules may be arranged on a case by case basis. For those not local to DC, students may arrange ophthalmology clinical hours on their own and take only the online course.

The Spring semester runs January through June and the Fall semester runs July through December. Attendance at all scheduled classes and clinics are required. Excessive absences will have to made up at an additional tuition cost and may be grounds for dismissal from the program.

No college credit is awarded, this is a Certificate course from Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Prerequisite:

High school degree or GED required. No prior medical or ophthalmological background is required but preference will be given to students with college credits and/or prior experience in medical or scientific fields.

Certification:

Successful completion of this certificate program does not automatically result in certification and does not result in college credits. Upon completion of the course and 500 clinical hours, the student becomes eligible to apply for the national Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) certification examination administered by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). Students are responsible for making sure they complete all certification requirements. Please see www.jcahpo.org for more details.

Tuition and Fees:

• A non-refundable application fee of $75 prior to November 30 for Spring (January start) classes and May 31st for Fall (July start) classes. Late application fee after these dates is $100.
• $375 non-refundable registration fee
• $3,700 estimated tuition due in full at the start of class for course without clinical rotations (for students who are already working in an ophthalmology office)
• $6,650 estimated tuition due in full at the start of class for course with clinical rotations (for students new to the field).
• No financial aid is offered directly through Georgetown University at this time but payment plans may be available. We may accept payments from third party grants, scholarships, and employers. 
• ~$300 for books/supplies
• Students completing clinical rotations through our program must have health insurance coverage and obtain necessary immunizations.
• Tuition does not include transportation, parking, or room and board. There is no student parking on campus. Students must to be able to arrange transportation to and from our campus and to each clinical rotation site throughout the DC metro area if applying for clinical rotations.

Coursework: Separated into 4 Modules. Three tests and one final examination will be administered.

Module I – Introduction to Ophthalmology: Introduction to Ophthalmic Assisting, Medical Ethics, HIPAA, EMR, Administrative Duties, Communication Skills, Community Health Eye Care, Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye Internal and External eye, Cardio, Endocrine, Nervous, Respiratory, Vital Signs, Medical Terminology, Systemic Diseases and Ocular Effects, Ophthalmic Medications and Pharmacology, Microbiology, Ophthalmic Emergencies and Triage, Common Ophthalmic Diseases and Conditions, Glaucoma.

Module II – Basic Skills: History Taking, Visual Assessment, Basic Eye Screening, Color Vision, Ocular Motility Anatomy and Testing, Tonometry, Instrumentation and Maintenance, Slit Lamp Exam, Workshop: VA, BAT, History, Color Vision, Pupils, Motility, Workshop: Slit Lamp and Tonometry.

Module III – Optical Skills: Introduction to Optics, Manual Lensometry, Manual Keratometry, Workshop: Lensometry and Keratometry, Optics and Refractive Errors, Optical Principles of Refractometry, Refractometry and Retinoscopy, Workshop: Retinoscopy and Refractometry, Low Vision, Contact Lenses & Workshop.

Module IV – Advanced Skills: Visual Fields Background and Testing, Pupils, Specular Microscopy, Corneal Topography Fundus Photography and FA Principles, OCT, Workshop: HVF, CVF, Amsler Grid, Pachymetry, OCT, In-office Surgical Assisting, Refractive Surgery, Surgical Assisting in ASC or Hospital based OR, Glaucoma Surgeries, Ophthalmic Lasers, A-scan & IOL Master, Case Presentation, Final Examination Review.

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