Saturday, March 10, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Pacific optometry students named AAO Student Fellows
Five optometry students complete requirements for national 'fellow' status
Five students in Pacific University’s College of Optometry have earned Student Fellow status with the American Academy of Optometry.
Jaclyn DeHayes-Rice, Darah Newell, Caleb Rink, Megan Sis and Caroline M. Slagle will receive certificates and lapel pins recognizing their achievement. They also will receive complimentary registration for the annual AAO meeting in Phoenix.
Fellowship in the Academy indicates that a member “has met the high standards of professional competence in a broad range of issues related to eye care,” according to the Academy’s website.
The Student Fellow option is new in 2011. It requires students to be in good standing in an optometric program and also attend six hours of continuing education, one hour of scientific talks, one hour of poster sessions, and additional sessions during the AAO annual meeting.
Posted by Jenni Luckett (jluckett@pacificu.edu) on Feb 21, 2012 at 8:30 AM
Friday, February 24, 2012
Diamond contact lenses for goddess; devotees see red
Kolhapur (Maharashtra): When thousands of devotees turned up for their regular 'darshan' of Goddess Mahalaxmi earlier this week, they noticed a strange glint in her eyes - glowing but very different from what they were accustomed to. Their eyes popped out later when they learnt that Goddess Mahalaxmi was 'wearing' diamond-studded contact lenses, donated by an eye surgeon, Chandrashekhar Chavan, hailing from the erstwhile princely state of Kolhapur but now living in Mumbai.
The contact lenses, made of tiny glittering diamonds and worth around Rs 80,000, were donated to seek her blessings for a new eye technique developed by Chavan, which he is hoping to patent, said Padmaja Tivale, a member-trustee of the Shri Mahalaxmi Kolhapur Devasthan Management Committee. "It was his (Chavan's) wish and desire to donate the diamond contact lenses and we cannot stop any devotee; so we respected his sentiments. However, on account of objections from some quarters, now we shall not display the contact lenses at regular darshans," Tivale told IANS.
Considered to be over 5,000 years old, the 40-kg idol of Goddess Mahalaxmi here is made of gemstone and is studded with precious stones. But controversy has erupted among devotees and media which has questioned the limits to which various temples and other religious places can go while accepting devotees' donations, however expensive they may be.
"When devotees visit a temple, they expect divine radiance from the eyes of the goddess, not the shine emanated by diamonds," fumed Jayshree Khadilkar-Pande, a prominent Marathi journalist who has strongly criticised Goddess Mahalaxmi's new 'look'. Khadilkar-Pande said the diamond contact lenses actually block the goddess' divine energies believed to pass through her eyes on to the devotees.
However, temple priest Ajit Thanedar defended the move, saying it added to the beauty of Goddess Mahalaxmi's idol like the other jewels adorning her. "Moreover, the diamond contact lenses are temporarily stuck to the eyes of the goddess and later easily removed without damaging it (the idol) in any manner," he claimed in a television statement.
He argued that just as the precious jewels and other holy articles of the idol are regularly changed, even the diamond contact lenses are a part of her belongings and the decision was taken unanimously by the temple managing committee.
Later, Thanedar conceded that following objections from some devotees, it has been decided to display the diamond contact lenses only in the presence of the donor and not on any other occasion.
The issue has triggered a debate among Goddess Mahalaxmi's devotees in the state, with many questioning the propriety of various temple trusts accepting whimsical donations simply to fill up their coffers.
"Tomorrow, if somebody offers sunglasses or a mobile phone, will the trusts accept it? Even if it is in the name of devotion or fulfilment of some wishes, the trusts must exercise wisdom before accepting any kind of donation which could hurt the sentiments of devotees," an angry Megha Patil of Thane, who happened to visit the Kolhapur temple last week, told IANS.
Resting on a stone platform, and facing the west direction, the Mahalaxmi statue has four arms - the lower right hand displays a matulinga fruit, above that a large mace called kaumodak, and in the left lower hand is shown a bowl or panpatra and above that a shield or khetaka.
Goddess Mahalaxmi's crown comprises a cobra-hood with a Shiv ling and a Yoni around it, with a lion standing behind her - all evidence of her divine 'shakti.' Listed among the 108 sites where 'shakti' is manifested, the Goddess Mahalaxmi Temple of Kolhapur is one of the Shakti Peetha in Maharashtra and one of the six sites of 'shakti.'
