NYSSO Continuing Education Guidelines

COURSE GUIDELINES

New York State Society of Opticians continuing education course topics will include, but will not be limited to:

Theoretical optics; ophthalmic optics; contact lens optics; ocular anatomy; ocular physiology; ocular anomalies; ocular pharmacology; fitting, adjusting, and dispensing ophthalmic and contact lenses; verification and interpretation of prescriptions; infection control; legal and regulatory issues related to ophthalmic dispensing; patient counseling; other optics which contribute to the professional practice of ophthalmic dispensing; or other matters of health care, law, and ethics which contribute to the health and welfare of the public.

NYSSO will only approve continuing education courses that provide education and training specific to the profession of ophthalmic dispensing, including business management courses.  Course material should be generic in nature and not intended to be a promotional opportunity for any specific product and/or service.  Specific products and/or services may be mentioned if comparable products and/or services from at least two other manufacturers are reviewed.

NYSSO will approve continuing education relating to a new product that is specific to only one manufacturer for six months.  After six months, the course must be revised to meet our regular standard requirements.

APPLICATION FOR SPEAKER/COURSE APPROVAL

In order to receive New York State Continuing Education Credit for your educational program, a completed NYS CE Approval & Certificate Order Form must be submitted to the NYSSO State Office along with the required course description, outline, speaker resume and/or curriculum vitae and a signed Notice of Acceptance, 60 days in advance of the anticipated date of the presentation or publication. A PDF version of our NYS CE Approval & Certificate Order Form is available on this page for your use or you may use our online application form.

Speaker submissions must include the following information to be considered for approval:

#1. Name and current contact information;

#2. Current employment and relevant past employment experience;

#3. Education and training;

#4. Speaking experience and publications.

Course submissions must include the following information to be considered for approval:

#1. Course title;

#2. The intended audience and content level;

#3. Course length and method of presentation;

#4. Lecturer(s);

#5. Course Description;

#6.  Expected learning outcomes;

#7.  Detailed course outline;

#8. Copies of teaching aids, i.e. handouts and/or presentation slides.

If you have a potential course or are a potential speaker, but do not have a scheduled date for presentation, you may submit your resume and/or curriculum vitae, and/or course at any time to have them approved.

Based on the submitted materials, the NYSSO Education Committee may approve or reject the course, the speaker or both.  Once a decision is made, a letter will be sent to the speaker or company notifying them of their sponsorship status.  

Once approved, NYS Continuing Education Credits may be offered through any one of the eleven NYSSO Chapters or State Office. For those courses specifically approved as mail-in credit, NYSSO will honor all company publications for New York State Continuing Education if mailed to the NYSSO State Office.

If you are already an approved speaker who is seeking approval for additional course(s); a resume and curriculum vitae are not required as they are already on file.  Additionally, if you are only seeking approval as a speaker, and are presenting an already approved course, an outline and description are not required.

Please note, if any content changes are made to a course that has already been approved for continuing education, an updated outline which includes the new content must be submitted to the NYSSO Education Committee for review and approval before it is to be presented.  Upon approval of the new material a new NYSSO ID# will be issued.

ORDERING CONTINUING EDUCATION CERTIFICATES &
PROCEDURES FOR DISTRIBUTION

For pre-approved continuing education, a completed NYS CE Approval & Certificate Order Form must be completed and submitted 30 days in advance of the anticipated date of the presentation or publication.  This form will serve as your order form for NYS Continuing Education certificates, so be certain to fill in the number of certificates required. A PDF version of our NYS CE Approval & Certificate Order Form is available on this page for your use or you may use our online application form.

For newly approved applicants, your completed NYS CE Approval & Certificate Order Form submitted for approval will serve as your order form for continuing education certificates.

Approximately one week prior to the scheduled date of presentation or publication, the NYSSO State Office will mail the requested certificates, instructions and sign-in sheets to the respective NYSSO Chapter President or Education Coordinator.  There is no charge for continuing education certificates offered through NYSSO.

The NYS Continuing Education certificates should be passed out at the start of the course, one form to each participant as they enter the classroom.  In order to receive course credit, each participant must be in attendance for the entire class.  Anyone absent for more than 10 minutes of class time should not be awarded credit.  Immediately following the completion of the course presentation all remaining NYS Continuing Education certificates should be discarded.  It is very important to ensure that ONLY those who have participated in the entire course receive the NYS Continuing Education certificates.  The Chapter President and/or Education Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that all participants are present for the entire class.  Following the completion of the course, a NYSSO officer will stamp each participant’s certificate with the NYSSO CEC stamp.  The CEC is not to be stamped unless the name of the participant is printed on each of the three portions of the certificate. The continuing education credit is not valid without the NYSSO stamp.

In order to properly evaluate your course, NYSSO additionally requires each course participant to complete the course evaluation form to receive credit for the course.

The sign-in sheets and course evaluation forms are to be completed and returned by the NYSSO Chapter President and/or Education Coordinator to the NYSSO State Office within 15 days following the course date.  Any money collected from non-NYSSO members at local chapter meetings is to be kept by the chapter.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

NYSSO’s NYS Continuing Education certificates are comprised of three tear-off sections.

The top section of the blue certificate is to be used for NYS Continuing Education credit. Individuals are to keep this portion of the certificate in their records for a minimum of six years.  The certificate does not need to be submitted along with their license renewal forms, at the time of renewal; they only need to attest to the fact that they have completed the required hours. The Education Department will regularly conduct audits on a random basis.  If audited, the individual will at that time need to show proof of their continuing education.

The middle section of the blue certificate is to be used by other states and credentialing bodies that accept NYS Continuing Education credits. For those individuals who possess a New York State Ophthalmic Dispensing License, ABO/NCLE will accept a copy of their current license renewal statement as proof of their continuing education completion.

The bottom section of the blue certificate is an evaluation form required by NYSSO to maintain the integrity of our educational programs.  Upon completion of the course each individual should complete and submit this portion to the present Chapter President and/or Education Coordinator to be returned along with the course sign-in sheets.