Specialty Contact Lens Externship Sites
Become a Site and Elevate Your Practice!Interested in becoming an externship site?
The GP Lens Institute (GPLI) is supporting an enhanced student and doctor experience by helping establish new externship sites focused on specialty contact lenses. The GPLI will provide resources such as webinars and digital access to practice advice for efficient and successful integration and mentorship. This can be a rewarding experience for doctors, students, and patients. The goal of this initiative is to create 50 new sites, which would result in approximately 200 fourth-year students obtaining specialty contact lens experience by the end of three years. Each practice will work with an associated College of Optometry to determine specific requirements.
Browse Externship Site Directory
Educators – these sites have been selected through an application and review process. If you need the password, please contact beth@gpli.info.
Watch the Webinar Recording
“Expanding Your Practice through Education: Becoming a Specialty Contact Lens Externship Site”
The field of specialty contact lenses has evolved significantly over the last decade. Many optometry students are eager to learn about new advancements in the field and obtain hands-on experience during their optometric education. Depending on their school externship sites available, exposure to advanced contact lens education may be limited.
The Specialty Contact Lens Clinical Externship Committee was formed under GPLI (Gas Permeable Lens Institute) with the goal of identifying and adding new specialty contact lens externship sites for 4th-year optometric students.
This webinar explores the benefits of having student interns in your optometric practice, and how to overcome various challenges as well. Four optometrists who currently host interns in their practice discuss the honest reality of mentoring optometry students and how it has enriched their career and practice.
Webinar Presenters
Drs. John D. Gelles, S. Barry Eiden, Marsha M. Malooley, and Ashley Tucker
Moderator: Dr. Gloria B. Chiu
Special Guest: Dr. Edward S. Bennett
Thank You to Our Sponsor
Special thanks go to the Society of Eye Care Specialists for their support of this program, including: Drs. Robert L. Davis, Jeffrey Sonsino, Jordan Kassalow, Amy Nau, Douglas Inns, Aaron McNulty, Moshe Schwartz, Lamar Zigler, S. Barry Eiden, Todd Bowman, Jeff Cooper, Randall Feurst, David Seibel, Selina McGee, and Shalu Pal.