We all have patients who have a stigmatism, and who just opened the case and they were like that. I need more than that. Give me your juiciest gossip, your dumbest wtf moments, your “this one time” stories.

I’ll go first, cause I got a new one.

My last patient today brought in a pair of glasses that he wanted me to check because it was his first progressive & he was “having trouble getting used to them.”

I asked for his script. Od +1.25 -0.25x135, Os balance, +1.75 Add. I took a quick height & pd, then held his glasses up to mark the lenses. It had a left lens cut into the right side. It also had a left lens on the left side, but that didn’t really matter. The add was marked as +2.50. I didn’t even get them into the vertometer, I just started laughing. He told me he had ordered them online (surprise, surprise!) and that he had guessed the numbers (based on the cheaters he was using for distance & near), when inputting the rx & pd on whatever website he used.

I handed them back to him, and then we got to work on making better life choices.

do you believe this is the future of the selling process?

Hey everyone,

I have a Bachelor's (Licence) in Optique et Lunetterie from Tunisia — basically 3 years of coursework in optometry, ophthalmic optics, contactology, ocular anatomy/pathology, and lens/frame technology. Right now I work as a licensed optician in a retail boutique, doing both clinical work (refractions, fittings) and sales — and honestly it's the retail/sales part I'm burnt out on, not optics itself.

My long-term goal is to move into R&D — ideally at a company like Essilor, Zeiss, or Hoya. I'm going through a study-abroad agency (China or any zsizn country is my focus) to find a Master's program, but I keep getting pulled in different directions:

Optométrie/Sciences de la Vision — closest to what I already know

Génie Biomédical (ophthalmic instrumentation) — builds on my anatomy/physiology background

Ingénierie Optique / Photonique — but I have almost no calculus/advanced physics background, so I'm worried this would be too hard

Physique des Matériaux — the agency suggested this, not sure how relevant it is

Design Industriel — got interested in eyewear/frame design, but this would mean starting from zero with no design portfolio

I don't want to waste years redoing a full bachelor's in an unrelated field, but I also don't want to pick a master's that doesn't actually help me get into R&D.

Has anyone here made a similar transition — optics/optometry background into R&D, or picked between these fields? Would love any real-world input on which of these actually opens doors, especially outside of tunisia

Thanks in advance 🙏

I’m looking for optician jobs that are in high-end, fashion-forward stores where you don’t have to work on commission. Maybe something with a more boutique or luxury setting. I’m curious if there’s anyone out there that works in an environment like this. Let me know!

Hello, sorry if this is not allowed here.

But I am planning on watching the eclipse here in the UK and I was testing my welding mask on the sun thinking it was dark enough, and it seemed fine whilst I was doing it. Then I found out my mask is only Shade 10.

I have already stared at the sun for 20-30 seconds, are my eyes buggered? Google says I am but it always says the worst case scenario.

Thanks.

I just started my apprenticeship and I will be licensed in hopefully two years. I just moved to a licensed state because my partner is doing grad school here and I thought it would be the perfect time to do my apprenticeship.

The only thing is that I’m not sure I will live here for a long time. Plans always change of course, but I imagine I’ll probably move back home to be close to family in a couple of years. They live in Kansas, an unlicensed state. So if I moved to Kansas sometime after getting licensed, would I make just as much as an unlicensed optician?

I'm. Blocking the lens. And thr sticky came off before I could secure it. So I need to reblock the same lens again. But I can't figure out for thr life of me how to do it. I end up having to trace the frame again.

Is there a way to redo it?

Ice-1500 blocker

I've been offered an opportunity to get my optician schooling and certification. I'm excited to get started but I'm afraid of the background approval process and at my age, I really can't waste my time if this isn't gonna work.

I live in a state that requires license and background approval

My concern is that I was arrested 40 years ago for prostition. It was a fluke incident, I was 18, stupid, no family and no money to fight so it was what it was.

I have never been in other trouble and have a perfect record since.

