CET 2013 – 2015

The current CET scheme ends on 31^st December 2015 with no automatic shortfall period, requiring all practitioners to attain a total of 36 points before this deadline. Specialist CET points are also required for IP Optometrists and Contact Lens Opticians.

Have you met all your requirements?

MyCET in the MyGOC area of the GOC website allows you to track your progress and indicates if you are behind target or if you have met your requirements for total points (both general and interactive), annual points, competencies covered and Peer Review if required. You can also compare your own progress against that of the peer average.

For example, if you are an Optometrist, your competency target to date is 7 out of a possible 8 and the peer average is 5. Your total points target to date is 31 out of a possible 36 and the peer average is 29 indicating that a proportion of the profession still need to complete CET in the remaining few months of this cycle.

The Requirements:

You must gain at least half of your general points through interactive learning such as lectures, workshops, Peer Review and some forms of distance learning.

All Optometrists and Contact Lens Opticians are required to participate in at least one case based discussion group per cycle. This can be either: Peer Review – using your own case records, or Peer Discussion – discussing selected cases using a facilitator. If you are an IP Optometrist or a Contact Lens Optician, you need to discuss cases relating to your speciality area; if you are an Optometrist, you can choose the type of cases you wish to discuss.

You must attain a minimum of 6 points every year – even if you have already met the minimum requirement for the cycle.

By midnight on 31^st December 2015 you must have completed and accepted a minimum of 36 points over all competencies for your target audience.

Optometrists: Communication, Professional Conduct, Ocular Examination, Optical Appliances, Contact Lenses, Ocular Disease, Assessment of Visual Function and Binocular Vision.

Dispensing Opticians: Communication, Professional Conduct, Ocular Examination, Optical Appliances, Contact Lenses, Low Vision, Refractive Management, Ocular Abnormalities and Paediatric Dispensing.

IP Optometrists need an additional minimum 18 points over a further 9 competencies: Knowledge, Options, Share Decision Making, Safe, Professional, Always Improving, The Healthcare System, Information as well as Self and Others.

If you are a Contact Lens Optician, you must obtain 18 of your 36 points (at a rate of 6 per year) from the 5 contact lens specialist CET competencies: Communication, Professional Conduct, Ocular Examination, Verification and Identification as well as Contact Lenses.

Shortfall Period:

Any registrant who fails to meet the CET requirements by 31^st December will be automatically removed from the Registers.

However, if you believe that you have a genuine reason for not meeting the CET requirement by the deadline, you can apply to the GOC to have your circumstances considered by the Registrar. This application must be made at the time and not after the deadline has passed. If the Registrar makes a favourable decision, you may be given additional time to gain the points required to cover the shortfall.

Helping You Meet Your Requirement:

In today’s busy society, it can be difficult finding the time to factor CET into the daily routine. In light of this, Eyecare has recently made some changes to its online content at www.cetpoints.com . The site is now accessible on mobile devices and tablets as well as computers. It is truly portable and can be used anywhere, anytime, at work or at home and covers a wide range of competencies for all target audiences with new content added on a regular basis.

You can search for CET by target audience or competency and there are recorded lectures, Interactive Case Studies and distance learning articles to choose from. Self-service Peer Discussion packs are also available and include all the forms and instructions needed (with guidance notes for facilitators) to run a Peer Review session.

The Eyecare team can help you find appropriate CET to ensure you meet all your requirements before the December deadline. Email them on [email protected] for further information.

How Does Barbie Get Her CET Points?

I imagine Barbie is probably very organised and has already exceeded her CET requirement; Ken however may still have some work to do.