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Thread: What do you consider yourself, as an optician?

  1. #1
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    What do you consider yourself, as an optician?

    A health care worker? A technician?

    Health care worker: deals with people, medical conditions, wears scrubs or something, knows what macular degeneration is, bills health insurance....

    Technician: deals with prescriptions, optical conditions like anisometropia, wears a dress or shirt, knows what the Varilux Comfort Max works like, has a strong preference for trivex...

    Personally I vacillate and want to know how you handle this.

  2. #2
    OptiBoard Professional Kujiradesu's Avatar
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    IMO opticians are professional craftspeople. Skilled workers who draw from different disciplines to facilitate acceptable vision with eyeglasses. Some may have a more "clinical" outlook. Others more of a manufacturing/technical outlook. I think an either/or view is doing a disservice, because you need both to be successful.
    Optical Cross: n. crucifixion apparatus used by the New Jersey State Board.

    "It is not knowing, but the love of learning, that characterizes the scientific [person]." -Charles Sanders Peirce

    "A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window. -Gilles Deleuze

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    OptiWizard
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    An optician is anyone who works with lenses even if they are not ophthalmic. I think you are looking to define a dispensing optician who works with lenses relative to eye glasses. I was told that optician is a contraction of optical magician not optical technician as in the early days when the physics of light were not understood the magic that lenses did were considered in the realm of magical. Things like bringing an object closer telescope or seeing things that we did not know existed like bacteria or restoring vision in old people.

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    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    In the state of Florida a Florida Licensed Optician is classified in the MQA web site, https://mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us/datam...ervicesportal/ as a medical professional. So therefore you have a state medical license just like a Nurse, Dentist, Optometry, chiropractic care, or any MD practicing medicine. So yes, we are considered health care workers here in florida.

    You will not find us listed in the DBPR web site, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, https://www.myfloridalicense.com/. Which is where you would find Landscaping, Real Estate, Barbers, Certified Public Accountants and of all things Veterinary Medicine which I would of thought would be listed on the MQA website.

  5. #5
    OptiBoard Professional Kujiradesu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lensman11 View Post
    An optician is anyone who works with lenses even if they are not ophthalmic. I think you are looking to define a dispensing optician who works with lenses relative to eye glasses. I was told that optician is a contraction of optical magician not optical technician as in the early days when the physics of light were not understood the magic that lenses did were considered in the realm of magical. Things like bringing an object closer telescope or seeing things that we did not know existed like bacteria or restoring vision in old people.
    OED says:
    optician
    n. BRITISH. a person qualified to prescribe and dispense glasses and contact lenses, and to detect eye diseases (ophthalmic optician) or to make and supply glasses and contact lenses (dispensing optician).
    - US. a dispensing optician
    <origin> late 17th century: from the French opticien, from medieval Latin optica 'optics'.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    So, yeah probably not a contraction of optical magician.
    Optical Cross: n. crucifixion apparatus used by the New Jersey State Board.

    "It is not knowing, but the love of learning, that characterizes the scientific [person]." -Charles Sanders Peirce

    "A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window. -Gilles Deleuze

  6. #6
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    OK, how about "medical technologist"?

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    Master OptiBoarder CCGREEN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    OK, how about "medical technologist"?
    Now that sounds like someone who repairs medical equipment. Not someone who uses medical equipment with a patient as a subject.

  8. #8
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    "Medical technician"? "Med tech"? I'm not going to change a great name like Optician, but I'm interested in drawing lines to similar things, kind of like when we were in school and we had to draw a line from one column to the matching idea in the other column.

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    OptiWizard KrystleClear's Avatar
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    We're salespeople and personal frames stylists with a little healthcare thrown in. (Sometimes we have to be psychiatrists and therapists too...) I've been on the clinical side having done optometric tech work and front desk work. That knowledge has made it easier to educate patients on what to expect from their glasses when they have chronic dry eye, wet ARMD, poorly managed diabetes, etc.. Not every complaint means there is anything "wrong" with the glasses. But I don't like wearing scrubs so I will stick with dispensing optician.
    Krystle

  10. #10
    Compulsive Truthteller OptiBoard Gold Supporter Uncle Fester's Avatar
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    Another brick in the wall;)

    "Professional Dispensing Optician"

  11. #11
    OptiBoardaholic
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    The states themselves don't even use the same terminology. I'm licensed in FL and KY. FL uses the term Licensed Dispensing Optician (LDO) while KY uses the term Licensed Ophthalmic Dispenser.

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    With this position I feel like we are many things. We have to be able to read minds and pick out the perfect pair of glasses. We have to know so much more then just how to place an order I feel we need to know everything the pts past and what they want from the glasses for the future. I have sat with many patents just to talk with them to find out what they want out of their eyewear. We have to be on top of all the fashion designs and make sure we have them ( even when we think my goodness who in their right mind would wear them. ) We have to be so many things and also understand them all. As an Optician we have to be everything the front staff the dispensers and a tech for the dr. I figure we should be able to do anything in the office except the eye exam.
    So in a way a Miracle worker.

