Optometric education in the post-COVID-19 era: A time of forced change!

There is a massive disruption of the global economy and education due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This has posed significant challenges and threats to the academic community, especially in health care where the learning and assessment are patient centered. Though blended learning had its emphasis in the pre-COVID-19 era, innovations are required to meet up to the increased demands on learning and assessment. This article uses an inductive approach and outlines the existing challenges, impact of COVID-19 era, the need for a mindset reframe, and the potential opportunities for innovations that underlie during these challenging times.