Sam

I am pleased to say I have passed my ABDO final qualifying examinations, and have qualified as a Dispensing Optician. This concludes a chapter of my life that started in 2021, with @cutlerandgross giving me the opportunity to start training with ABDO College and their optical assistant course before undertaking the full Fellow Diploma in Ophthalmic Dispensing to gain my FBDO qualification. The past five years has absolutely flown by!
The support I have had from colleagues, family, friends and peers, as well as my long-suffering (and very patient partner) @elliewilson_ has been invaluable through this journey but I’d like to thank: Alexander, Raj, Ana @face2frames and Shane at the Bath store for their generous day-to-day advice, guidance and immense flexibility in helping me with different parts of my studies. The girls in London, Meg and Sharezah for their helpful advice and pointers. Fiona, @marie_wilkinson Jack and Arturo for giving me the opportunity to embark on these studies and giving me their ever important encouragement and faith. David right at the very start of my career ignited a passion for optics with his mentorship which I will always be grateful for. Additionally, Mark, Becky, Rebecca and Fiona, Shaleen, Ameena and Vanita for their generous clinical time, advice and assistance with specialist case-records this summer just passed.
In early 2023 I lost my sister Camilla to leukaemia, but the last conversation I had with her before she passed, she told me “you can do anything you want, Sam”, and that is a sentiment that at the time, I underestimated, but with time has grown in meaning as my studies and career have progressed. Hopefully with this achievement I’ve been able to make her proud.
Samuel Wild FBDO - how about that?