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To download a fellowship application form in pdf format, please click where indicated below.
FELLOWSHIP OF BCLA (FBCLA)
A Fellow of the Association may add the letters FBCLA after his or her name and use the Fellowship as an indicator of esteem, as provided below:
• To gain a Fellowship of the BCLA, members of the Association (excluding student members) must be awarded 50 points by the academic committee and subsequently satisfy the committee of their contact lens and anterior eye credentials in a viva voce assessment based on the evidence presented. Points can be awarded for any combination of the following achievements:
1) Case record of an advanced contact lens fit or management of an anterior eye condition [10 points]. For examples of case records which have been accepted please click below
2) Presentation of a paper or poster at the BCLA Clinical Conference [10 points].
3) Publication of a peer-reviewed journal article on contact lenses or the anterior eye [10 points]. An additional 5 points will be awarded for a publication in the BCLA journal, Contact Lens and Anterior Eye.
4) Book chapter [10 points - maximum 20 points] or editorship [20 points].
5) Presentation of a workshop at the BCLA annual conference [10 points].
6) A postgraduate degree in contact lenses or anterior eye management such as a PhD [20 points], MSc [15 points], Fellowship of the College of Optometrists by Examination [15 points], DipCL [10 points] or ABDO honours diploma in contact lenses [10 points]. Other postgraduate diplomas will be considered on an individual basis.
7) Patent in the field of contact lenses or the anterior eye [10 points].
8) Highly significant contribution to contact lens design, manufacture, clinical practice, marketing or teaching [up to 30 points].
• The committee will take account of the degree of participation of the applicant in the activity in respect of which points are claimed and the relevance of the subject area. The points allocated to each item described above are a guide as to how many points are likely to be awarded. A single case study or research project constitutes only one work eligible for points.
• The application fee for Fellowship of the BCLA is currently £50 and covers up to three attempts to gain a Fellowship. If the application is judged to be insufficient in the number of points necessary to proceed to the viva voce assessment, a report will be returned to the candidate outlining the reasons. The viva voce assessment will be held at the BCLA Clinical Conference. If the candidate is not considered to have met the standard of Fellowship at the assessment, feedback will be given on their concerns so these can be addressed.
• Fellows will be issued with a certificate of Fellowship signed under seal by the President and Secretary General and will be entitled to use the affix FBCLA provided they:
− Are a current paid-up member of the BCLA
− Have attended the BCLA conference at least once in the previous 3 years
− Remain of good standing
How to apply
Applications for the FBCLA should be submitted on the application form which may be downloaded by clicking here or from the BCLA office. Documentary evidence in support of the application should also be submitted.
All BCLA members who satisfy the entry criteria are invited to apply on or before March 1 to be eligible for assessment at the BCLA Clinical Conference in the same year, if the academic committee agrees sufficient points have been achieved.
Current Fellows (who are not entitled to use the affix FBCLA) are invited to apply, but will have the fee waived if they apply on or before March 20, 2008.
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