Advice on re-entering the optical field

[Ojos]

Hello!

I'm not sure exactly what I am looking for here....advice, guidance or whatever. I am very interested in re-entering the optical field. I have a (NY) Ophthalmic Dispensing license that is currently inactive. All I need to do is the continuing education and pay the fees to make it active again. I have worked both as a dispensing optician as well as a lab tech. The lab equipment that I used are now probably considered antiques by today's standards. I guess my main issue would be getting brought back up to speed on things. I know that I still have alot of optical knowledge tucked in the back of my mind and some things (adjusting glasses, etc.) you never forget.

Anyways, thanks for reading. Any and all advice, comments or whatever are appreciated.

[Hayde]

How long you been out, Ojos?

The good news is Optics is still Optics. The digital lens surfacing revolution has been the biggest upheaval in the past decade--all the ways that tech is used takes a lot of attention. If you had a good grounding when you left the industry, I'm sure you can catch up quickly whichever way you go.

[King of the Lab]

Your dispensing and lab experience is all you are going to need. What changes over time in optical is simply the lens technology, along with some of the optical equipment as well. It's like an iPhone, same concept, new versions that you have to adapt to. I'm not sure about New York laws, but here in California we have converted to EMR (Electronic Medical Records), so if that is something you have to learn as well, its simply a POS, or new software an office will have that is very easy to learn as long as your the least little bit tech savvy. Good Luck!

[Ojos]

I have been out of the field for like 20 yrs now So as far as alot of the modern lab equipment goes, I am most likely considered "old school" As far as starting continuing education, I'm gonna try to pick some subjects that will actually help me get up to date on stuff, rather than some of the 'fluff' courses that won't be of help.