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Thread: Question for our Brothers & Sisters in the UK

  1. #1
    On the Sunset Tour! Framebender's Avatar
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    Wave Question for our Brothers & Sisters in the UK

    I recently purchased a 1939 journal called, "the dispensing optician" on EBay. It appears to be a quarterly magazine put out by the Association of Dispensing Opticians. This was the official journal of that Association and was to be circulated among members only. Their offices were at 1 Marylebone High Street, London, W.1.

    My question is does this organization still exist and is it possible to get the current stuff from it without being a member?? If it does still exist does anyone have contact information for this group??

    We have been talking on several threads about the quality of current dispensers declining. Here are the first 2 questions on Preliminary Dispensing Examinations offered in June, 1939.

    Question 1

    Draw a diagram to represent a beam of parallel light passing through and being brought to a focus by a sph. cyl. lens of +4.00/+2.00.

    Question 2

    You are provided with a concave mirror, a small lamp bulb, and a lens measure, and you are required to produce a parallel beam of light. The lens measure is adjusted for spectacle lenses of N 1.523 and reads -2.75 when placed on the mirror. Make the necessary calculations and explain your procedure.

    Now Daryl and the other lens geeks among us are going, so what's the problem. I'm betting that the majority of us haven't used math like this in more years than we care to remember. And this in 1939 was considered basic. I humbly admit to being less of an Optician than those that passed this 18 part preliminary test.

    Things that make you go hmmmm. There was also an advanced and a masters test which consisted of a mixture of optics and metalurgy. I wonder what those weere like?!?

    Anyway, I hope you're all having fun and making money!!

  2. #2
    Bad address email on file QDO1's Avatar
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    Yes you need to look at ABDO http://www.abdo.org.uk/


    the current ABDO Exams include anatomy, visual optics, ophthalmic optics, practacle dispensing, and a load more. the course is very hard work, and takes a few years day release!

    the ray trace is simple enough. the other question - put the light bulb at a distance equal to half the radius of the mirror. the radius of the mirror will be
    r=(n2-n1)/p = 0.523/2.75 = -0.1901 M (on the optical axis). the bulb needs to be placed at 1/2 r = -0.0951 M. assuming the mirror is in air

  3. #3
    OptiBoard Professional Lewy's Avatar
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    I would be happy to forward the journals on to you once I have done the CET, as long as you could send me some of your journals. Please send me a pm for further details.

    Lewy

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder
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    ABDO is our governing body. We sit their exams and register with them, pay our subscription money and do our CET, and in return we get Dispensing Optics magazine.

  5. #5
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    new question for our brothers/sisters in the UK and other countries outside the US

    What are the optical professions in the UK called? What are the educational requirements? What are the licensing requirements? And, what are the scopes of practice?

    In the US we have:

    opticians (ophthalmic dispensers)...they select, fit, adjust, fabricate, and dispense eyeglasses, and sometimes contact lenses. They are licensed in about 23 or 24 states. Some acquire an Associate's degree, or Bachelor's from college. A large number of them acquire the license by working as an apprentice in a "licensed" office for a few years, and then passing national and/or state exams.

    optometrists...examine the eyes for refractive conditions and diseases. In all fifty states they may prescribe lenses, prisms, vision therapy, and topical medications. In about 47 states they may prescribe oral medications for eye diseases. In all 50 states, optometrists usually (99.5%) have a four year Bachelor's degree from a college or university, and an additional four year degree from an optometry college ( O.D. degree, Doctor of Optometry). It is becoming more common for optometry college graduates to study an additional (fifth) year in a residency program attached to one of the optometry schools.

    ophthalmologist...essentially may perform any eye examination and treatment procedure they want in all states. Almost all attend a four year college receiving a bachelor's degree, then attend another four years of medical school, where they receive an MD or DO (doctor of osteopathy) degree. Then they serve one year as an intern, then two or three more years to achieve surgical specialization as an ophthalmologist.

    We also have ocularists, who fit and fabricate prosthetic eyes, and orthoptists who administer "eye exercises" usually prescribed by an ophthalmologist. I am unsure of the educational and licensing requirements of these two groups.

    My definitions are not complete, and I hope I have not offended anyone by leaving things out. I'm not trying to start a war here, I'm just trying to find out how things work in other countries. Maybe we can learn something.
    Last edited by fjpod; 01-08-2006 at 08:14 PM.

  6. #6
    Bad address email on file QDO1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maria
    ABDO is our governing body. We sit their exams and register with them, pay our subscription money and do our CET, and in return we get Dispensing Optics magazine.
    and pay the GOC too... and then they oversee the de-regulation of our profession

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