In an increasingly challenging contact lens market, distinguishing yourself from your competitors is becoming ever more difficult. Whether you are competing with online and mail order suppliers, with other optical practices in your area, or with other applicants for jobs in industry or practice, gaining a professional edge is important. So how can true contact lens specialists ensure that their skills are recognised by their patients and by their peers?
To keep its members one step ahead, the BCLA has launched a new Fellowship scheme. Successful applicants will be allowed to use the letters FBCLA after their name as a mark of esteem in contact lenses. Similar to the American Academy of Optometry's scheme, Fellowship can be gained by various routes including the submission of case records and achievements in contact lens manufacture, as well as by academic achievements.
BCLA members of all disciplines - whether in practice, research or industry - are eligible for Fellowship provided they gain the necessary 50 points (see panel). Applicants must be current members, have attended the BCLA conference at least once in the previous three years and remain of good standing.
Applications must be submitted by March 1 to be eligible for assessment at the conference in the same year. An application fee of £50 enables members to make up to three attempts to gain the FBCLA over three years, although members awarded Fellowship under the previous scheme (who are not eligible to use the letters after their name) will have the fee waived if they apply this year.
Learning experience
Since the introduction of the new scheme, 40 new BCLA Fellowships have been awarded. The Academic Committee carried out viva voce assessments of candidates at the 2006 Clinical Conference and certificates were presented at the conference Gala Dinner (above).
Among the first of the new Fellows was optometrist Andrew Elder Smith, who runs an independent practice in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. For Smith, there are many reasons why someone might want to participate in the Fellowship process but in his case the principal motivation was to use it as a learning experience by submitting case records from his practice.
'Preparing case reports is a wonderful way of reviewing working practices, decision making, and record keeping. We all think we work well and keep good records but very few people audit their case records. It's an illuminating experience to go back over these cases - what you did, what you might have done, and what you can learn from them.'
Smith was fortunate in that he already had an MSc, Fellowship of the College of Optometrists and a DCLP, so he only needed to prepare two case reports.
'I chose two cases I thought were interesting and had followed over a period of about 18 months to two years. One was a long-term PMMA wearer of 25 years who had never been refitted and went on to develop keratoconus. The other was a neophyte lens wearer in his 40s who had always been told that he had too much astigmatism for contact lenses but who was determined to wear them having witnessed the freedom they'd given one of his children.'
Once the cases were selected, the raw data on the record card had to be converted to a readable report along with reasons for the clinical decisions. His advice to other applicants is to ask a colleague to review the manuscripts before submitting. 'When you're close it's all too easy to omit vital details that may seem obvious to you but are not to someone else,' he observes.
Smith stresses that the reports do not have to be of textbook perfect cases. 'We all know that in real life these don't exist. Part of the interview is discussing your management of the case and how you might have modified your thinking as a result.'
Undergoing a viva voce assessment may seem a daunting prospect, especially to those for whom exams are in the distant past. 'I was quite nervous when it came to interview day - memories of PQE examinations still linger after nearly 25 years. I was soon put at ease and the time passed quite quickly in a relaxed conversation which covered general contact lens issues in addition to the case reports.'
As well as learning from the experience, Smith has used his Fellowship to differentiate himself as a contact lens specialist. 'We incorporated FBCLA on letterheads, mentioned it in our newsletter and sent out a press release to local media. The certificate is displayed in reception and people have commented on it. It's reassurance that we're keeping up with the latest technologies and are respected in the profession.'
Smith would encourage others in his situation to consider going through the Fellowship process. 'It will help them grow as a practitioner, make them realise how much is to be learnt in day-to-day practice by trying various options and not be afraid of challenging cases.'