At weekends Dr Glyn Walsh, senior lecturer, programme organiser (dispensing) and registered optometrist at Glasgow University's Department of Vision Sciences, often goes by the more imposing title of Magnus the Viking. Alex Thomas reports
For aspiring optometrists and dispensing opticians qualifying is only the start of their lives in optics. Once they have negotiated four years of undergraduate study, a further year pre-registration, passed countless exams and most likely incurred crippling loans, the next step is to successfully apply for a job – and anyone thinking this is the easy part is behind the times.
David Gilliver reports on the need for training of non-professional staff, with customer skills particularly important in times of economic uncertainty
Over 700 practitioners logged on to opticianonline.net to take part in our annual salary survey, revealing not only levels of pay but also patterns of working, preference for benefits, reasons for changing jobs, desired locations and how long it took to find them. Emma White reports
Franchise and independent practices continue to offer the highest salaries with dispensing opticians at multiples earning on average half as much as those working at franchise practices, according to latest statistics.