The Making of an Ocularist

"With 53 years of experience owning Lamb's Optical in San Angelo, Vernon Lamb has learned a thing or two about what it takes to run a successful business," reports the San Angelo Standard Times. "Lamb went to college to become a rancher and planned to join the military, but a serendipitous turn of events changed his professional path: One month before he was scheduled to enlist in the Air Force, Lamb was injured and lost his eye while working on a piece of farm equipment. 'So, I didn't go to the service; obviously I couldn't do it,' Lamb said. 'I got involved in making eyes and doing contact lens work and teaching, and up until a year ago, I taught eye examinations to ophthalmologists going into training.' Lamb received his own training during an apprenticeship in Houston and became a master ocular prosthetic technician, certified to make ophthalmic prosthetics for patients who, like him, had suffered an irreversible eye injury. As an ocularist, he also can make glasses and contact lenses for patients who have a prescription, but he cannot perform eye examinations." Read more.