An optician is defined as a person who makes or sells eyeglasses for vision correction. Although this may be the technical definition, I prefer to define an optician as a scientist, and perhaps even an artist. Many people may not realize, but there are actually quite a few steps in the process of making a pair of prescription eyeglasses, and it starts with the patient. Most patients want to start by just picking out a frame that looks appealing to them, but an optician is there to guide them by offering not only a frame that looks pleasing to the patient, but one that will work best with the patient’s prescription and overall facial structure. For instance, a patient with a more narrow nose may benefit more from a frame with nose pads, versus a frame with a plastic bridge to avoid their glasses sliding down their nose. Or that a patient with a heavy cylindrical prescription should avoid high wrap frames because it may create distortion, making it harder for the patient to see. Once the best frame is chosen, the optician must measure the patient’s face to the frame. By finding where the patient’s pupils align, an optician is then able to note where the optical center of the eyeglass lens must be placed when the lenses go into the frame. As a patient, this may be where your job is finished. The rest is up to the optician. As an optician, interacting with the patient is only half of the job. An optician then must take the patient’s prescription and measurements to the lab where the eyeglass lenses are created. It is very important to me that when making a pair of eyeglasses, not only is everything done cleanly and properly, but that it is checked multiple times. Opticians then use their knowledge of math and science to determine proper lens material and curvature, all correlating to that specific patient’s prescription. Once the lens is made, the optical centers are checked and marked up to match the measurements of the patient and their specific frame. When the lenses are finally inserted into the frame, the prescription is checked again, as well as the cosmetic overall look of the lenses and frame so that it is not dispensed to the patient dirty or scratched. When the patient does arrive to retrieve their glasses, another check is done, only this time, on the patient. With all of the care that should have been done when making the eyeglasses, the only thing that should need to be done is an adjustment of the frame to make sure the patient is the most comfortable. Being an optician is a job I take very seriously, but also a job I love doing. Making lenses feels a lot like making art, but knowing that very pair of lenses is catered to a specific person’s eyes is a science. The pair of glasses that I have made and dispensed will now help a person to see better. That person can now go on and do their job, or whatever they please, better now that I have done mine in helping them see. Following all of these steps in making and dispensing a pair of eyeglasses is how I plan to make a positive impact in my career in opticianry.