Finding and Reporting Continuing Education
Educational opportunities serve as resources for those optometric staff new to the field, or for those experienced staff, interested in keeping up with changes in optometry.
Finding continuing education (CE) credit
Our online Continuing Education (CE) opportunities are accessible for AOA-member paraoptometrics.
Reporting CE credit
Have you completed a continuing education course?
Obtain
For those renewing a CPOC certification, all credits must be earned by May 31, of their renewal year.
For those renewing a CPO, CPOA or CPOT certification, all credits must be earned by Nov. 1, of their renewal year.
Credits that are completed in EyeLearn are not automatically reported to the Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC).
If completing CE at Optometry's Meeting®, view instructions on how to obtain your CE credits. To obtain CE forms from previous years Optometry’s Meeting, email EducationCenter@AOA.org for assistance.
Regardless of where your CE is obtained, you will need to submit copies of the required amount of CE to the CPC when renewing your certification. No CE is reported to CPC and “credited to your account.” CPC does NOT keep track of how many CE credits you may have earned; the certified individual is responsible for knowing what CE has been taken and for keeping track of their own CE forms.
If renewing online:
- Save a copy of each certificate to a file on your computer or phone so they are available to upload to the online renewal submission form.
- Documents may be scanned into a single file or multiple files for uploading.
- Photographs of CE forms are acceptable so long as they are readable, and all four corners of the document can be seen.
If renewing by mail:
- Submit a copy of all your CE forms with a copy of your renewal invoice and payment by debit or credit, check, or money order payable to CPC-AOA.
- Renew as early as possible.
- Use a carrier that provides guaranteed delivery and tracking service – a postmark does not guarantee on-time delivery.
- Keep a copy of your CE forms for your records.
- Renewals that are received at the CPC office in St. Louis after 11/1 of your renewal year are late and must include the late fee.
Track
Use one of the CE logs to keep track of your credit. This is for your recording purposes only. Original documentation will need to be submitted when renewing. The CPC and PRC do not keep track of continuing education credit earned. We recommend maintaining a folder which contains original CE verification forms.
Log of Continuance of Certification Renewal Activities for the CPO, CPOA, CPOT
Log of Continuance of Certification Renewal Activities for the CPOC
Submit
When renewing your certification, original documentation (CE verification forms) will be required. Ungraded quizzes will not be accepted with renewal paperwork. A log of continuing education is not proof of education.
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