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This content was published: December 19, 1996. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.

PCC Ophthalmic Grads Take Top Score In The Nation

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The 1996 graduates of the Portland Community College’s Ophthalmic Medical Technology program who sat for national licensure examinations this fall scored higher overall than graduates of all other programs in the nation, reports Joanne Harris, a faculty member.

The pass rate for graduates of the PCC Cascade Campus program has continued to increase for the third straight year, Harris said. Sixteen graduates sat for the exam; 14 passed. PCC graduates achieved top scores in seven of the 12 content areas of the examination, which is conducted by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

Harris noted that each college whose graduates apply for national licensure receives the examination results as the average of the combined scores for that college’s applicants, rather than as individual scores.

Ophthalmic medical technicians perform eye-care procedures under the supervision of a licensed physician and assist with direct patient eye care. The field is growing rapidly and qualified technicians enjoy an expanding job market.

The Ophthalmic Medical Technology program is one of six health professions offered at the Cascade Campus. Also, it is one of several PCC programs whose graduates have traditionally achieved superior scores on national qualifying examinations.

The college’s nursing, dental, dietetic and radiology programs are based at the Sylvania Campus in Southwest Portland.

For more information, call Joanne Harris at 978-5666 or Susan Hereford at 977-4421.