NHS hospital optometrist

‘My first job as a qualified optometrist was in a busy hospital optometry department – so to say I felt out of my depth would be an understatement! But my new colleagues were patient and very supportive, and I soon realised that I knew more than I thought I did. The Scheme for Registration and my supervisors not only helped me to develop my clinical abilities, but also taught me how to communicate, how to juggle studying with working, and also how to keep calm in stressful situations.

‘I think the biggest challenge was remembering that I no longer had a supervisor! As a pre-reg, it was easy to feel a little complacent knowing you supervisor would advise you after every patient encounter, but once you qualify the decision-making is all on you. I think you can often feel alone when you first qualify, and so being a member of an organisation like the College can help you feel like you have people on your side, should you need professional advice and guidance. I think we can also learn a lot from attending lectures and CPD events.’

Optometrist for a multiple practice

‘You learn a lot during pre-reg, but it can be difficult to see how everything fits together. The College website is the most useful tool for differential diagnosis, signs and symptoms, and referral guidelines. I learned how to do lacrimal syringing at Optometry Tomorrow, which has been very useful in practice – and enjoyable! Now, I can save my patient a long wait for a hospital appointment.

'After each day, think about the patients you’ve seen and where you struggled, and then focus on those areas and practise, practise, practise! For example, if you saw a macular hole for the first time and had difficulty explaining it to the patient, explain macular holes to family and friends. If you felt your knowledge on how to refer CSR wasn’t good enough, research it that evening. Next time you encounter these situations, you’ll be confident in your abilities.

'We learn everything in optometry terms, but being able to relay that information in a clear way to patients without overwhelming or scaring them can be difficult. I‘ve found the College’s case scenarios on topics like how to explain various pathologies to patients really helpful, and the patient leaflets are useful too.'

Working in independent practice

‘My advice to newly qualified optometrists would be to believe in yourself. I know it sounds cheesy but you’ve qualified for a reason. You know your stuff or you wouldn’t have got this far!

‘Losing the safety blanket of checking everything with your supervisor throws you in at the deep end. The Scheme for Registration is fantastically designed to enable you to apply the knowledge you have developed through university and, although I did feel like I was ready to ‘go solo’, the biggest challenge for me was developing the confidence in my clinical ability to treat patients. One thing I struggled with once qualified was bringing my testing time down and I found this came with practice and routine, something that can only really be achieved with a regular clinic.

‘My university notes were an absolute life saver during my pre-reg training. But since qualifying, I have discovered other methods of learning. The College Clinical Management Guidelines and Optometrists’ Formulary are fantastic resources. I still use them almost daily now! I was also very lucky to have experienced colleagues who are always happy to answer my questions.

‘My best experience of the first few weeks in work? Signing my first prescription! I’d been working since I was 18 to get to this point - so it was a big moment. Also being able to tell the patient that I was one of the optometrists on the team as opposed to a pre-reg optometrist.’