Optical Prism April 2017 | Page 44

From Good to Great What makes a great professional? We go to school, study hard and get good marks. We apply our skills and knowledge to a licensing exam and SHAZAM! We are professionals. If someone passes with a minimum requirement or if they achieve the top of the class, how would the client know? Should they know? The concept is that the professional has demonstrated they have the competence to gain entrance into the profession. The public is protected by these standards. So as life continues, we learn and grow in our profession from apprenticeship and mentoring. We practice and hone our skills on an ongoing basis and maintain our competency to practice through continuing education. All that said, does this make us a great Optician? Are we doing the most we can do to ensure that we are working at the top of our profession? How do we know when we have achieved the greatness we all should want? Certainly the public member that walks into a lawyers’ office does not ask for the least competent one in the office? "Can I see a lawyer? Oh anyone will do, as long as they got a 50% on the test." This may seem an exaggeration, but in the end the person wants the best lawyer. We all want to see the best doctor and have the best teacher educating our children. We don't want to think of ourselves being serviced by a "ne'er-do-well" (Newfoundland expression...Google it). We as Opticians have an amazing level of pride. When we talk to members of the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) at events, we hear stories of success. Giving the gift of clear vision to the young and old is a blessing and Opticians are consumed by the feeling of euphoria when we dispense this gift. 42 Optical Prism | April 2017 The OAC wants to help Opticians show the vision care consumer that our members have achieved the highest rank of professionalism and skills in the country. We want to show the world our members are GREAT Opticians, that have taken their education seriously and are practicing in the top of the field. The OAC is in the developmental stages of creating the next level in education being offered to Opticians. The Ophthalmic Dispensing Master Program will offer to the Dispensing Optician a CE certificate under the initials OACM (OAC Master). The program will consist of 18 hours of in-person learning offered over three years a