Membership Categories
Check out our membership categories to find the right one for you!
Active Members
Open to optometric physicians licensed to practice in the state of Washington who meet the requirements of membership specified in the Bylaws at member sign-up. Dues are determined annually by the board and shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the previous year's OPW annual dues. Active Member dues include the amount of the member’s dues to the AOA.
Life Members
Awarded to any past OPW president upon retirement from active practice with at least 45 years of AOA membership.
Retired Members
Optometric physicians who have an Active, Active in Partial Practice, or Optometric Educator Membership, are no longer engaged in compensated optometrically related activities, and have not been approved for Life Membership, shall be a Retired Member of this association.
Dues shall be ten percent (10%) of OPW Active Member dues per year plus the amount of the member’s annual dues to the AOA. There shall be no society assessment.
Student Members
Awarded to students of optometry in a school or college accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE). Student Members must affiliate with the AOA and American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA).
Application shall be made by the student and include verification of student status. Student membership shall continue until the end of the calendar year in which the member ceases to be a student. There shall be no OPW dues or society assessments.
Postgraduate Members
Awarded to optometric physicians who are full-time residents or interns in a program accredited or pre-accredited by the ACOE or by an accrediting body that the AOA Board of Trustees determines to be an equivalent and/or full-time graduate program.
Membership classification as a Postgraduate Member shall continue until the end of the calendar year in which an eligible Postgraduate Member has completed the qualifying program. There shall be no OPW dues or society assessments.
Associate Members
The following individuals shall be eligible for membership in the association as Associate Members:
- An individual, not licensed to practice optometry, who holds a faculty or administrative position in an educational institution or program accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
- A paraoptometric who is and continues to be sponsored by an optometric physician who is an Active Member of the OPW.
- An individual, not licensed to practice optometry, who has a substantial interest in the profession of optometry and contributes to the advancement of the efforts of this association.
- An individual, whether licensed to practice optometry or not, who is not actively engaged in the private practice of optometry and is not eligible for membership in another category; and whose membership the Board of Trustees finds would be of value to the association.
- An AOA member who practices outside of the state of Washington. An AOA member practicing in the state of Washington, who as a member of the Armed Forces Optometric Society, (AFOS) is employed by a federal agency.
Application for Associate Membership shall be made directly to the association. OPW does not serve as a sponsoring affiliate with the AOA for Associate Membership. Such membership shall become effective upon approval by the OPW membership team leader and may continue as long as the individual continues to satisfy the qualifications.
Dues shall be ten percent (10%) of OPW Active Member dues per year. The total amount must be paid by March 31 of each year. There shall be no society assessment.
Looking for other ways to get involved? Check out all of the membership types AOA offers.