How can I get started as a contact lens fitter?
I just completed an associate degree in Opticianry at HCC, Tampa, Fl. I am NCLE and ABO certified and just took my State Board exam a few days ago.
What I really want to do is to fit contact lenses. I have a special interest in specialty contact lenses for irregular corneas such as the ones messed up by refractive surgery gone wrong, keratoconus etc.
After going through an unsuccessful refractive surgery myself and eventually recovering my best corrected vision with special rigid gas permeable lenses, I developed a true passion for this field. There are so many people out there with irregular corneas who can benefit from custom made rigid lenses and who have been told that nothing can be done for them. I know because for three years I was one of those patients. I prove all the ODs that told me there was nothing that could be done for me, wrong, because thanks to the lenses I am wearing now, I have a 20-15 vision. I want other people who are in the same situation I was once, to have the same chance of regaining useful vision again. With refractive surgery growing at such a rate even the 3% complication rate they claim can turn up into thousands of people who will end up with irregular astigmatism, residual refractive errors and aberrations that glasses or conventional contact lenses can't mask. This is a reality that can't be denied in spite of the popularity and relative success of refractive surgery. Like with every surgery there are going to be people who will end up with less than desirable results and who is going to take care of them?
Not everybody can have additional surgery and for those people the only option is to fit them with custom made rigid gas permeable lenses.
That was my purpose when I went back to school, to be able to somehow reach this group of people and help them.
But it has been hard to find a place where I can get started as a contact lens fitter. Of course I know I have a lot ot learn. I might have the passion, but I lack the experience. It has been very hard to get started. The reality I have faced is that usually Optometrists will want to do the contact lens fittings themselves, many times going with the "one size fit all" option or trying conventional lenses for the "unconventional corneas" The majority would only allow an optician to put the lenses on the patient and that's it.
The Ophthalmologists in this area are mostly doing refractive surgery and seldom have contact lenses as part of their practice. Optical stores usually concentrate on selling eyeglasses because they usually have independent Optometrists who will do the contact lenses part.
My question is how an where does an optician who wants to concentrate on contact lenses can fit in the job market? What would be the best way to get started?
Any feedbak will be greatly appreciated either by posting here or e mailing me at wbp620@aol.com
Thanks for "listening" :)
Wanda
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