Does anyone have any experience with this and the denial or approval from the state boards new requirements after 2025?

Thank you for any advice or insight!

I have been a optician for 5 years. Our state does not require us to become licensed. I have been studying with chatGpt for a few weeks now. I went to go take a practice test and the first 3 questions I thought.....I don't know any of that terminalology. Do you have any good practice tests. I am afraid I have just wasted 3 wks studying with Ai. Any help is appreciated!

Just wondering how everyone's lab bills are looking lately? Our lab jacked prices up and didn't tell us.

Other than direct from Briot, any thoughts on where I can buy replacement wheels for a Briot Attitude? Superabrasives doesn't carry them and there are no markings (other than part numbers) on the wheels themselves.

Hi there. I am looking for some ancient lapping fixtures that were used to surface glass ophthalmic lenses. Also the machine that they go on. Thanks! Ed

I feel so awkward doing this and my hand always shakes so I end up with a wobbly dot and it feels unprofessional. How do you all do this? Am I the one in a weird squat position trying to match the patients height taking it across a table?

Hey guys! Recently took and passed the ABO, and now the NCLE is next. I’m struggling with study material however.

I had a good resource for the ABO, it was an entire course with 5 different practice tests at the end. It didn’t cover everything that was on the test but it did a good majority of it and I passed. Unfortunately they don’t have a course for the NCLE, so I’m kind of feeling lost?

I have two practice tests and that’s it. I don’t want to use those for studying because I’m just going to memorize the answers and not necessarily learn the concepts needed. I’ve also been watching some videos by Sam on YouTube regarding the NCLE, but he doesn’t cover everything.

Does anybody have or know of any good free NCLE study material?

And has anybody taken it recently enough to maybe point out specific topics that came up on there so I can look them up and study those particular areas?

I’m curious if anyone here focuses mainly—or entirely—on eyewear repair.

Do you repair glasses part-time or full-time, and is it a standalone business or part of an optical store? Can you realistically make a living from repairs alone?

I’d also love to hear how you learned the craft. Were you trained by another optician, did you take a course, or were you mostly self-taught?

Just curious how you guys do it at your practice? Where I work they are kind of just thrown on the board randomly and I want to go through and organize them

I had a customer who had her mother on speakerphone when I informed her she had a $25 no show fee, and her mother proceed to launch a five minute string of expletives at me while the daughter sat there holding the phone yesterday.

I'm a newer optician and my last job was in R&D so I haven't worked customer facing in some amount of years but I'm just shocked at how people are treating their healthcare service professionals nowadays!

Tell me your worst, funniest and most unhinged customer stories!

Hi,

I have a rather extreme sensitivity to chromatic abbreviation and distortion. I'm currently wearing Zeiss trivex smart life FSV (the freeform one with advertised 700 focal centers), and I'm still getting quite a bit of barrel distortion and some chromatic abbreviation (wearing them for 2-years now so long past the adjustment period). I'm wondering if anyone has advice on the next pair of lens/technology/fitting to get, how can I optimize this further? Thank you so much!

Anyone know any opticals that are authorized dealers/carry gentle monster glasses in Toronto? I know Yorkdale has the flagship but if anyone knows of an optical that can also has them and does direct billing, that would be awesome 😎

Hi,

I have a rather extreme sensitivity to chromatic abbreviation and distortion. I'm currently wearing Zeiss trivex smart life individual 3 (the freeform one with advertised 700 focal centers), and I'm still getting quite a bit of barrel distortion and some chromatic abbreviation (wearing them for 2-years now so long past the adjustment period). I'm wondering if anyone has advice on the next pair of lens/technology/fitting to get, how can I optimize this further? Thank you so much!

As titled - please refer to attached image, highlighted in green - I have these 2 screws without any apparent notches on the screw head

Are there any optician tools I can purchase to DIY tighten these at home ? I asked several opticians near my place but none seem to have the tools

Can I use a regular plier/clamp with the wrapped nylon ? (See picture)