My name is Samantha Reyes and I am an 18-year-old student attending the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) in Brooklyn (Reyes, “City Tech entrance”).My major program of study is Vision Care Technology with a specialization in Ophthalmic Dispensing. I would like to become a certified optician under New York’s Health System to better help people everyday with something that many people suffer from; like poor vision and such. This is the best career for me, because I love helping people, science is something that I enjoy, and there are few certified vision care technologists in the New York City Department of Health. In this essay I will guide you through my plan and provide reasons to better prepare future opticians for this important work.
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“City Tech entrance” – The entrance to the N-building
This paragraph will discuss the essentials necessary to become a vision care technologist major and how to better pursue a job in this specific field. It is useful to know the following facts: “the ophthalmic dispenser measures, adapts, and fits eyeglasses to the face and when further certified as a contact lens fitter fits and adapts contact lenses to the eyes for the correction of visual and ocular anomalies” (City Tech 197) .By earning a degree in vision care, I will prepare myself to gain a job in ophthalmic assistance, ophthalmic dispensing, or ophthalmic representative (Reyes, “Opticianry”). According to “7 Ways to Upscale Your Optical”, a publication about ophthalmic trends, it shares the main advantage of having a job in this field. The article states, “the feelings a patient develops during the time she interacts with your staff and undergoes tests and treatment actually what she or he will or wont do” (Brighton 64). If I were able to have a career in this field, I would be helping people in a huge way and that is one of my main goals in life.
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“Opticianry”-Pearl building 3rd floor
Now that you know a little more about the background of a vision technology career, I would like to share my first reason for this career being the best for me. My reason is that I like helping people. Ever since I could remember, I have always wanted a job in which I focused on helping people. When I was 14 years old, I decided to help a family in need that lived in the poorest part of Brazil. She lived in the Favelas in Rio de Janeiro with her parents and five brothers and sisters. I met her on my trip and gave her some of the clothing that I had taken on the trip to wear that were brand new, because I knew that she needed it more than I did and that she was going to appreciate the clothing.That day I made a little girl happy and I was so happy about that as well. When I help people, I appreciate what I am doing even more because it is an important aspect of everyday life. By preparing glasses and contact lenses for patients I know that I would be making a difference in that persons life, because those lenses that I prepared for them, are going to help them see more clearly than before.
My second reason is my love for science I have always loved biology, which led to me studying other subjects such as anatomy and chemistry. Meanwhile, I was reading those subjects on my own, because I had developed a love for science, it was simple enough for me to determine that I desired a future career that focused on science. With this said, I know that my studies at City Tech will be the best for me, because I am a student that tries my best and is always ready to work hard.Sometimes i come in to school extra early so i can get some studying and homework done (Reyes, “Dark Hall’s”). In fact Dr. Russo tells me “We want someone that is academically prepared, be willing to work hard so that you may achieve your goals and to also be accountable for your own actions”(Russo). Also, Sarai Rodriguez, a student enrolled in the program, states that ” there is a lot of math involved and it can get pretty hard sometimes but if you like science and medicine and you know how to study then you should be fine” (Rodriguez). Based on what Dr.Russo and Ms. Rodriguez state, I was even more assured that no matter what I will always passionately perform my job everyday.
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“Dark hall’s”-City college at 6:45 am in the morning
My third reason for entering vision care field is that I feel that there is a lack of certified vision professionals in the medical field. The eyes are very important and delicate and because of the damage that they are undergoing due to many factors, more and more people are in the need of glasses and contact lenses. But then they are not enough specialists that are certified to treat the different problems that appear in eye care, like the Bureau of labor statistics on the employment percentage: ” The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.”(BLS). Therefore stating that employment in this field has in fact gone down. Also “50 percent of workers earn less than the median”(BLS). So with this information we can conclude that because many specialists in this field may believe to be getting underpaid many simply would not continue practice in this field or encourage to enter this field of study. Furthermore” Respondents from the South seem to have decided to take the high road to optical success. Businesses have also been affected, There was an 11% jump in reports of adding higher-priced styles to their boards, from 15% to 26%, while only 3% of respondents, down from 14% in 2013, expected to expand their inventory to lower-priced product.”(eyecare business 62). Because the eye care business has been loosing much of its business many general companies have had to raise the prices of what they can sell in order to make up for the low employment numbers so that companies do not fail. Therefore the school has even supplied the students with data that can be easily found and read at any time, information that is consistent with the data I had reviewed before (Reyes, “Data”).
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“Data”-Display of in depth optician career information
People that carry a strong desire to have a career in this field should be aware of what needs to be done in preparation to obtain a successful future career as a vision care ophthalmic dispenser. Like dr. Russo shared “There are many organizations in school or in New York that focus on such topics: “State new York state organization of optician’s political organization that views the legislative actions that may affect opticians. Opticians association of New York not legislative only provides continuous education. National opticians association of America legislative body for all the opticians in the country National federation of opticianry schools which I am currently the president of. Promotes formal education in opticianry.” (Russo). Some other important recommendations that can be mentioned for those who are interested in this field to learn more is that like Dr.russo said: ” People want someone that is academically prepared. Also must be willing to work hard so that you may achieve your goals. And be accountable for your own actions.” (Russo). Meanwhile there are books or journals that are recommended such as “Eye care businesses, 20/20, eye care professionals, Vision Monday, Magazines talk about lenses research the newest product, which is not only for students but eye care professional themselves.”( Russo).
So carrying out a career in the field of vision care technology would be the best job for me simply because I feel like it is a necessary to help people out in a great way in which i can personally impact their lives, therefore I could be saving their sight or even changing their future and there is nothing better than that. Such career would be a great door as well as to becoming a professional ophthalmologist and maybe even influence future students as well.
Works Cited
Brighton, Judie. “7 Ways to Upscale Your Optical.” Optical Outlook 3rd. 15.6
(2004): 64-66. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
“The Reality of Recovery.” Eyecare Business 6th. 28.8 (2014): 61-64. Academic
Complete. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
Russo, Robert. Personal interview.17.Nov.2014.
Rodriguez, Sarai. Personal interview.15.Nov.2014.
New York College of Technology (City tech). College Catalog 2014-2015.2014.PDF.
17. Nov.2014
United States. Dept. Of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ” Optical Dispensing” .
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dept of Labor. Sept 2012. Web 23.Nov.2014
Reyes,Samantha “City tech entrance ”. Flickr. 3 Dec 2014
Reyes,Samantha “Dark Halls”. Flickr. 3 Dec 2014
Reyes,Samantha “Opticianry ”. Flickr. 3 Dec 2014
Reyes,Samantha “Data”. Flickr. 3 Dec 2014
