I. INTRODUCTION
Who are Diplomates in Public Health and Environmental Vision?
Diplomate, from the root word diploma, is the title and certification given a Fellow of the Academy who has achieved advanced expertise, understanding, and education in public health optometry and environmental vision by completing the Diplomate Program.
Diplomates in the Section are optometrists, public health professionals, and vision scientists from a variety of backgrounds including private practice, government and military service, academic institutions, private sector organizations, research settings, and not for profit agencies.
What is Public Health Optometry?
As a specialty, Public Health Optometry includes optometrists who recognize and actively participate in management of conditions and systems from a population perspective. Public Health Optometrists educate and facilitate incorporation of safety eye wear to groups of people at risk. Public Health Optometrists may treat an outbreak of infectious eye disease. Public Health Optometrists influence access of care, health care policy and finances for groups. It is this emphasis on populations that distinguishes the Public Health and Environmental Vision Section.
Public Health Optometry is the application of public health and optometric principles to improve the eye health and vision of the population.
Throughout the foreseeable future, the organization, administration and delivery of health care services will continue to change in a rapid and sometimes unpredictable manner. Our profession needs expertise, understanding and education in the area of health care policy and administration, and environmental vision. We need to develop and recognize leaders of our profession who exercise the knowledge and maintain an active involvement in public health .
Fellows of the American Academy of Optometry may become Diplomates of the Section on Public Health when they have demonstrated the required level of knowledge and expertise in public health optometry. The application of public health knowledge involves an understanding of major societal issues, such as workforce and finance, that effect the delivery of health services to different groups or populations.
This guide describes the requirements and procedures for becoming a Diplomate of the Section on Public Health.
II. ELIGIBILITY
Applicants to the Diplomate Program will consist of Fellows of the Academy who:
-
Are in good standing with the Academy
-
Have shown a working interest in this optometric specialty
-
Have demonstrated a high level of knowledge of public health optometry and/or environmental optometry.
Recognition as a Diplomate in Public Health and Environmental Vision will be awarded to those who successfully demonstrate knowledge, skills and participation in public health or community optometry activities in their work and should be reflected on their application, curriculum vitae, letter of intent, written examination (given at the Academy’s annual meeting), oral interview (given at the Academy’s annual meeting), scholarly paper on a topic approved by the Section’s Diplomate Committee, and oral defense of the paper at the annual Academy meeting.
III. APPLICATION FOR CANDIDACY
The prospective candidate should submit an application, along with a current Curriculum Vitae and a letter of interest to the Chair of the Diplomate Program by August 30 of the year in which the written examination will be taken. The letter should explain the applicant's interest and involvement in public health and/or environmental optometry. Applicants should apply with a stated emphasis in either Public Health Optometry or Environmental Vision. While the section expects candidates to demonstrate superior knowledge in both areas for all the examinations, more expertise and knowledge will be expected based the emphasis selected by the candidates. For example, candidates with an emphasis in Public Health Optometry will be expected to discuss the fine points of current health care policy and health care economics. Candidates with an emphasis in Environmental Vision will be expected to demonstrate sophisticated knowledge of environmental vision concepts and the impact of the environment on the eye and vision such as ergonomics, radiation and lighting including lasers, vision standards, spectacle, sport and safety eye standards.
Note for Fellows from outside the United States: the current Diplomate curriculum is designed for United States optometrists or health care professionals. Noting the Section’s interest in international optometry and noting that human conditions do not respect political borders, the Section will, at its discretion, edit certain knowledge areas that are unique to the United States in order to de-emphasize United States health care policy, law, or finances for a non U.S. applicant. All Candidates will be expected to meet basic science, clinical science, and public health requirements applicable across borders.
The applicant from outside the United States needs to make a direct request for an International Tract to the Chair of the Diplomate Program in their letter of intent. The Chair will need notice of an International Tract applicant by May 31 of the year the applicant intends to take the written exam at the annual meeting.
The Diplomate Program Committee will have five to eleven members. The Chair is elected by the section. The Section Chair, Diplomate Chair, and Program Chair are automatic members. The remaining members are appointed by the Diplomate Chair subject to approval by the Section Chair.
