Every year the UK’s Association of Optometrists hosts an annual awards ceremony to recognise the best and the brightest in our profession. This year we’re proud to announce that our locum optometrist in our Dorking branch (formerly Emslie Optometrists, Dorking) Prinal Patel, has been shortlisted for Locum of the Year! All of us at The Optical Studio couldn’t be prouder and we’ll be cheering her on all the way! Here is Prinal’s story.
Aiming High from The Start
Prinal is not only a qualified UK optometrist but is also licensed to practice in Australia and New Zealand. This is just one example of Prinal’s drive to excel and explore new opportunities, both professionally and personally, with interests outside of work including travelling and tornado chasing!
Going Above and Beyond
As one of the best independent opticians in London, Prinal has carved out her own career path and each year pursues a new skill set by completing a range of professional courses, such as Moorfields’ Dry Eye course and BlephEx™ training. As a result, she holds additional training in gonioscopy, BIO headsets and punctum plugs. This has only enhanced her existing breadth of clinical experience, which includes domiciliary work, retinoscopy and orthokeratology fittings.
Staying Ahead of The Curve
Optometry is always changing and advancing and Prinal uses all of the methods at her disposal to ensure she stays at its forefront. Being a people-person helps, as she maintains a strong network of colleagues across optometry, from lecturers and speakers to business owners, who help keep her in the know about the latest meetings and training courses. Attending major optometry conferences and staying connected to professional groups via social media and forums all go towards building Prinal’s industry knowledge so she can continue to offer her patients the most current and effective care. That’s ultimately what drives Prinal – her dedication to helping patients enjoy healthy vision.
Connecting to Community
Prinal devotes much of her time to raising awareness of the importance of eye health and best practice in optometry, whether its through patient home visits or her previous work teaching at City university.
The Future is Bright
Unsurprisingly, Prinal has lots planned to continue her professional development, with a scleral lens fitting course on the horizon and studying towards a medical retina qualification. She hopes to one day own her own independent opticians to deliver the best possible eye care she can to her local community.
We’re certain that Prinal’s future is bright and will continue to support her efforts to excel in optometry. The entire team at our opticians in Farnham, Virginia Water, Pimlico and Dorking will be supporting Prinal’s nomination. To cast your vote to support Prinal Patel becoming Locum of the Year, all you need to do is visit the AOP voting page, select Prinal from the contestants listed under ‘Locum of the Year’ before December 18th!
Happy voting and please join us in wishing her all the luck in the world!