An eye for success

Tony Viani has fond memories of his first contact lens patient. As coordinator of the Dispensing Optician program at Douglas College, Viani has seen many patients over the years.

This particular one was a shy 13-year old girl who always hid behind her thick glasses. She made the decision to come in for contact lenses.

"We went through an extremely challenging process. It took her hours to figure out how to get the contact lenses in, but once she got them in you couldn't get rid of the smile on her face," says Viani, who runs the program at the David Lam Campus in Coquitlam.

Viani has witnessed many changes during his eyewear career, notably the option of laser surgery and other corrective eye procedures. Despite the eye-procedure option, Viani notes demand for glasses and contact lenses remains high as Canada's population ages. Other factors include people whose eye condition makes them poor candidates for eye procedures, and clients who still require corrective eyewear despite undergoing surgery.

"The baby boomers are creating a real growth period - we get daily requests from employers for dispensing optician graduates - so our graduates are always in the highest demand."

Viani has been teaching for over 10 years and heads a program full of industry-experienced instructors. Students benefit from this knowledge and expertise and step into careers once they're done.

"The students go from knowing virtually nothing about the industry to, after two years, managing an optical office," says Viani.

The core of the Dispensing Optician program - customer service - trains students in successfully matching the eyewear to the patient.

"Success in the field involves asking questions, communication, drawing things out from the client and choosing the right product for their lifestyle," says Viani. "When you make the right recommendation for a product for someone, they truly appreciate it."

To learm more about the Dispensing Optician program attend a free Information Session.

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