The applicant's letter of interest may include a discussion and/or description of relevant activity, including but not limited to the following:
1. Active involvement in government or public health services, voluntary health care programs or organizations, the development of local, state or national public health policy, and/or environmental/occupational vision activities;
2. Published papers, reports and/or other documents on public health and related topics;
3. Teaching appropriate courses in recognized post-graduate programs of the Academy and/or other professional associations;
4. Presentations on pertinent topics to professional and/or civic groups;
5. Faculty appointment with the responsibility for teaching public health and/or environmental vision related courses and/or topics;
6. Active participation in professional and/or community-based organizations concerned and/or involved with public health or environmental optometry;
7. Advanced education and training in public health or environmental vision; and,
8. Documentation of other types of direct experience and expertise in public health or environmental optometry.
The Diplomate Committee will review the applicant's letter, Curriculum Vitae and any other information submitted as evidence or documentation of the applicant's knowledge and expertise in the area of public health optometry and environmental vision. When the decision regarding acceptance into the Diplomate Program is made by the Committee, the Chair of the Diplomate Program will notify the applicant of the decision and provide instructions regarding the next step of the process.
IV. DIPLOMATE EXAMINATION
Upon the approval of the Diplomate Committee, the applicant becomes eligible to take the written and oral Diplomate examinations at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the American Academy of Optometry. The written and oral examinations are prepared and administered by the members of the Diplomate Committee. The material covered in the written examination is provided in the examination outline and reading list. An interview with the Diplomate Committee is part of the oral examination. The oral examination and interview provide the Committee with the opportunity to review the applicant's written examination results and further evaluate the applicant's knowledge and expertise in public health or environmental optometry.
The written examination must be taken and passed prior to taking the oral examination. Upon passing the written examination, the applicant will sit for the oral examination, usually on the next day. The following topics may be covered on either or both the written and oral examinations:
Topics which may be included in the written and oral examinations:
1. Public health and optometry- philosophy, history, scope
2. Epidemiology- basic science (measures of distribution and determinants of disease) and clinical science (distribution of eye conditions in human populations, associations, and implications of causation)
3. Applications of epidemiology and biostatistics- experimental designs (validity and generalizability), interpretation of statistical tests, causation, vision screening, and research ethics
4. Health care policy- legal basis for health care services and providers, regulation of health care provision, patient rights and protections, major federal statues on health care, access to care
5. Organization of health care and systems- organization of health care providers (primary, secondary, tertiary), public health departments, types of practices
6. Principles of prevention, health care education, dissemination of health care resources and promotion through U.S. federal and other agencies- research (NIH), prevention (CDC), regulation (FDA), financing (CMM), others (VA, IHS, OSHA, Military, etc), private organizations (Prevent Blindness), associations (AOA, AAO, ANSI, APHA, WHO), institutions, and foundations
7. Health economics including reimbursement mechanisms- services (patient<>employer or subsidizer<>third party<>provider), types of financing (fee for service, capitation), entities (hospitals, clinics, practices), materials (equipment, medicine, glasses, contact lenses)
8. Health care need and provision- supply and demand of health care workers, cultural barriers
9. Quality Assurance- health care services, medical equipment, financing, agencies involved (state board, JCAHO, CMM, provider panels, department of health, ARBO, COPE, NBEO)
10. Occupational and environmental vision- hazards and prevention, ergonomics, efficiency, legal standards for worker protection, consumer protection, and recreation, vision standards on and off the job, lighting standards, etc.
11. Public health ethics- ethical dilemma, processes for ethical decision making, moral standards versus ethics, law versus ethics, application of ethics to public health optometry, influence of religion or spirituality on health and health care
See also "Practice Profile" under "Becoming a Diplomate" under "Sections" and "Public Health"
Relatively few applicants pass both the written and oral examinations the first time. This does not reflect poorly on the applicant, but does reflect the high expectation that the Section has for Diplomates in Public Health. If the applicant does not pass either the written or oral examination, the respective examination(s) can be retaken the following year at the next Academy meeting.
V. ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY
Once the written and oral examinations have been completed and passed, the applicant is advanced to candidacy status. At this point, the candidate is asked to prepare an in-depth paper of publishable quality on a topic to be agreed upon by both the candidate and the Diplomate Committee (i.e., the Committee). The paper should be completed during the year immediately following the Academy meeting in which the written and oral examinations were taken and passed.
The topic of the paper should be suggested by the candidate and submitted to the Chair of the Diplomate Program for Committee approval no later than March 1. Final notification of approval of the topic will be provided to the candidate by no later than April 1.
The candidate must be solely responsible for the content and preparation of the paper. Multi-authored papers are not acceptable for the purpose of satisfying the requirements for Diplomate status. The paper should be completed and submitted to the Chair of the Diplomate Program by August 30.
The candidate's paper will be copied and distributed to the members of the Committee for review. Following a review by the Committee, the candidate will be provided an appointed time during the next meeting of the Academy for an oral defense of the paper. Assuming that the paper and oral defense meets the approval of the Committee, the candidate will be recommended for Diplomate status. New Diplomates are recognized and presented with their Diplomate Certificate during the annual Academy Banquet.
If the paper is not acceptable to the Committee, or if the candidate does not pass the oral defense, the paper must be rewritten and re-submitted by August 30 of the following year for discussion at the next Academy meeting.
VI. APPLICATION FEE
At the time of the initial application, or by October 30 of the year of the application, the prospective applicant must submit an application fee of one-hundred dollars ($100), payable to the American Academy of Optometry.
The application fee, and an accompanying note that the fee is to be credited toward the Diplomate in Public Health Examination, should be forwarded directly to the American Academy of Optometry to the following address:
American Academy of Optometry
6110 Executive Blvd, Ste. 506
Rockville, MD 20852 USA
VII. CANDIDACY PERIOD
In the event that the applicant/candidate does not complete or pass all examinations during the first year of eligibility as either an applicant or candidate, the $100 application fee will cover a five (5) year candidacy period and apply toward all examinations taken during that period. However, all of the requirements for the Diplomate Program must be met by the applicant within the period of five years from the date of the initial application and payment of the application fee.
If the entire process is not completed by the applicant within the five-year time period, a new application, application fee and a current CV will be required before the diplomate process can be continued by the applicant.
VIII. RENEWAL OF DIPLOMATE STATUS
The Diplomate is a dynamic award and requires continued competency. Diplomate status in the Section is intended to be effective for a period of ten years.
A Diplomate should apply for renewal by August 30 of his/her ninth year after initial Diplomate award or last Diplomate renewal by sending a letter of intent to the Chair of the Diplomate Program Committee. The letter should highlight the Diplomate’s activities during the last nine years in areas such as:
1. Activities of the Section on Public Health;
2. Professional societies and associations;
3. State and federal governmental agencies;
4. Teaching and/or research in public health optometry or environmental vision;
5. The ophthalmic and public health or environmental vision literature;
6. Continuing education courses; and,
7. Other activities which demonstrate that the Diplomate has maintained a high level of interest and participation in public health and environmental optometry.
The Diplomate Committee will review the letter and decide to either:
1) grant renewal or
2) write a letter outlining current deficiencies and requirements for meeting continued Diplomate status. The Diplomate Program Chair will be responsible for coordinating with the renewal applicant a timetable and assignments which must be completed by the following Academy meeting. Failure to complete the renewal process will lead to revocation of Diplomate status.
IX. REVOCATION OF DIPLOMATE STATUS
The Diplomate status of an individual may be revoked by action of the Diplomates of the Section on Public Health if at any time the holder uses it in a manner that violates the rules of conduct expected of Academy Fellows and/or Diplomates in Public Health Optometry.
X. FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about the Section on Public Health please contact the section chair, the chair of the Diplomate Program or any of the Diplomates in Public Health.
Chair
Section on Public Health |
Chair
Diplomate Program in Public Health |
Satya Verma, OD, PhD
E-mail: satya@pco.edu |
Stan Hatch, OD, MPH
E-mail: swhatch@charter.net |
|