In what devotees consider a celestial phenomenon, a small window on the western wall allows the rays of the setting sun to fall on the face of the idol only thrice in a year - November, December and January - according to Tivale. "This is the time when lakhs of devotees throng the temple for a glimpse of the beautiful image of Goddess Mahalaxmi bathing in the golden rays of the setting sun; it's a truly a magnificent spectacle," Tivale said.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
SCO welcomes state associations to annual eventCOA, Optometry’s Meeting® to offer AOA EHR courses » ABO announces new diplomates
ABO announces new diplomates
February 23, 2012
The American Board of Optometry (ABO) released the results of its Nov. 28 – Dec. 11, 2011, Board Certification Examination.
A total of 276 doctors (94.8 percent) successfully passed the exam, becoming Diplomates of the American Board of Optometry.
The Diplomates, from 41 states, will be added to the listing of board-certified optometrists on the ABO Web site (www.americanboardofoptometry.org).
“The American Board of Optometry congratulates this group of optometrists who have completed the comprehensive examination and started their 10-year maintenance cycle, demonstrating their commitment to lifelong learning,” said Paul C. Ajamian, O.D., who chairs the ABO board. “As the list of Active Candidates continues to grow, we expect many more doctors to become Diplomates in the coming year, as the expiration of the initial Phase-In Rules approaches.”
Registration is open for the next ABO examination, scheduled for July 15-31, 2012, at Prometric Test Centers worldwide.
Visit www.americanboardofoptometry.org for more information.
A total of 276 doctors (94.8 percent) successfully passed the exam, becoming Diplomates of the American Board of Optometry.
The Diplomates, from 41 states, will be added to the listing of board-certified optometrists on the ABO Web site (www.americanboardofoptometry.org).
“The American Board of Optometry congratulates this group of optometrists who have completed the comprehensive examination and started their 10-year maintenance cycle, demonstrating their commitment to lifelong learning,” said Paul C. Ajamian, O.D., who chairs the ABO board. “As the list of Active Candidates continues to grow, we expect many more doctors to become Diplomates in the coming year, as the expiration of the initial Phase-In Rules approaches.”
Registration is open for the next ABO examination, scheduled for July 15-31, 2012, at Prometric Test Centers worldwide.
Visit www.americanboardofoptometry.org for more information.
Doctors set to give gift of sight in Bangladesh
Two doctors from Kingston Hospital will perform cataract surgery on up to 150 people in one week at the Glaucoma Research and Eye Hospital in Bangladesh from Saturday (February 25).
Two doctors from Kingston Hospital are set to give people in Bangladesh the gift of sight.
Royal Eye Unit consultant lead clinician Hooman Sherafat and ophthalmologist Ziaul Haque will perform cataract surgery in the country.
From Saturday (February 25), they will treat up to 150 people in one week at its Glaucoma Research and Eye Hospital.
Mr Sherafat said that the majority of cataracts they will operate on will be so far advanced that the patients will be blind because of them.
“Cataracts are the number one cause of reversible blindness in the world,” he added.
“The Bangladeshi people will come with such high hopes and fortunately in most cases we will be able to give them back useful vision.
“This is a life changing experience for people.”
In the past two years, Mr Sherefat has travelled to both Ghana and Burma to carry out cataract surgery.
“I must completely change my mindset when travelling to these countries to operate as the people have nothing and are so grateful for what we are able to do for them,” he said.
Dr Haque is a native of Bangladesh and a director of Global Aid Trust, the charity that is co-ordinating and funding the trip.
He has been back to the country twice before to arrange cataract operations with Bangladeshi consultants as part of his work for Global Aid Trust.
“More than 80% of the patients we will operate on live in very rural areas with no access to medical facilities,” he said.
“Global Aid Trust funds the instrumentation, consumables and facilities used for the operations as well as patient transport, medications and post operative care and shelter.
“The more money we can raise, the greater the number of operations we can perform.”
Kingston Hospital volunteer chaplain retired Major Rashid Laher is medical support to the team.
He has raised around £7,000 for the eye cataract project and, along with Dr Haque, also hopes to raise £200,000 to purchase a mobile medical unit.
This could be used to perform operations across rural areas of Bangladesh throughout the year.
Anyone who would like to donate money to the eye cataract project can visitwww.justgiving.com/GlobalAidEyeCatract.
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