This is your assurance that an individual has met specific academic criteria set forth by leading agencies in the field.

Accredited educational programs go through an intensive process of review by the Committee on Accreditation of Ophthalmic Personnel. This involved process assures that appropriate educational and clinical criteria are met by graduates of training programs. Graduates of accredited programs are then eligible to sit for national written and practical board exams given by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

A graduate of the Ophthalmic Technology Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School / Old Dominion University has trained alongside the ophthalmology residents at EVMS for 22 months. Students participate in all residency clinics, many lectures in the residency series, and monthly grand rounds. Additionally, Ophthalmic Technology students attend approximately 400 hours of "tech" lectures during the two-year program. (Please refer to the curriculum for an overview.)

Ophthalmic Technology students are closely supervised during clinics, and skills are honed during the program. Several externships provide practical experience in "patient flow" and office efficiency, as well as specific areas like contact lens fitting and pediatric evaluation (please refer to The Clinical Skills Program.) Second-year students also learn the art of supervision and assist in training first-year students.

An ophthalmologist is busy seeing his/her patients. Who has time for in-office training of personnel? A certified, program-trained ophthalmic technologist (COMT) is trained at the highest level of ophthalmic medical personnel. They are qualified and prepared to assist you in examining a variety of patients, performing diagnostic testing, and providing training to your office employees.

For more information on the Ophthalmic Technology Program, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (757) 388-3747.