  13. #13
    OptiBoard Professional Kujiradesu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    "Medical technician"? "Med tech"? I'm not going to change a great name like Optician, but I'm interested in drawing lines to similar things, kind of like when we were in school and we had to draw a line from one column to the matching idea in the other column.
    What part of being an optician could be considered "medical"? Clinical and analytical definitely, but medical? This may have come from opticians who work in a medical setting getting an inflated sense of what theyre actually doing. A doctor is a medical professional. A nurse is a medical professional. Would you say that a janitor who works in a hospital is a medical professional? What about a cook in the hospital cafeteria? Saying that they are not doesnt diminish the importance of their work. Just because opticians rub up against, ally with, and liaise with medical professionals doesnt mean we can be said to be medical professionals. And it doesnt diminish the work that we do to say so IMO.
    Optical Cross: n. crucifixion apparatus used by the New Jersey State Board.

    "It is not knowing, but the love of learning, that characterizes the scientific [person]." -Charles Sanders Peirce

    "A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window. -Gilles Deleuze

  14. #14
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    Just like with the term, “Doctor”, there are many, many specialty’s in Opticianry.

    In the 70’s, I designed and fabricated glass molds for cr39 casting. I was also the “layout man” who took Rx’s , decided the base curve, figured back curve(s), prism amount and direction, axis and drew most of this on the front side of the lens with a wooden stick dipped in white shoe polish. (All drawn backwards on the front so it looked proper from the back after blocking). (Yes, stone age back then..) so I guess I was an Ophthalmic lens designer Optician…

    I also cribbed, ground, polished, edged, hand edged, pin beveled and mounted lenses. So I guess I was a lens manufacturing Optician…

    Not sure about this one, but when I’ve designed and fabricated Ptosis crutches, was I an Ophthalmic frame designer Optician?..

    I’ve done 100’s of faceted and jewel encrusted lenses (and frames at times), most one of a kinds. So I guess I was a fashion designer Optician..

    When I’ve advised Offices on various aspects of their business, I was a Consulting Optician..

    When 4 OMD’s at my practice sent all Rx rechecks to me 1st and had me do the re-refraction or prism adjustment, and wrote off on any changes I recommend, I was a Refracting Optician..

    When I would talk to patients about their wants and needs and discussed lens options, the designs benefits and limitations, I was a Lens consulting Optician…

    I also helped patients pick out the best looking frame that complimented their prescription, appearance and personality. I was a Frame Stylist Optician..

    There are many areas that can be considered “Optician”. Opportunity along with luck and desire determines what an individual Optician “Is”.

  15. #15
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    I want to add, the one thing I never considered myself..A salesman. I didn’t “sell” . I educated and would recommend a product. It was always up to the patient what they purchased. I really detested it when I was told I was a really good salesman when I was only trying to let them make an informed decision on their eyecare needs.

  16. #16
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    We need more of your type!

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    OptiWizard
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    Glasses Czar.

  18. #18
    OptiWizard
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    A pharmacist for glasses. But with a lower salary and cheaper malpractice insurance. I can't kill you with a mistake, but I can make you miserable.

  19. #19
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    You know, the pharmacist thing doesn't really work for me. Sorry.

    Pharmacist: "drug enforcement agency"
    Optician: "Glasses designer" (amongst other things).

  20. #20
    OptiWizard
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    You know, the pharmacist thing doesn't really work for me. Sorry.

    Pharmacist: "drug enforcement agency"
    Optician: "Glasses designer" (amongst other things).
    Not meant to be taken verbatim. I (used to) fill prescriptions. Just not for drugs that might kill a patient. My insurance agent used to laugh about how inexpensive our errors and omissions premiums were.

    My apologies if anyone took offense. I must remember my place at the bottom of the totem pole of O's. I'll go back to sitting in the corner now.

  21. #21
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    No offense!!!!

    I meant that a pharmacist would be reduced to tears if he were an optician for a day. amiriteoramirite?

    Pharmacist: "Here's your bag of pills."
    Optician: "No, I can't make you look beautiful with these glasses."

  22. #22
    Eyes eastward... Uilleann's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    No offense!!!!

    I meant that a pharmacist would be reduced to tears if he were an optician for a day. amiriteoramirite?

    Pharmacist: "Here's your bag of pills."
    Optician: "No, I can't make you look beautiful with these glasses."
    Or best yet: "Here's your bag of pills that will make you think you look beautiful with these glasses!"


  23. #23
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter
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    Quote Originally Posted by drk View Post
    You know, the pharmacist thing doesn't really work for me. Sorry.

    Pharmacist: "drug enforcement agency"
    Optician: "Glasses designer" (amongst other things).
    I'm an Optician. People often call me "Doctor" or say I'm an Optometrist. I also get asked several times a day if I do eye exams. That's when the Pharmacist analogy is useful. I fill the prescriptions signed off by Optometrists and Ophthalmologists and don't perform eye exams.

  24. #24
    Master OptiBoarder DanLiv's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jefe View Post
    That's when the Pharmacist analogy is useful. I fill the prescriptions signed off by Optometrists and Ophthalmologists and don't perform eye exams.
    I use the pharmacist analogy too, but I agree with Drk we are understating our work with that comparison. Though a true pharmacist (not a tech) may have a lot more knowledge than an optician, they don't get to flex it. They are severely restricted on what they can dispense based on the Rx. We as opticians have a near carte blanche ability to fill the Rx as we see fit, which comes with a greater design responsibility. Very rarely do I see an Rx from a doc with "progressive, high-index, premium AR" noted, and even then I still have lifestyle discussion to get more details.

    I've contemplated other comparisons (recipe and baker? Architect and foreman?), but none seem to telegraph the meaning I want. Work in progress.

  25. #25
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    That's a pretty good definition.

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