Optometry Degrees

[dotslash227]

Are Indian Bachelors in Clinical Optometry considered as professional degrees when applying for ECA?

 

[visatest]

No you have to have all the courses required by The Ontario (or other province) Association of Optometrists. In Canada a Bachelors is not enough to be licensed as a Optomitrist. In Canada this Profession has 8 years of post secondary education. Only Doctors of Optometry are acceptable.

"Doctors of optometry require seven to eight years of post-secondary education to obtain their professional designation, Doctor of Optometry (OD)".

Educational requirements typically include:

• A minimum of three years of undergraduate education, preferably in the sciences; Please NOTE: In Québec two years of CEGEP is accepted at the undergraduate level.
• A four or five year university program in optometry, accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education;
• An increasing number of optometrists choose to do an additional year of residency training upon completion of their Doctor of Optometry degree;
• Upon completion of the course in optometry, the graduate is required to satisfy provincial board requirements in the province or territory in which they intend to practice. This process also includes a national examination administered by the Optometry Examining Board of Canada. Licensure by the provincial or territorial governing body is required. These requirements ensure the public receives the highest standards of optometric care.

OPTOMETRIC EDUCATION
There are two schools of optometry located in Canada"

• University of Waterloo
• Université de Montréal
• 
  Optometrists Association of Canada
  https://opto.ca/

 

[dotslash227]

No you have to have all the courses required by The Ontario (or other province) Association of Optometris. In Canada a Bachelors is not enough to be liscenced as a Optomitrist. In Canada this Profession has 8 years of post secondary education.

"Doctors of optometry require seven to eight years of post-secondary education to obtain their professional designation, Doctor of Optometry (OD).

Educational requirements typically include:

• A minimum of three years of undergraduate education, preferably in the sciences; Please NOTE: In Québec two years of CEGEP is accepted at the undergraduate level.
• A four or five year university program in optometry, accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education;
• An increasing number of optometrists choose to do an additional year of residency training upon completion of their Doctor of Optometry degree;
• Upon completion of the course in optometry, the graduate is required to satisfy provincial board requirements in the province or territory in which they intend to practice. This process also includes a national examination administered by the Optometry Examining Board of Canada. Licensure by the provincial or territorial governing body is required. These requirements ensure the public receives the highest standards of optometric care.

OPTOMETRIC EDUCATION
There are two schools of optometry located in Canada"

• University of Waterloo
• Université de Montréal
• 
  
  https://opto.ca/

Hi VisaTest,

Thank you for your reply! However, your answer is not able to answer my query, I have already read the Doctor of Optometry program guideline, and there are contradictory articles, which I had found, after which I had posted this query, here.

Doctor of Optometry degrees are awarded only in US and Canada, though they are requirement to practice in US as well as Canada, other countries, where optometry is a licensed profession (like the UK, Australia and India) do not offer any OD program but only Bachelors, Masters and PHD Programs in Optometry.

However, this procedure (http://forac-faroc.ca/international-applicants/applying-to-all-provinces-and-territories-except-quebec/), on FORAC's website (Federation of Optometry regulatory authorities of Canada) states that international optometry degree awardee is eligible for a one year International Optometry Bridge Program at the University of Waterloo, after which they can obtain a license and practice Optometry in Canada.

Moreover, this tool by CIC, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/education-assessed/read-report.html, mentions all kinds of optometry degrees as professional degrees.

I did read the article that you has mentioned earlier when doing research on my own, but I also found contradictory matter too, hence I am seeking clarification here on the assumption that someone might know something about it.

 

[visatest]

Hi! dotslash227, you are quite right. Sorry about my error. I started looking at references (links) and none of them seem to be conclusive. If it was me I would phone each organization and see what the story is. This can happen in Canada, multiple organizations claiming THEY ARE the controllers of the Profession. Just track down the officials in these places. I imagine there is a coherent text on this telling you what to do. It is just not well explained in the websites. Best of Luck!!!

 

[canuck78]

Wes, ECA, iqas will determine whether your degree corresponds to a professional degree.

 

[dotslash227]

Hi! dotslash227, you are quite right. Sorry about my error. I started looking at references (links) and none of them seem to be conclusive. If it was me I would phone each organization and see what the story is. This can happen in Canada, multiple organizations claiming THEY ARE the controllers of the Profession. Just track down the officials in these places. I imagine there is a coherent text on this telling you what to do. It is just not well explained in the websites. Best of Luck!!!

I did try contacting various organisations, but they were of not much help. However, I was able get in touch with Optometrists practising in Canada who had graduated with Bachelors in Optometry from India, which is itself a positive indication that Indian optometry degrees might be recognised in Canada.

Also, other Indian qualifications such as a Dentist and Law, which do not follow the Canadian education structure, have been positively evaluated as professional degrees by WES.

Anyway, I have applied for the ECA at WES, hoping they recognise it as a professional degree.

Just for Information, for people who might stumble upon this post in future, the difference between Indian and Canadian education structure, when it comes to professional degrees is:
In Canada - You are expected to study for at least 3 years in a University before you are able to pursue a professional course, for another 3 or 4 or 5 years such as optometry, law or medicine. Thus, making your study for a total of 6/7/8 years.

