Association with a long tradition in Germany

Since October 2017, Stephan Hirschfeld has been the chairman of the association. With a view to the different qualifications and the different legal positions of optometry in Europe, he knows that "the positioning of optometry in Germany is a central area of my honorary activity. For many years, the VDCO has been working to establish a high standard for this complex and diverse profession and to offer it better legal certainty. I am convinced that key issues the future of optometry should be addressed and clarified at the level should be addressed and clarified. It is an honor for me, as a member of the Professional Services "Services Committee" and as Chairman of the VDCO, I am honored to actively the future of optometry in Germany and Europe and to represent your and to represent your interests here."

"Contact lens and optometry have grown together over the last 30 years. VDCO has not only supported this development, but has initiated, accompanied and secured many important changes. Responsible fitting of contact lenses is not possible without deep knowledge of optometry. This is where VDCO, in conjunction with the close cooperation with the RAL Quality Association, has an outstanding role to play. Above all, because, both optometry and contact lenses need a representation, which do not have only the particular interests of individuals in the view. VDCO, RAL Gütegemeinschaft and the new publication OCL are of utmost importance for this development."

"Continuing education is an extremely important component of good visual care for our clients. Therefore, after my training as a master optician, I have also still connected the master. But only continuous training in the field of contact lenses, optometry and ophthalmology brings success. This has moved me in 2016, also in the region of Bavaria East, to engage me as a district group leader of VDCO. We had great presentations before the pandemic from true lens professionals in the field, ophthalmologists* and orthoptists. These evenings were a lot of fun. I really appreciate the new format of VDCO online education because it is conveniently delivered to your home. Gaining knowledge couldn't be easier!"

"VDCO? To me, the "C" in the name VDCO is most important. As a practitioner in contact lens care (K=C), I am seeing an increasing loss of the value of the contact lens in the general population. Often only daily or monthly lenses are known by the end user, at best antiquated "hard" contact lenses. Even in our profession, there is an opinion that form-stable is no longer in vogue today. But I know from my everyday life. The spectrum goes from daily contact lenses to conventional soft and form-stable contact lenses to Ortho-K, to scleral lenses. It takes specialists who know their stuff to find the best solution for the customer/patient (from babies to presbyopes)! The VDCO is the association that brings this message to the population and all involved bodies such as politics, health insurance companies, media ... and especially our industry (opticians / optometrists and ophthalmologists) should carry and provide appropriate training after university studies!"

"Messrs. Joe Wöhrle and Dieter Muckenhirn already inspired me during my studies for the then VDC. They even aroused my enthusiasm to get involved in the board. In about 20 years of board work I was allowed to get to know this often copied and never reached association full of character in great detail. I was also allowed to learn an incredible amount from it, its advanced trainings and its members. At this point a thank you deluxe is needed. The many, many technically extremely versed and humanly extremely open-minded members are striking. Dear VDCO ... please keep up the good work!"