This month’s newsletter highlights two exceptional webinars, GPLI resources pertaining to management of the irregular cornea, highlights from our most recent GPLI Radio broadcast, introduction of our new GPLI Advisory Board members, and a tribute to a contact lens legend, Dr. Robert Mandell. On November 21^st Dr. Karen Lee provided a very contemporary presentation with exceptional graphics on the management of the irregular cornea, most notably keratoconus. On October 24^th, Drs. Jessica Conroy and Vakishan Nadarajah presented on dry eye disease and its management. Although this was our quarterly student-based webinar and is archived under the student’s tab, this outstanding and very comprehensive presentation would benefit anyone who diagnoses and manages all forms of dry eye. For GPLI Radio, we had an exceptional podcast, well narrated by Dr. Tom Quinn with Dr. Chris Smiley (November) on the topic of “Serving as a Specialty Contact Lens Externship Site”. In our next newsletter we will review his upcoming podcast with Dr. Matt Lampa on “Tips and Tricks for Contact Lens Correction of Regular Astigmatism”.

This conversation was with Dr. Chris Smiley, optometrist, entrepreneur, researcher, lecturer, writer, member of the GPLI Advisory Board and owner of 5 different office locations throughout Ohio. For the past 12 years, each has served as an extern site for specialty contact lens services.

Why Are Externship Sites Important?

• There is often a gap between how students examine patients in academic clinics versus clinical practice; serving as an externship site helps bridge that gap

Setting the Stage

• Provide schools with site information
• Begin with virtual meeting with extern, explaining their role in the office
• Explain how to dress, where to park, and what equipment to bring, if any

Incorporating students into office flow

• Start with introducing them to staff, where they will sit, etc.
• Orient them to EHR system and office equipment
• Routing slip can be used for notes as learning EHR system

Introducing Externs to Patients

• Inform patients ahead of time they will be working with an extern
• If necessary, explain externs are in their final stages of training
• Avoid using the term “student”
• Most patients are happy to work with externs

Launching the Extern into Direct Patient Care

• Start by having them shadow to get a feel for office flow
• Some will be ready to go right away, some will want more time
• Set them up for success

How to Schedule

• Various ways to approach scheduling
• Externs can be scheduled to see patients the same time you are with other patients

Monitoring Externs

• Have them check in before making prescriptive decisions
• After a time, don’t need to be involved until the end of the exam
• Check in with externs after every patient, if possible, to discuss key learnings
• Going to lunch together provides opportunities for further learning

Overview of Benefits of Serving as a Externship Site

• You are advancing the quality of services within the profession
• Externs can sometime improve the office bottom line
• You will develop life-long friendships
• Three things we can share: time, talent, and treasure

- Young ODs don’t have much treasure

- Established ODs don’t have much time

- Serving as an extern site allows ODs to share talent without sacrificing time or treasure

How to Become a Specialty Contact Lens Externship Site

• Go HERE and complete the interest survey!

We are proud to have these six exceptional contact lens specialists join our family in 2024:

Deepa Chandrasekaran MS, OD, FAAO, FIACLE: Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University specializing in contact lenses; representative to the BCLA; coordinated the GPLI’s 2006 Cornea and Contact Lens Symposium

Patricia Flores OD, MSc, PhD: Global specialty contact lens specialist and educator; renown lecturer; organizer of CLASS meetings (Central-South America); very involved with contact lens industry

Michelle Man OD, FAAO: Former contact lens faculty member at the Illinois College of Optometry; currently associate in North Suburban Eye Associates (Advisory Board member Dr. Barry Eiden’s practice); Co-Chair of the GPLI “I Have a GP Wearer in My Chair” module committee

Sheila Morrison OD, FAAO: Mission Eye Care in Calgary (with Advisory Board member Dr. Andrea Lasby); well-known contact lens specialist, clinical researcher, and lecturer

Madison Moss OD, FAAO: Associate in a contact lens specialty practice in North Carolina. Received numerous honors upon graduation and has since participated in two GPLI Committees and will present her third GPLI webinar in 2024.

Lindsay Sicks OD, FAAO: Contact lens faculty member at the Illinois College of Optometry; authors the GP Experts column for Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses; noted author, lecturer, and educator



Spotlight On: Dr. Robert B. Mandell

Robert B. Mandell OD, PhD, passed away peacefully in his home on November 3^rd, just a few days shy of his 90^th birthday. This concluded a legendary career spanning over 50 years for which his accomplishments and influence in the contact lens profession could only be rivaled by Dr. Donald Korb, and Professor Brien Holden.

He obtained his PhD at Indiana University (IU) and while at IU developed a strong interest in corneal topography. He then took that interest to his faculty at the UC-Berkeley College of Optometry where he actually constructed the first portable photokeratoscope which ultimately was used as a prototype in the development of modern corneal topographers.(1) While at UC-Berkeley, he was an integral part of the first great cornea and contact lens research unit and – as later established by Professor Brien Holden in Australia – one of the two most prestigious and productive research units in our history - while spawning very successful such units at The Ohio State University, the University of Waterloo, and elsewhere. With Drs. Morton Sarver, Ken Polse, Michael Harris, and Irving Fatt, they defined the relationship of corneal physiology and contact lens wear. It was actually his seminal work with Dr. Polse as it pertains to contact lens-induced corneal swelling that represents one of his most significant and well recognized accomplishments. He actually developed the first modern pachymeters to be adapted for evaluating corneal edema, ultimately resulting in the first electronic recoding pachometer.(1)

Although he is best known by younger eye care professionals for the Mandell-Moore Guide, co-developed with long-time friend and professional collaborator, manufacturing icon Carl Moore, it is his text, “Contact Lens Practice”, for which he will always be most associated with and most proud of. With four editions over a 25-year period it was literally “The Contact Lens Bible” that we all learned from. It’s possible that no contact lens text had the impact on educating the profession than this book as it was introduced at a time when contact lenses were still in their infancy and educators, students, and eye care professionals needed a comprehensive resource on corneal physiology, contact lens optics, fitting, and problem-solving.

His honors include receiving the Max Schapero Memorial Lecture award from the American Academy of Optometry, the Josef Dallos Award from the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association, and the Everett Kinsey Lecture from the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists. Every year a graduating student at every School and College in North America is awarded the Dr. Robert B. Mandell GP Clinical Excellence Award via the GP Lens Institute. To the young eye care professional, he is often simply known for a very popular empirical GP bitoric guide; for those with more advanced chronology, he will always simply be known . . . as a legend.

1.   Polse KA. Robert Mandell: A Pioneer and Giant in the Art and Science of Contact Lenses. Optom Vis Sci 2008;85(10):E899-E909.

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