World of an Optician
The World of An Optician
4.19.2012
English Comp.
The field of Opticianry is filled with a wide range of people from all different sorts of backgrounds. Female or Male the occupation is an equal field with plenty of opportunities for growth. Dispensing opticians typically work with patients to help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses based on their needs and prescriptions provided by optometrists and ophthalmologists. They also work as stylists to find frames that look and feel right for the patients to buy. Not all lenses can be fit into any pair of glasses so it is important that opticians know what will be aesthetically pleasing and what will not be so that the patient can leave with good vision, happy and also looking good. To become an optician you have to have a high school diploma or equivalent to start your training which can be obtained one of two ways. The first is long term on the job training which takes upward of three years of full time work, and the second is a two year Associates degree program at a local college. Although it does depend on which state you live in. In Massachusetts you are required to take the American Board of Opticianry Exam and the National Contact Lens Exam and become certified nationally before you are eligible to take the State of Massachusetts Practical Exam to receive your state license. (Opticians Association of Massachusetts, 2012) As a dispensing optician you can work in a variety of environments, ranging from part time at a mall kiosk or large retail chain store or department store to full time in a doctor’s office or hospital and everything in between. Opticians have a lot of opportunities to work different schedules depending on who you work for and where you work. An optician can work nights and weekends or a Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm schedule. It all depends on the optician and what he chooses to do. Jobs for opticians are on the rise, according to the
4.19.2012
English Comp.
The field of Opticianry is filled with a wide range of people from all different sorts of backgrounds. Female or Male the occupation is an equal field with plenty of opportunities for growth. Dispensing opticians typically work with patients to help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses based on their needs and prescriptions provided by optometrists and ophthalmologists. They also work as stylists to find frames that look and feel right for the patients to buy. Not all lenses can be fit into any pair of glasses so it is important that opticians know what will be aesthetically pleasing and what will not be so that the patient can leave with good vision, happy and also looking good. To become an optician you have to have a high school diploma or equivalent to start your training which can be obtained one of two ways. The first is long term on the job training which takes upward of three years of full time work, and the second is a two year Associates degree program at a local college. Although it does depend on which state you live in. In Massachusetts you are required to take the American Board of Opticianry Exam and the National Contact Lens Exam and become certified nationally before you are eligible to take the State of Massachusetts Practical Exam to receive your state license. (Opticians Association of Massachusetts, 2012) As a dispensing optician you can work in a variety of environments, ranging from part time at a mall kiosk or large retail chain store or department store to full time in a doctor’s office or hospital and everything in between. Opticians have a lot of opportunities to work different schedules depending on who you work for and where you work. An optician can work nights and weekends or a Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm schedule. It all depends on the optician and what he chooses to do. Jobs for opticians are on the rise, according to the
Cited: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Optician, Dispensing, on the internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Opticians-dispensing.htm (visited 14 April 2012) "BFIT Course Catalog." BFIT.Edu. Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, 2008-09. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . Jaslow, Ryan. "Stem Cells Improve Vision for Two Legally Blind Patients, Study Shows." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . MacPherson, Brian. "The Numbers." Baseball Vision: When 20-20 Eyesight Just Won 't Cut It. Cable Network News, 18 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. . "What Is An Optician." Opticians Association of MA. Opticians Association of MA. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . Wafo, Odette. Interview. 14 April 2012.