Opticians in the United Kingdom
The profession of opticianry requires a number of steps prior to entering practice in the British Isles. Opticians in England and the surrounding nations of the British Empire can become either Dispensing Opticians or Ophthalmic Opticians. The Dispensing Optician is what we typically refer to in the United States as an Optician or Ophthalmic Dispenser, while the Ophthalmic Optician is similar to our Optometrist, but with substantially less education than our optometrist’s. According to Prospects UK there are five routes to take for entry into the profession as a Dispensing Optician, as well as additional education and training for specialization in specific areas of practice. The following is directly excerpted from their web page and aptly describes educational and training requirements:
(Prospects UK, n.d: RD, October 17, 2003).
Training
For financial reasons, most graduates prefer to enter employment and undertake part-time studies, rather than enrolling on another full-time course. Once qualified, further training is encouraged and most graduates do undertake some advanced courses.
Most employers are willing to cover the cost of study and examination fees for their employees undertaking day release courses, as well as giving time off to attend classes. In a few cases, though, students are expected to pay their own fees.
Always check exactly what your employer is willing to contribute before embarking on your training. Sponsorship for full-time courses are rare and most full-time students take out loans.
Five training routes are currently available:
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A three-year distance-learning course run by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO). It is a requirement that a qualified Optician employ the student for the duration of the course. Practical experience is gained from the employment, while theoretical knowledge is acquired through the course, which includes compulsory block release attendance. The third year of the course forms the student's pre-registration year.
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A two-year full-time course at one of the training institutions. This is followed by one year's paid work, the pre-registration year, under the supervision of a qualified optician.
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A three-year full-time course in optical management leading to the Association's Fellowship Diploma and a Bsc Honours degree in Optical Management. This option is currently available only via Anglia Polytechnic University (A-levels or equivalent are required for entry).
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Degree courses with Management are run by Bradford College and Glasgow Caledonian University (A-levels or equivalent are required for entry).
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Three-year day release courses are available at Bradford College, City & Islington College and Anglia Polytechnic University. These courses are linked to employment with a qualified optician and incorporate the pre-registration year. Successful completion of the course, the pre-registration year and the qualifying ABDO examinations leads to registration with the General Optical Council (GOC). This registration must be renewed annually for as long as you wish to practice in the UK.
Career Development
Many Opticians take further specialist training courses. The supply and fitting of contact lenses involves different processes from those for fitting spectacles and this area is not covered in the standard dispensing course.
Qualified
Opticians may take an additional course through the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) if they wish either to specialize in this area or to add to their portfolio of skills.
Another possible area of specialism is in the supply of low vision aids. This expertise is more likely to be useful in a hospital setting than in a high street outlet. Again, a training course is available through the ABDO.
The majority of dispensing Opticians soon take on management tasks alongside their dispensing roles. Opportunities to move up the management ladder are most often found in the large multiple retailers, where it is possible to progress through store management into regional or head office positions.
Many Opticians are keen to set up in private practice, either alone or in partnership, once they have a few years’ experience. The financial rewards from this can be very high. Practitioners will need to develop good business skills and sales ability. They may need to take additional courses in relevant topics such as business, financial management and marketing. The combined optical and business training courses are popular with people planning to go in this direction.
Additional management responsibilities are often taken on in addition to the routine work of an Optician, so the stress and pressure of long hours and further training need to be balanced against the increased rewards. For many, though, the advantages of professional independence and increased personal satisfaction make this move well worth the extra hours and effort.
A small percentage of Opticians move on to work for prescription houses, where they can provide technical support. Others work for lens, frame and vision aid manufacturers.
There are also opportunities for teaching in further and higher education in those institutions that offer training courses for Opticians. Training institutions usually have an optical clinic attached and it is common for staff to combine teaching with practice. They may also continue to work in an external retail outlet.
The opportunity in this profession for flexible and part-time working does also allow individuals to fit other commitments, such as home or family into their schedules.
Prospect UK (2003) also lists the education and training requirement for the ophthalmic optician (optometrist). It requires an undergraduate degree/diploma from an institution recognized by the General Optical Council (GOC). These degree programs require specific high school courses work at the appropriate level (A-level) and are from three to four years in length. They require specific clinical and didactic training after graduation called the registration year in which they work to gain practical knowledge prior to independent practice. Like the dispensing optician, the ophthalmic optician can then take additional training courses to specialize. It is not possible to become an ophthalmic optician (optometrist) without a degree. The following institutions offer the appropriate degree programs
Anglia Polytechnic University
Aston University
Bradford University
City University
Glasgow Caledonian University
UMIST
University of Ulster
University of Wales College of Cardiff
As you can see, the opticians in England and the British Isles have substantially more training than their counterparts in most of the United States.
Opticians in Australia and New Zealand
Opticians in Australia also have different requirements than in the United States. According to the Open Training and Education Network (OTEN), optical dispensers as they are referred to in that country, were originally called “facial fitters”, and their craft was learned on the job. Compulsory educational requirements were instituted in 1963 when licensing was established in New South Wales (Wilson, 1997). The optician or optical dispenser in Australia is prohibited from fitting contact lenses, which is done in the offices of the optometrists.
According to Kiwi Careers (2003), opticians in New Zealand must have completed courses in math, english, physics, chemistry and/or biology. They would then find a position and begin to learn on the job. A certificate of study is required from the Open Training and Education Network, which is a distance learning institution serving Australia and New Zealand, but it is usually done part-time on the job. While this program is not a full-time educational experience, it is a requirement to practice. This is not the case in many states in the United States. Opticians in New Zealand also are prohibited from contact lens fitting.
Opticians in Germany
Opticians in Germany are considered craftsmen. They begin as apprentices under the dual system of on-the-job training combined with academic preparation in learning workshops and “learning establishments”. After a three to three-and-a-half year program of professional training, they become journeymen. Upon three additional years of experience, the journeyman can take the examination to become a “Master Optician”, which is a requirement to practice independently (Guide to Micro-Crafts in Germany, 2002).
Opticians in Germany perform refractions on selected segments of the population, and essentially screen for ocular disease, which is then referred to the medical doctor, either a general practitioner or ophthalmologist. An example of the requirements not only in Germany, but the entire European Union is found at Structure and Status of the Optometry and Optics Profession (2003). This publication describes the scope of practice of the optometrist and optician in the various parts of the union. It is evident that opticians training and education in Germany is more stringent than in most parts of the United States.
We continue next month.
