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American Board of Optometry Specialties

Recognized Credentialing Levels for Physicians, Dentists and Optometrists

The three recognized credentialing levels for medical, osteopathic, dental and optometry practitioners at Joint Commission accredited facilities are:

Level 1 – Credentialed as General Practitioner of a licensed doctoral profession

Credentials: Degree plus a valid, current license required. Maintenance of license-level competency is assured at license renewal as required by practitioner’s state licensing board [Maintenance of License] and usually requires certain hours of continuing education in the profession. A doctoral level health profession that requires a degree and a state license to practice is not considered a specialty.

Level 2 – Credentialed as Specialist in a defined area of licensed doctoral profession

Credentials: Level 1 plus residency training in the specialty, passage of specialty examination and specialty board certification required. Specialists usually take part in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs to renew their specialty certifications every 10 years. Board Certification is a Level 2 credential that certifies advanced competency in a specialty of a higher level than that required for licensing or license renewal as a general practitioner.

Level 3 – Credentialed as a Subspecialist

Credentials: Level 1 + 2 Credentials and Fellowship training in a subspecialty required. Training and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) as required by the parent Specialty Board.

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More Info

  • Why ABOS Was Established
  • Specialties and Subspecialties
  • Defining an Optometry Specialty
  • How Specialty Boards Are Recognized and Role of ABOS
  • Licensing and Credentialing of Health Clinicians – Impact on Optometry Specialties
  • Recognized Credentialing Levels for Physicians, Dentists and Optometrists
  • The History of Specialists and Optometry Board Certification
  • Optometry Credentialing at Medical Facilities

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