Newsome’s Notes

“Your commitment to lifelong learning is necessary”

So this is my last Newsome’s Notes column as ABDO president. That means two years have flown by and it will soon be time to hand over to our new president Kevin Gutsell – someone in whom I have great faith.

So what of the future? My time on the ABDO Board has seen some great changes, some real progress and I finish confident we are on the right course with the right people. It has been my privilege during the last two years to present our fellowship diploma to three cohorts of dispensing opticians (DOs) and, of course, newly qualified DOs are the future.

As I said at the last week’s graduation in Canterbury Cathedral, there are many ways for qualified DOs to engage with this industry and profession, and I would encourage you all to look at being more involved. Make yourself known to your ABDO regional lead, volunteer as a STEM ambassador, join your local optical committee, write articles for various publications, become an ABDO distance learning tutor… The list is endless; but I promise, getting involved beyond practice level will reward you in ways you cannot imagine.

The future of dispensing optics is for you, our members, to direct. This is a membership organisation and what ABDO delivers has to benefit and satisfy the members. If it doesn’t, then get involved and help deliver change.

When I qualified 40 years ago, there was no 1.6 plastic, no 1.67, no 1.74, no plastic photochromic lenses. Even aspheric lenses were in their infancy. If I had not kept asking questions and learning about new products, I would have been left behind.

And it’s not just about CPD; your commitment to lifelong learning is necessary to keep you relevant and current. No longer constrained or directed by a syllabus once we qualify, we are free to pursue our own areas of interest and expand our scope of practice – and that we must.

Change is happening at a faster rate than ever before, and that rate is only accelerating. Have you heard of the new photochromic materials becoming available this year in all plastic indices? Or about the new techniques to apply Polaroid films to plastic lenses? What about the next generation of progressive power lenses? Did you know there are more than 1,000 to choose from now? Your suppliers are a huge source of information; ask them questions, be inspired by their enthusiasm.

Here is a call to action: commit to learning about one new product or service a week, whether your practice supplies it or not. Research it, read the papers behind it, and become a better informed dispensing optician – engaged and enthused about the future of dispensing optics and new opportunities.

My parting advice to you is this: care well for our profession and it will care for you in return. I will be watching with great interest to see what you do next.

Daryl is pictured with Christopher Tai Foo Siang (centre), president of the Malaysian Association of Practising Opticians (MAPO), presenting the MAPO Malaysian Prize Award to Soon Ping Chiam, for the highest Malaysian student mark in the dispensing Final Qualifying Examination, at last week’s ABDO Graduation and Peize Giving Ceremony.