Propelled potential

Initally run as a pilot by the contact lens manufacturer, the programme was established to help practitioners build their confidence, enhance their practical contact-lens skills, and connect them with peers.

Early career optometrist at Boots Opticians, Shahana Miah, enrolled in Propel 2026.

She applied after seeing the programme promoted through LinkedIn, a channel that Miah uses to connect with fellow optometrists and other professionals in the industry.

“I saw a post about Propel shared by Vishal [Gohil, professional education and development manager at Alcon] on my feed, and it immediately caught my attention,” she told OT.

“At the time, I was only a few months post-qualification and was still finding my feet, particularly when it came to contact lenses. The programme sounded like a fantastic opportunity to build on my existing knowledge, learn from others and gain more confidence in an area of practice I was keen to develop further,” she added.

Having qualified in November 2025, Miah said she is “passionate” about continuing to develop her clinical skills and confidence in order to “provide the best possible care for my patients,” which is why the Propel programme appealed.

“It was reassuring to see that professional development doesn’t stop once you complete your pre-registration year,” she reflected.

What I particularly enjoyed was that we weren’t simply given the answers; we were encouraged to explain our reasoning, question our initial decisions and consider alternative approaches

The programme experience

Miah was successful in her application and joined a cohort of 27 early career practitioners on the first Propel programme.

During the year, she has attended a range of education opportunities through Propel, and is expected to formally graduate from the programme next month (November).

The programme has combined face-to-face workshops with interactive online learning, as well as the opportunity to visit Alcon’s contact lens manufacturing facility in Germany.

Talking to OT about the structure of Propel, Miah shared that the programme began with an introductory day at Alcon’s headquarters, during which the practitioners had the opportunity to meet and get to know one another.

Three online webinar sessions over the subsequent months followed.

Miah described the online sessions as “highly interactive, with activities in small groups and breakout rooms.”

During these sessions, the practitioners were able to discuss clinical cases, share experiences, and explore how they would approach different situations in practice.

“What I particularly enjoyed was that we weren’t simply given the answers; we were encouraged to explain our reasoning, question our initial decisions and consider alternative approaches,” she said.

“Hearing how other practitioners might manage the same scenario was invaluable, as it showed me that there can be different ways to approach a clinical challenge while still keeping the patient’s individual needs at the centre of our decisions,” she added.

The programme culminated in a visit to Alcon’s GWS factory in Frankfurt, Germany.

Miah said the factory visit gave the cohort the opportunity to see the processes behind contact lens production first-hand, and gain a greater understanding of what is involved in bringing a contact lens from an order in practice to a finished product.

Asked what she valued most about the programme, Miah told OT that, as a Precision1 contact lens wearer herself, the workshops run during the group’s factory visit were “particularly meaningful.”

“They helped me deepen my understanding of the lens and how its features relate to comfort and performance. This has helped me think more carefully about how I explain the benefits of different contact lenses to patients, connecting the product’s features with their individual needs, lifestyles and expectations,” she added.

Shahana Miah

Be a part of Propel

Miah describes her experience of the Propel programme as “incredibly rewarding, engaging and thought-provoking.”

“It was a really well-structured programme that encouraged us to think beyond our usual approaches to clinical scenarios and consider different ways of solving problems,” she added.

Miah particularly valued how interactive the programme was.

“Rather than simply listening to information, we were encouraged to contribute ideas, challenge our initial thinking and learn from one another’s experiences in both small and large groups,” she said.

“I came away from each session with new perspectives and practical approaches that I could apply in practice,” she added.

Miah emphasised the importance of meeting and networking with early career peers through the programme.

“We were all at slightly different stages of our professional journeys, which made sharing experiences especially valuable,” she said, explaining: “The programme helped us build our knowledge together while forming connections that I hope will continue well beyond the programme itself.”

Approaching the end of her first year qualified, Miah admitted that one of her biggest challenges has been problem-solving, combined with her confidence when managing more challenging contact lens cases.

She shared: “As a newly-qualified optometrist, there were situations where my first instinct would have been to seek reassurance from my supervisor before deciding how best to proceed.”

However, while Miah acknowledges that recognising when to seek support remains an important part of conducting safe clinical practice, the Propel programme has built her confidence in working through a problem, considering the available options and explaining the reasoning behind my decisions independently.

“I have found this particularly useful in practice, when managing multifocal contact lens cases, where understanding a patient’s visual needs, lifestyle and expectations is essential to finding the most appropriate solution,” Miah said.

Today, Miah is actively applying a range of learning from the programme to her everyday practice. This includes taking a structured and personalised approach to contact lens recommendations during fitting conversations.

“I have become more mindful of how I communicate the reasoning behind my recommendations to each patient based on their decision drivers,” Miah shared, adding: “Explaining why a particular lens may be appropriate, how its features relate to the patient’s needs and what they can realistically expect helps patients make more informed decisions.”

Make the most of every session, ask questions and be prepared to challenge your own thinking

The next Propel

Miah’s advice to early career optometrists who apply for Propel 2027 when the programme opens for applications in December is to “embrace the opportunity to connect with the other practitioners. Everyone brings different experiences and perspectives, and sharing these can be just as valuable as the formal learning itself.”

“Go into the programme with an open mind, a willingness to learn and plenty of curiosity. Make the most of every session, ask questions and be prepared to challenge your own thinking,” she added.