One of the best business practices brought to bear in contact lens practice is to be experts at what we do. Being an expert is very different from being competent. Experts think and act differently when approaching their area of expertise. One thing that experts are very good at—better than almost all—is that they are very good at the basic skills in their discipline.

I grew up racing sailboats at a high level, and when I was 5 to 7 years old, we neophytes were taught very good basic sailing and boat handling skills by parents and mentors. Even as small children, none of us ever got into trouble around the docks or in basic sailing maneuvers because we were properly taught from the get-go. Now, it is like breathing—something that is not consciously considered.

And, simply put, if one cannot sail well, then one cannot race well. It is the same thing in clinical practice and very true in specialty practice. It is essential in specialty contact lens practice to be very good at using a wide range of techniques at a slit-lamp biomicroscope. That is predicated on having the very best slit lamps!

It doesn’t matter how good one is at biomicroscopy, if the equipment is not up to the task, it is a losing battle. In competitive sailboat racing, amateurs (aka Corinthian sailors) and professionals compete together. In the parking lot at a major championship, amateur boats are right next to professional’s boats and the “equipment” will be indistinguishable. To compete in the specialty lens market, amateurs have the same equipment experts have.

Beyond the basic skills and best equipment, the path to expert status comes from modeling the behavior of the experts.

Surround yourselves with experts and act like them—do things how they do them. The mentees of champions become champions through osmosis.

Likewise, I instinctively tried to surround myself with the people who were known to be very good at what I saw myself doing in my profession. I sought out industry and faculty experts and made sure to take their courses and sought their counsel once graduated.

Part of the exercise of becoming an expert is knowing that you are not one. Knowing that others are better than you should not lead to an imposter syndrome but to a humility that comes with knowing that there are always things to learn. Real experts are humble, but they possess a quiet confidence. They never stop learning.

Becoming a Diplomate in the Cornea, Contact Lens, and Refractive Technologies Section of the American Academy of Optometry was much more valuable to me than just a title. This doesn’t mean that I don’t still ask for advice from others in my field. It is not uncommon for a multiclass world champion to seek advice from a Corinthian sailor if that sailor is lighting it up. Eyecare practitioners also often share information and knowledge freely.

That is also part of being an expert in specialty practice—your willingness to share your expertise with others. You owe it back to those who helped you. That is the mark of a true expert. CLS