1. How do I purchase courses on this site?
To purchase a course, simply click on the Purchase courses button and enter your name and credit card information as prompted and choose the courses you wish to take (you may purchase multiple courses at one time). Once this information has been approved (usually immediately) you will be taken to the course(s) automatically. After completing the course(s) you will need to fill in the post test(s) and course evaluation(s). When finished with these click on the submit button and your test(s) will be graded. Once you have successfully completed the test(s) you will be asked to enter your name and the address where you want your credit certificate sent.

2. Why do I need to earn JCAHPO continuing education credits?
JCAHPO certification (COA, COT, and COMT) requires that you continue your education by participating in educational courses. To ensure that certified people do this they award credits for each course you participate in. The credits prove that you are continuing your education.

3. How many credits do I need to earn?
COA’s need to earn 18 credits every 3 years.
COT’s need to earn 27 credits every 3 years.
COMT’s need to earn 36 credits every 3 years.

4. What do COA, COT, and COMT stand for?
COA stands for Certified Ophthalmic Assistant
COT stands for Certified Ophthalmic Technician
COMT stands for Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist

5. How do I become certified?
To become certified at the COA level, you must work for an ophthalmologist for one year and then take and pass the Home study course and related test sponsored by either the American Academy of Ophthamology or the Canadian Ophthalmology Society.

To become certified on the COT level you can first become a COA and then work for two years as a COA and then take the COT exam. Once you pass the written COT exam you will need to take and pass a practical exam. Once you have completed this you will be certified as a COT. Your other option is to attend a program to train you to become a COT. After completion of the program you may take the COT exam and then upon passing this you may take the practical exam. After successful completion of the written and practical exams you will be certified as a COT.

To become a COMT most people attend a program through a school. You will need proof that you successfully passed the program to sit for the COMT exam. Upon passing the written COMT exam you will take the practical exam. After successful completion of the written and practical exams you will be certified as a COMT.

6. Who keeps track of how many credits I have earned?
You are responsible for keeping track of your continuing education credits. JCAHPO does not keep track of this nor do any of the programs or courses that you may participate in. You will receive a paper form stating how many credits you have earned once you complete a course and you will need to hold on to this paper as proof that you earned those credits for your recertification.

7. What is the privacy policy of this site?
Via a secure server, we collect your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, any information you provide to us about how you heard of the site, and any courses you have selected for purchase. We do not put any “cookies” on your computer. When you purchase courses with a credit card, you furnish your credit card information via a secure server but, for your privacy and security, we do not receive or store your credit card information. This information is transmitted through a secure server directly to the credit card processing company. We electronically receive confirmation of payment or a decline of payment and the type of credit card you used, but not any part of your credit card number or expiration date. For orders placed with a check or money order, these items are deposited in a bank account and no copy of them is made or stored by us. We use electronic and physical means to secure the data that we store.

We electronically store the information you furnish to us, excluding your credit card information, which we do not receive or store. We do not make use of any of your personal information except as follows: to contact you about your registration or an offer about it, if there is a problem with your order, or to ask your permission to use a testimonial of yours on our site. We will not use (on these web pages or otherwise) testimonials or comments submitted to us without your permission. Except as described above, we also will not publish on these web pages, otherwise publish, or sell, share, transfer or disseminate in any way our customer list or your name, address, phone number, e-mail address or other personal identifying information without your permission or receipt of legal process such as a court order or subpoena.

8. What is your returned check policy?
In the event that we receive an NSF or otherwise unpaid or uncollected check for any purchase, we reserve the right to represent the check electronically or otherwise for the amount of the check and a returned check fee of $30 or the maximum amount permitted by law, if less. We also reserve all other rights and remedies.