ABO Announces End of Phase-In Period Is April 30, 2013

This is critical information for anyone contemplating taking the ABO Board Certification Exam. 

ABO December 7, 2011 Press Release

For ABO Active Candidates to qualify under the rules of the phase-in period, they must apply to become an Active Candidate no later than April 30, 2013, submit their post- graduate requirements for verification by the ABO no later than June 30, 2013, then take the ABO Board Certification Examination no later than January 2014. 

Upcoming Exam Dates for the initial 3 year Phase-In are as follows:

          2012  July 15-31

          2013  January* and July*

          2014  January*

               * exact dates to be announced

ABO Elects New Officers

The American Board of Optometry (ABO) elected new officers during its 2011 Annual Meeting Oct. 12, 2011, in Boston, Mass. The slate of new officers is as follows: Chairman Paul C. Ajamian, O.D.; Vice-Chairman James M. Vaught, O.D.; Secretary Barbara L. Reiss, O.D., and Treasurer Robert P. Nyre, O.D. In addition, Megan N. Moll, O.D., of Denver, Colo., was elected the new director representing the American Optometric Student Association.

David A. Cockrell, O.D., who served as the founding chairman of the ABO, stepped down as he assumes his role as secretary-treasurer of the American Optometric Association.

“I congratulate Dr. Ajamian on his election as the new chairman of the board,” said Dr. Cockrell. “I am very pleased that Dr. Ajamian accepted this position. His well-known passion for our profession is equaled by his professionalism, and he is exactly the right person to move our process forward. He has exceptional organizational vision and leadership abilities that bode well for the future of the ABO and the profession of optometry.”

Update on AOS v. ABO Case

During a conference held by the Court on October 17, the Judge noted that he has disposed of nearly all of the claims asserted by the American Optometric Society (AOS) and all that remains is a narrow claim that was asserted in a recently amended Complaint. A few days earlier, the Court ruled that this narrow claim is not of a nature that can be disposed of at this initial stage of the litigation, given the way the AOS drafted this narrow claim.

However, the Court also recognized in that preliminary ruling that the AOS cannot prevail in this case solely on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations and must come forward with actual evidence to support its remaining claim. The ABO remains confident that the AOS will not be able to produce any such evidence.

The ABO further reiterates that the narrow claim that remains in the case does not challenge any substantive elements of the ABO’s program. The work of the ABO will continue unaffected, regardless of whether the AOS continues to pursue this pointless litigation.

ABO "Fully Qualified" by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

ST. LOUIS, Mo., September 22, 2011 ― The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the American Board of Optometry (ABO) has qualified for purposes of the 2011 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program Incentive. The ABO successfully completed the vetting process to ensure that the ABO MOC program meets the requirements for participation in this incentive.

Click Here to read the full Press Release

Thinking About Taking the Exam in December 2011?

Registration for the November 28-December 11, 2011 ABO Board Certification Examination is now open! 

Joe and I are happy to say we are among the 453 new Diplomates!

Our Fall 2011 Conference Schedule includes meeings in Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Kansas and Maryland.

Here's what your colleagues are saying:

I received my congratulations August 19, 2011.  Thanks for the help with courses and navigating through the bureaucracy!

Stephen Crowley, O.D., Elk Grove, CA

I passed the boards on the first go!! I'm so thrilled! Thanks for all of your help in assembling the coursework and notes.

Paula Gorlin, O.D., Lawrenceville, GA