Becoming a dispensing optician or optometrist gives you a range of options for your career. Some people may enjoy the clinical side of the role, while others may like to focus on management and retail. If you would like to have control over all aspects of the business, have you thought about running your own optical practice? You can discover more about running a practice at the ABDO Become an Independent Optician twilight session. This event is free of charge…
ABDO College offers a choice of two distance learning courses on the route to becoming a qualified dispensing optician (DO): Foundation Degree /BSc (Hons) in Ophthalmic Dispensing (Year 1)Fellowship Dispensing Diploma courses (Year 1) Option 1A two-year Foundation Degree course followed by a third year BSc Degree course in Ophthalmic Dispensing – leading to BSc (Hons) and the ABDO Level 6 FBDO qualifications. Option 2A three-year diploma course in Ophthalmic Dispensing – leading to the ABDO Level 6 FBDO qualification.…
Stuart is a dispensing optician who also runs Eyecare Education, helping optometrists and dispensing opticians stay up to date with their ongoing education events. If you like the idea of combining running events with a clinical career, read on to find out about his work and how he combines time in practice with working on his business. What do you start with every day? If I'm working from home then the day will start with the school run, followed by…
Would you like to help people, in a range of environments, in a job that ensures you are always on the move and constantly facing new challenges? Joshua Wainwright FBDO FdSc BA (Hons) works for Specsavers Domiciliary, delivering eyecare to those who can't get to the practice due to health or mobility issues. Alongside this he is a trainer and is studying to further develop his low vision skills and knowledge. Describe your typical day. The night before I’m due…
Deepali is a student dispensing optician (DO) with Specsavers, and is in the final year of her ophthalmic dispensing course at ABDO College. She combines a full time job with online study and block release. Read on to find out more about her day. As a student DO, I spend my day dispensing a variety of patients, from elderly to children. Within that, I dispense a variety of prescription lenses such a single vision, varifocals, occupational lenses and bifocals. I also…
There are lots of careers and it can be hard to know where to start when making choices. One thing to look out for is a career with a pathway that will allow you to start work, gain experience and take qualifications so you can progress. Working in eyecare, there are a range of entry level jobs that allow you to earn and learn at the same time. You could start as an optical assistant or lab technician. There are…
Matthew is a student dispensing optician (DO) in the final year of his ophthalmic dispensing course at ABDO College. Read on to find out about life as a DO and how Matthew combines study with work. I would say there is no typical day as a dispensing optician. Of course, there is routine in terms of dispensing patients after their eye examination, checking spectacles ensuring they meet British standards, assessing why a patient is not getting on with their spectacles…
Luke works in practice as a dispensing optician (DO) in an opticians practice, dispensing spectacles and pre-testing patients before their eye examination. He is also studying to become an optometrist on block release. Read on to find out more about his day. What do you start with every day? I wake up at 6:30am, go for a short run and then come home and eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day! I watch the news on TV before getting…
Retail is a great place to start your career. These great tips from the Careers in Eyecare experts can help you get the retail jobs you apply for! Retail is a great place to start your career – there are so many different shops you can work in you’re sure to find one that appeals. But if you have an eye on your dream job, what will you need to make sure that you are picked for the role when…
There just might be a job for everyone in eye care and eye wear: read on to find a job to suit you. Love technology? Become a lab technician or dispensing optician and you can find out all about lenses and the latest technology to fit and glaze spectacles. There are jobs and careers in optical manufacturing too: you could work on lens design and help thousands of people see better, through thinner, lighter spectacle lenses. Love fashion? Start as…