Alan Paul Saks:

MCOptom [UK], Dip. Optom [SA], FAAO [USA], FCLS [NZ]


Education:

  • Matriculated 1975, Pretoria Boy's High School.
  • Completed four-year diploma course in Optometry and a three year Dispensing diploma at Technicon Witwatersrand [Wits. Tech.] Johannesburg, South Africa 1981 [Dip. Optom].
  • Fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry [FAAO] awarded December 1990.
  • Member of the Royal College of Optometrists [MCOptom] since 1991.
  • Registered with Opticians Board NZ 1993 to present.

Achievements:

  • Played senior rugby [with a few games on the hallowed Loftus Versfeld], Member of Natural History Society, Photographic Society and photojournalist with Boy's Highlights, school magazine 1970-75.
  • Photojournalist with Paratus magazine during compulsory National Service in the SADF, followed by a camper van trip around Europe for the latter part of '77. 1976-77.
  • Editor of Six/Six Optometric student's magazine 1980-81.
  • President of South African Optometric Students Association, 1980-81.
  • Awarded Bausch & Lomb award for outstanding achievement for final year 'thesis' regarding corneal neovascularisation with high and low water content contact lenses
  • Practised at Saks, Taylor and Brauer Optometrists, est. 1920, Pretoria CBD from 1981 to 1993 with a one year break for another camper van trip around Europe with my future wife. Re-joined the practice as a partner until immigrating to NZ in 1994. Saks, Taylor, Brauer, was founded in 1920 by my late grandfather JL Saks - widely regarded as the father of optometry in ZA - having established it as a legitimate profession after a landmark legal battle with the Crown and later the Union of South Africa. I was fortunate to work in the practice with JL as a student and later my fellow partners were my father, Sid Saks, my late uncle Brian Saks, brother in law Peter Brauer and Vincent Taylor. I also worked with other great optometrists in that time and trained a few too. Peter and Sid are still active. Sid is in his 60th year of practice. Sid is a pioneer contact lens practitioner, having learned the necessary skills from George Jessen while studying in the USA in 1957. I spent fantastic years in the family practice and this formed the basis for my optometric and contact lens skills, learned largely from my father Sid and I thank him for that! 1981-1993.
  • Served on various education committees and acted as examiner in Clinical Optometry at Witwatersrand Technicon and also involved in oral examinations, practical and slide exams, clinical checkouts and clinical supervision at Wits. Tech.
  • Served on education committee of the newly formed degree course in optometry at Rand Afrikaans University [RAU] - now University of Johannesburg - and acted as contact lens clinic supervisor/instructor.
  • Served on the editorial board of The South African Optometrist and International Contact Lens Clinic [ICLC] journals.
  • Wrote a regular column 'In Contact' for The South African Optometrist, journal, 1988 -1993.
  • Served three terms as President of the Contact Lens Society of South Africa, Congress Chairman for 'Contact 90' International Contact Lens conference 1990 and on various conference committees from 1980-95 in the role of papers committee and audiovisual.
  • Immigrated to New Zealand 1993 and worked in various locum positions as an Optometrist.
  • Associate Editor and Photographic Director of New Zealand AutoNews [now New Zealand AutoCar] from June to September 1994.
  • Joined Barry + Beale Optometrists est. 1902, in February 1996. Partner & Director from 1997 to 2008.
  • Involved in papers committee of recent contact lens conferences and arranged speakers and audiovisual programmes for various conferences for the NZSCLP/CCLS. 1996 - 2009.
  • Involved in construction of the NZSCLP website www.contactlens.org.nz and Barry + Beale's website, www.optom.co.nz & functioned in marketing and IT roles for Barry + Beale Optometrists.
  • Awarded fellowship of the New Zealand Society of Contact Lens Practitioners [FCLS] 1999.
  • Lecturer in Contact Lenses: Theory and clinical practice and training of Ophthalmology Registrars in contact lenses, 1999, 2002 & 2004.
  • Appeared in various TV programmes, interviews and news items regarding child vision, eye care and contact lenses.
  • Act as consultant and writer - and involved in various protocol studies and pre-market trials - for a number of leading contact lens companies currently and over the past three decades.
  • Contributor to pharmacy and optometry based textbooks, newsletters and magazines. Ocular photographs and contributions published in various publications.
  • Write and produce a print and internet based version of 'In Contact' column for NZOptics over the past fifteen years. Online and archived since 1998 - one of the oldest online eye related columns. In Contact is a column devoted to Eye and Contact Lens news, views and reviews relating to research and clinical practice. www.nzoptics.co.nz/incontact.htm, 1995 to present
  • Past President of New Zealand Society of Contact Lens Practitioners [Two terms: 2001 & 2002]. Council member and conference committee member for NZSCLP/CCLS, conferences, 1996-2007
  • Serve as investigator & panelist for Asia-Pacific and International Advisory Panels for contact lens and solution manufacturers. 1985 to present
  • Wide-ranging experience in speciality contact lens fitting, management and education 1979 to present.
  • International Presenter, Debater & Keynote Speaker at conferences in NZ, AUS, UK, SA, Europe, China, USA, Tasmania & Thailand, 1981 to present

Interests:

  • Interests include motor racing, computers & Internet, music, travel, the environment, skiing, photography, photojournalism, optometry, contact lenses and life in general.