BCLA student members make the most of Fitting Skills Day
The BCLA Fitting Skills Day saw dozens of optometry students and pre-reg optometrists pick up tips from industry experts and hone the skills they can put into practice in everyday work.
The event, held at Aston University in Birmingham, provided an opportunity to increase confidence in RGP, Multifocal and Toric lens fitting skills, plus offering an introduction to managing Dry Eye.
Our team of bloggers gave us their verdict on a day that could prove pivotal in the direction of their future careers.
Naila Abid (
pictured, right), a 20-year-old Aston University optometry student, said: “It was a good way to revise the techniques I learnt during my second year. I appreciated having the opportunity to fit a range of RGP lenses
and I was able to differentiate exactly what poor-fitting lenses look like and how you can alter the fit to create better alignment.
“This was something I didn't have the opportunity to do at university as we were given lenses which were measured for our corneas. Choosing lenses from a trial case meant I was able to see a range of different fits. This is more realistic for what I would see in practice as it is unlikely that I would achieve a perfect fitting RGP immediately.
“I’d definitely recommend the day to others as I believe we got extra hands-on experience. It was a great way to network with trainee contact lens opticians who we wouldn't otherwise have a chance to meet.”
Aizza Memon, a 20-year-old optometry student at the University of Manchester, said: “Fitting Skills Day gave me the opportunity to improve my clinical skills and get extremely useful fittings tips from highly experienced clinicians. The session on multifocal lenses really helped to build my confidence.
“We had the opportunity to fit RGPs on each other and learn in depth about RGP fluorescein patterns. Having an RGP specialist talk us through how to fit an RGP and how to solve some common problems that occur in everyday practice was really useful. As students we get limited opportunities to fit RGP lenses and assess the fluorescein pattern and so this was a really valuable experience.
“I’d definitely recommend the BCLA fitting day to others. It helps to expand on current contact lens knowledge and provides valuable expert advice which will make us more successful with our contact lens fitting and help us develop into well rounded optometrists.”
Sonia Huarte (
pictured left) added: “I was expecting a full day of learning, with bold new and old expertise on RGP and some hands-on practice with the lenses, as well as tips and different methodology of introducing eligible patients to RGPs.
“Having more points of view on the same subjects and seeing other professionals practice or their tips, always make you see how you can improve the care for your patients.
“The event is a way to refresh current knowledge and to understand how new products work.”
THE TOP THREE THINGS OUR BLOGGERS LEARNED ON THE DAY
NAILA ABID
1) The different types of toric lens stabilisation designs and how they all differ.
2) The top ways to optimise your CL fits and avoid the dreaded 'leaky bucket' effect.
3) How there are so many options for presbyopic patients depending on their needs and visual requirements.
AIZZA MEMON
1) The importance of effective communication with the patient was highlighted and I hope to use these tips to improve my overall communication as an optometrist.
2) There is sometimes a hesitance to fit multifocal lenses but I learnt so many options when it comes to fitting multifocal lenses that I hope to incorporate into my optometric career.
3) The importance of keeping the ocular surface healthy in order to stay one step ahead of problems.
SONIA HUARTE
1) My favourite workshops were the hands-on, aftercare and the 10 tips for successful RGP fitting.
2) Information from the latest Dry Eye TFOS DEWS II report.
3) Expanding my knowledge on new toric and multifocal lens designs.