I have been working in practice in Specsavers since the April of my first year. I thought it would be useful to get some optical experience and support my learning from the university week and I have noticed the benefit over the last year! I have learnt many skills while working in practice and have noticed how this opportunity has supported my learning.

Working in practice gives you the ability to develop your communication skills with patients, learn and apply dispensing skills and develop a working knowledge of the patient journey.  I have found my communication with patients has improved so much compared to before I started working in practice, and I particularly felt this when we started to see senior patients in clinics this year. With communication being a strong skill needed to be an optometrist, building these early in my degree along with my studies will allow me to work well with patients in the third year clinics and during my career. 

I have learnt how to dispense spectacles, including varifocals, and carry out contact lens teaches. This has helped with my understanding of both my dispensing practice and contact lens practice modules.

You don’t know everything – and that’s okay! You’re not expected to, as long as you take on board advice and guidance given and try not to make the same mistake again! It takes time to understand and there is lots to know, so expect shadowing to begin with, to learn how the practice works and how to use the systems.  

There are people working in the practice who know the answers, so ask the question! If you have questions about something you’re doing at uni, the optometrists (in my experience) are happy to answer them at the end of the day, when the clinic is finished.

Work-life-uni balance is important – I work just a Saturday during term time and commute home for the weekend to do this (1.5 hours). I find that this is doable alongside being in uni five days a week and socialising and see my friends. Having spoken to some of my friends who work in practice on a Saturday and a Sunday, they find it difficult around assessment times to get everything done, so take on the amount of hours you feel is achievable. Working in practice is good to support your learning, not the other way around.

Enjoy speaking to people and helping them pick frames, or sorting their queries. For lots of patients, they only do this once every two years. Making the experience calm and enjoyable will help them look forward to picking frames again next time they are in and guide the type of optometrist you will be.

Take the opportunity with both hands and expect to learn lots. It is a big help to put some of the uni lectures into practice and develop important skills that can only be learnt by doing.