GPLI Student Certificate of Achievement

The GPLI Student Certificate of Achievement program is designed to encourage and recognize optometry student interest, engagement, and achievement in GP and custom specialty contact lens fitting.

ELIGIBILITY

Third- and fourth-year students at an accredited school or college of optometry are eligible to participate. Application requirements include GPLI Student Membership and sponsorship by a GPLI Practitioner Member (learn more). The application can be accessed below. The Certificate of Achievement requires both mandatory and additional activities. Submissions will be reviewed – and certificates granted – at the end of the quarter following their acceptance and approval (end of March, June, September, and December). Submissions must be the student’s own work (e.g. cannot work in pairs/groups).

Following your application approval, a folder and instructions for your activity submissions will be shared with you. 

MANDATORY ACTIVITIES

Student Membership
Be a current or become a (free) Student Member of the GPLI. Become a member here.

Student Webinars
View three (3) student webinars within one (1) calendar year and, for each webinar, submit a 150-word reflection on the content. Two (2) must be viewed live and one (1) may be a recorded lecture. Students MUST register to attend the live webinar(s), and attendance will be verified by the GPLI. Find student webinars here.

Specialty Contact Lens-related Patient Case
Submit one (1) specialty contact lens-related patient case in written format. Case reports should have a minimum of 1,000 words and have peer-reviewed references. If approved, some/all of the submission may be used on the GPLI’s social media, online newsletter or online blog (with credit given to the student author). The student must have been directly involved in the management/fitting of the patient with a GP, custom, or specialty contact lens. Original image(s) are encouraged but not required.

• Privacy guidelines must be followed. (coming soon)
• Submission implies that permission is granted to the GPLI for use of approved materials, in whole or in part, for use in social media and/or blog/newsletter posts. Note: Submissions are not guaranteed to be used in this manner.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

These activities demonstrate further engagement, clinical experience, scholarship, professional development, and leadership. Each student must complete and submit three (3) of the following activities. Each activity may be used only once. GPLI staff will review all submissions to ensure they meet the required qualifications.

Fitting Experience
Fit one patient with a new GP, specialty, or custom contact lens in clinic OR see two subsequent (e.g. follow-up or dispense) visits on one patient wearing GP, custom, or specialty contact lenses. Must include confirmation by precepting doctor (faculty member, externship preceptor) and include the lens type and fitting date. Include a short description of the fitting, dispensing, or follow-up process, including a learned clinical pearl.

Paper/Poster Presentation
Present a scientific or clinical research poster or paper on specialty contact lenses at a conference. Requires submission of a PDF of the completed poster as presented, a statement of involvement, and a statement from the faculty member or preceptor confirming the student’s participation.

Other Research
Participate in research related to the cornea or custom specialty contact lenses. Requires submission of an abstract, a statement of involvement, and a statement from the faculty member or preceptor confirming the student’s participation. Other topics may be accepted following submission and approval.

Conference Participation
Attend an eyecare-focused conference and provide proof of attendance at 2 hours of contact lens-related educational lectures OR 1 hour of contact lens-related lectures and 1 hour of posters. Requires proof of attendance via CE tracking or student submission of a CE certificate of attendance. Industry-sponsored lectures or breakfast/lunch presentations that do not track CE hours will not count toward this requirement.

• • Contact lens-related lectures include those with a contact lens focus, myopia management focus, cornea focus, anterior segment focus, or pharmacological lectures with a focus on anterior segment disease; COPE-designated Contact Lens courses (xxxxx-CL) will apply; -TD may apply, depending on content.

Case/Testimonial
Submit a GP, custom, or specialty contact lens case (minimum 500 words) OR a personal student testimonial (minimum 500 words if written, or 2 to 4 minutes if video) regarding specialty lenses. If approved, some/all of the submission may be used on the GPLI’s social media or online blog/newsletter (with credit given to the student author).

Workshop Participation
Participate in an institution-sponsored activity focused on GP, custom, or specialty lenses. Requires a minimum 250-word written testimonial of the experience and a faculty signature confirming participation. Examples to include:

• Assisting in planning or organizing, or participating in, a CL workshop (such as SLS SCLERAL or GPLI workshops)
• Serving as a laboratory teaching assistant (TA) or tutor for specialty contact lens coursework (needs faculty approval/confirmation) for a term.

Note: soft contact lens workshops and the STAPLE Program do not qualify

Contact Lens-related Leadership Contribution
Requires a 250-word written testimonial of the experience and a faculty signature confirming participation. Examples include:

• Serving as board member of a CL-related on-campus organization
• Serving as a student liaison for local, state-wide, or national CL-related organizations.

Attend Two (2) GPLI Practitioner Webinars
Find practitioner webinars here. Virtual synchronous attendance required on date of presentation; viewing of asynchronous recordings will not count for credit. Requires a 150-word written reflection on content for each. Students MUST register to attend the webinar(s) and attendance will be verified by the GPLI.

Guidelines for Faculty/Preceptor Confirmation

For those activities requiring faculty/preceptor confirmation, please use the “Activity Confirmation Form”. Participants can submit a hard copy or an electronic version. Digital signatures are accepted. Download the Activity Confirmation Form here.