The new lens course initiated by IACLE (International Association of Contact Lens Educator) is an effort towards educating future practitioners around the world
The International Association of Contact Lens Educators revealed its New IACLE Contact Lens Course (ICLC), a comprehensive high-quality program for educators and their students compiled by the world’s leading authorities in contact lenses.
The full revision and updating of the ICLC was announced at the 1st World Congress of Optometry held in Medellin, Colombia last month in August (14th to 16th August).
In a further announcement at the congress, IACLE President, Dr Shehzad Naroo is to receive the International Optometrist Award from the World Council of Optometry in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of optometry globally.
The ICLC is the longest established, most popular and most important of IACLE’s teaching resources, and is used by its members in educational institutions worldwide. In its previous form, the course comprised 10 modules and a total of 55 lectures. The New ICLC will cover all aspects of contact lens education – from the anatomy of the cornea to the business of contact lens practice – in just five modules and 30 lectures in PowerPoint format.
IACLE Director of Educational Programs, Nilesh Thite explained that feedback from educators has led to a complete restructuring of the course: ‘The ICLC needed a major revamp to keep pace with developments in the contact lens field. We also wanted to make the flow more logical and user friendly’.
Each of the IACLE Executive Board took responsibility for identifying and connecting with experts in the field. The experts reviewed the existing ICLC material before revising it with the latest information. Board members then forwarded the lectures to IACLE’s Educational Committee for a final round of reviewing and formatting by Thite and Director of Educational Development, Dr Lewis Williams.
Almost half of the revised lectures have already been completed and further lectures will be rolled out during other events in each of IACLE’s three global regions: Academy 2015 in New Orleans, USA (7th to 10th October), Asia Pacific Optometric Congress (8th to 11th October) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Netherlands Contact Lens Congress (13th to 14th March 2016).
“This has been a monumental yet rewarding task,” said Thite. “It has made all of us work together along with the experts in each field. IACLE is thankful to them for their time and expertise. Educators and students will benefit immensely from the updated course.”
The International Association of Contact Lens Educators was established in 1979 and is a non-profit, non-political association. IACLE has 958 members in 74 countries and welcomes contact lens educators from all eye care professions and related disciplines. IACLE is dedicated to raising the standard of contact lens education and promoting the safe use of contact lenses worldwide. It is the leading provider of educational and information resources essential to contact lens educators. IACLE is supported by leading global contact lens manufacturers: platinum sponsor Alcon, silver sponsors CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, and donor sponsor SynergEyes.
