International Optometric Bridging Program

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Are you an international optometric graduate looking to practice in Canada?

Frequently Asked Questions about the International Optometric Bridging Program

The University of Waterloo in collaboration with the College of Optometrists of Ontario is pleased to offer the International Optometric Bridging Program (IOBP).

Designed to provide optometrists educated outside Canada and the United States with a structured orientation to Canadian standards of optometric practice, the program will provide all qualified applicants with opportunities to gain the critical language, academic and clinical skills necessary for registration in all provinces of Canada.

This program is designed to prepare the applicants to move forward to the Canadian Standard Assessment in Optometry; the examinations necessary for registration to practice optometry in Canada.

NOTE: If you are interested in practice in Ontario, please check the College of Optometrists of Ontario website for further information prior to completing an application for the IOBP.

For internationally educated optometrists, the process begins with an application to the Bridging Progam:

A positive assessment in all three steps is necessary for applicants to be eligible to enter one of the Bridging Programs.

The candidate will be informed:

  • if they are accepted into Bridging One, an eight week academic program,
  • if they are accepted into Bridging Two, a year long structured academic program,
    or
  • if they are not accepted into either program.

NOTE: As the number of successful applicants exceeds the number of places available in the Bridging Program obtaining minimum admission scores does not guarantee placement in a program. Admission will be decided on a competitive basis.

Specific details are contained in the applicant information package below.

On the rest of this page:

 

Minimum requirements for the bridging programs

Academic Credential Assessment

For candidates applying to the IOBP in 2012 and beyond

Candidates must:

  1. be currently licensed or registered (or eligible to be licensed or registered) to practice optometry in the country where optometric education was completed, and
  2. have successfully completed either:
    1. 3 complete academic years of full-time1 undergraduate university study prior to entering an optometry school and a 4 year optometry degree,2 or
    2. a 4 year optometry degree2 followed by 3 years of optometric work experience outside Canada

Footnotes

  1. Full-time means 5 courses per four-month term or semester with two terms per year.
  2. For the purpose of this application, the following is accepted as equivalent to a 4 year optometry degree:
    A 3 year optometry degree followed by a pre-registration year/period and successful completion of the final assessment. This pre-registration year/period must be endorsed by the country in which you obtained your degree.

For all candidates

If the candidates are favourably evaluated at this stage they may continue on to complete a language fluency test.

Language fluency

A standardized test of language fluency must be completed if the candidates' first language was not English. After discussions with administrators of other health professional bridging programs regarding success rates related to language, the accepted tests and minimum language requirements were agreed to as follows:

Test Requirements
CLBPT Minimum overall average of 8.0 with no individual scores lower than 8.0
Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks: Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT)
IELTS Academic, minimum overall average of 7.5 with no individual scores lower than 7.0
International English Language Testing System: Test Takers Information
CanTest Minimum overall average of 4.5 with no individual scores lower than 4.0
CanTEST, Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa: CanTEST

Applicants who just meet the minimum scores do struggle in the program as it is a challenge for them to understand, learn and speak optometry in a new language. Therefore, in fairness to our applicants, in the future we may need to increase the minimum language requirements for entry into the Bridging Programs.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

*Please note that the registration process and fees have changed*  

Registration for both written and clinical assessments will now be administered by the IOBP.

Dates:    
Written Assessment: February 3rd (full day)
Clinical Assessment:  February 4th & 5th (half day)

NOTE: If you are re-sitting any portion of the PLA, please contact the IOBP office for registration information.

Registration:

  • Closed December 5, 2011 (Please note spaces are limited and registrants will be accepted in the order that they are received.  Registration may close prior to December 16, 2011 if all available spaces are filled)

Fee structure:

 Assessments Fees   

Bank draft or money order made payable, in Canadian Dollars, to:
Written Assessment $1,200  Canadian Examiners in Optometry*
Clinical Assessment $650  uWaterloo School of Optometry*
Written Re-assessment (only applies to those resitting the PLA) $1,200  Canadian Examiners in Optometry*

Clinical Re-assessment per skill set (only applies to those resitting the PLA)

 $200  uWaterloo School of Optometry*

*NOTE: Two separate bank drafts required

Additional Information:

PLA registration is now closed

Those wishing to register for the PLA are required to:

  • Complete all sections of the PLA Registration Form
  • Enclose written assessment fee of $1200.00 (Canadian Dollars) made payable to Canadian Examiners in Optometry
  • Enclose clinical assessment fee of $650 (Canadian Dollars) made payable to the University of Waterloo School of Optometry
  • Send your completed registration form and fees to:

Deb Nahlik
University of Waterloo School of Optometry
200 University Avenue W
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1

Program dates

  • Credential Assessments: are performed year round, please allow 6 weeks for completion
  • Prior Learning Assessments: currently* offered in February and August of each year. The number of registrants per PLA administration are limited and are accepted in the order that they are received.
  • Bridging One: an eight week program, currently* offered in February and June of each year
  • Bridging Two: a year long program, please contact the IOBP

* subject to change

The next Prior Learning Assessment:

  • Written Assessment: February 3rd (full day)
  • Clinical Assessment:  February 4th & 5th (half day)

The next Bridging One Program:

 

  • Start date: July 3rd 2012

The next Bridging Two Program:

  • Start date to be determined

Application information package

An Application Information Package, in PDF form, is available detailing both the assessment process and the Bridging Programs.

We are very pleased to be of assistance to you throughout this process. For further information please don't hesitate to contact us by email.

IOBP contact information

Director: Murray Turnour OD, MSc
Administrative Coordinator: Deb Nahlik

E-mail contact form
(519) 888-4567 ext. 37882
Hours: 08:00–16:00 UTC-5 (8:00 am – 4:00 pm EST)
Fax: (519) 725-0784

International Optometric Bridging Program
School of Optometry and Vision Science
University of Waterloo
Waterloo Ontario N2L 3G1
Canada

Program news

Canada Wide
The IOBP services and programs are now recognized in every province of Canada.

Related resources

University of Waterloo resources

Other Resources

 

Funded by:

Funded By Ontario

Ontario receives support for some skills training programs from the Government of Canada