"For certified ophthalmic assistants who are preparing to take the certified ophthalmic technician's examination, this review manual will bring both relief and apprehension: relief through the ability to practice the art of test taking and identifying areas where the test taker's knowledge base is strong, and apprehension where the test taker's knowledge is weak. I believe that not using this review manual before taking the certifying examination will put the test taker at a distinct disadvantage."

— Leonid Skorin, DO, Ocular Surgery News

Jan Ledford’s first contact with the eyecare field occurred when she was about 7 years old. (We’ll admit that this took place before eye exams were mandatory for school children, but don’t tell Jan that we told you!) Her parents took her to an optometrist because her dad was very nearsighted. Sure enough, so was Jan. She remembers two things about that incident. First, the eye doctor was very nice because he had a great bag of goodies; if you were good, you could pick out several toys to take home. Second, once Jan got her glasses, she discovered that the trees had leaves and that the neighbors had a TV antenna on their roof.

About 2 years later, Jan got her first taste of the writer’s life. She decided to write a book (at age 10!) about a talking hamster. When Mrs. Clark, her teacher, found out about the book, she had Jan read each chapter to the class. After Jan finished, the class applauded. That’s all it took to make her love writing.

After entering the world of ophthalmic assisting in 1982, Jan advanced through the ranks until she earned her certification as an ophthalmic medical technologist. She brought with her not only a personal conviction about the importance of good vision, but an overwhelming desire to write. As of the printing of this second edition, she has 12 published books in the eyecare field.

Jan lives in Franklin, North Carolina, with her husband Jim, their youngest son (Collin, a college student and music major), and four cats (Munchkin, Boonie Rat, Angel, and Josey Dee). As a freelance medical writer and editor, she runs her own business called EyeWrite Productions. In addition to writing eyecare related material, she has branched into novels and short stories. You can check out her latest novel at www.millenniatech.info.