In India - You straight away start studying your Major course, basics are taught along with the advanced topics, there are no pre-requisite university studies in India. Thus, making your study for a total of 4 or 5 years, at max.

 

[dotslash227]

Received my WES ECA today

The summary is
"Four years of professional study in optometry"

Points awarded with this summary is equal to that of Masters.

 

[Fayhan]

I did try contacting various organisations, but they were of not much help. However, I was able get in touch with Optometrists practising in Canada who had graduated with Bachelors in Optometry from India, which is itself a positive indication that Indian optometry degrees might be recognised in Canada.

Also, other Indian qualifications such as a Dentist and Law, which do not follow the Canadian education structure, have been positively evaluated as professional degrees by WES.

Anyway, I have applied for the ECA at WES, hoping they recognise it as a professional degree.

Just for Information, for people who might stumble upon this post in future, the difference between Indian and Canadian education structure, when it comes to professional degrees is:
In Canada - You are expected to study for at least 3 years in a University before you are able to pursue a professional course, for another 3 or 4 or 5 years such as optometry, law or medicine. Thus, making your study for a total of 6/7/8 years.

In India - You straight away start studying your Major course, basics are taught along with the advanced topics, there are no pre-requisite university studies in India. Thus, making your study for a total of 4 or 5 years, at max.

Hi brother, Congratulations first of all for your WES accredition for 4 years professional study in optometry.
Even my wife also received the same.

I would like to ask you that how come it fall into the category of Masters. Can you please explain me ?

 

[dotslash227]

Hi brother, Congratulations first of all for your WES accredition for 4 years professional study in optometry.
Even my wife also received the same.

I would like to ask you that how come it fall into the category of Masters. Can you please explain me ?

Degrees in fields which require a license to practice, are called as Professional degrees, get points equal to that of Master's, such as, Law, Optometry, Chiropractacy, Dentistry, Medicine, Vetrinary Medicine and Podiatry.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/education-assessed/read-report.html

This is also known as First professional degree or Entry-to-practice professional degree.

For Express Entry, only degrees in these fields can earn equal points to a Master’s degree:

• medicine
• veterinary medicine
• dentistry
• podiatry
• optometry
• law
• chiropractic medicine
• pharmacy

 

[Ats]

Received my WES ECA today

The summary is
"Four years of professional study in optometry"

Points awarded with this summary is equal to that of Masters.

I have done diploma in optometry 2009-2011 and bachelor in clinical optometry lateral entry third year 2012-2014,my question? is, my degree come under 4 yr bachelor degree under wes EcE,is better apply under express entry... Please guide very confusion...

 

[canuck78]

I have done diploma in optometry 2009-2011 and bachelor in clinical optometry lateral entry third year 2012-2014,my question? is, my degree come under 4 yr bachelor degree under wes EcE,is better apply under express entry... Please guide very confusion...

You are going to wait for WES or other agency to determine what your degrees are.

 

[Ats]

I did try contacting various organisations, but they were of not much help. However, I was able get in touch with Optometrists practising in Canada who had graduated with Bachelors in Optometry from India, which is itself a positive indication that Indian optometry degrees might be recognised in Canada.

Also, other Indian qualifications such as a Dentist and Law, which do not follow the Canadian education structure, have been positively evaluated as professional degrees by WES.

Anyway, I have applied for the ECA at WES, hoping they recognise it as a professional degree.

Just for Information, for people who might stumble upon this post in future, the difference between Indian and Canadian education structure, when it comes to professional degrees is:
In Canada - You are expected to study for at least 3 years in a University before you are able to pursue a professional course, for another 3 or 4 or 5 years such as optometry, law or medicine. Thus, making your study for a total of 6/7/8 years.

In India - You straight away start studying your Major course, basics are taught along with the advanced topics, there are no pre-requisite university studies in India. Thus, making your study for a total of 4 or 5 years, at max.

Hi visayest

I have done diploma in optometry 2009-2011 and bachelor in clinical optometry lateral entry third year 2012-2014,my question? is, my degree come under 4 yr bachelor degree under wes ECA,is better apply under express entry... Please guide very confusion. Is this come as professional bachelor or is it equal Master's degree in canada

 

[dotslash227]

Hi visayest

I have done diploma in optometry 2009-2011 and bachelor in clinical optometry lateral entry third year 2012-2014,my question? is, my degree come under 4 yr bachelor degree under wes ECA,is better apply under express entry... Please guide very confusion. Is this come as professional bachelor or is it equal Master's degree in canada

I am not sure, what will be the equivalency of your degree. It is something we'll have to rely on the final evaluation by an evaluation agency.

 

[Ats]

Congrats brother

 

[J1234]

Received my WES ECA today

The summary is
"Four years of professional study in optometry"

Points awarded with this summary is equal to that of Masters.

Hi Sir,

I am also an Optometrist in India completed my four year bachelor degree in Optometry. Shortly applying with WES as I have not got Professional degree equivalency from IQAS which I applied in August 2019.

My concern is

1. Can I get same Professional degree equivalency from WES in 2020 also. Any body else applied in 2020 with WES, if you have somebody known.

2. Do I need to submit my OCI registration certificate also to WEs. If yes, which mode I submit it as I can't submit it with University sealed envelope coz registration authority is different.