Optometry - My Journey So Far
I’m Priya and am currently a second year Optometry student! I will be sharing my journey through Optometry from applying, gaining experience and securing an job in practice.
Optometry is a rapidly evolving profession and becoming increasingly popular too! The role of an optometrist includes examining, diagnosing, and managing ocular disease and disorders. This blog post explores the steps needed to pursue this career, details my journey into the course and advice for all aspiring Optometry students.
Everyone has their own motivation, inspiration and journey. My journey began with my sister’s hospital referral; this was the first time I was exposed to the profession outside the standard eye examination. Accompanying her to the eye department opened my eyes to the scope within the profession, consequently making me realise I don’t know enough about the profession. This encouraged me to venture out and find work experience.
Taking initiative is my biggest piece of advice to anyone thinking of pursuing a profession in healthcare, pick up the phone, send them an email or even pop into practice!
By taking initiative I not only secured work experience at a private practice, but I was able to talk to the lead Optometrist at Leicester Royal Infirmary and connect to those within the profession as well as students too. After meeting optometrists and shadowing, I was sure optometry was for me.
My second piece of advice is to explore the different professions within healthcare, undertake work experience and ask yourself – Can I see myself in this role?
My answer to the question above was yes!
The next step involved finding out more about the course itself and which universities offer this. When finding the right university for me, I took into consideration the main 3 factors important to me. Firstly, the course structure, campus lifestyle and finally the location from home – all details can be found from University websites, open days and social media too. Most universities offering Optometry conduct interviews, giving you the chance to come onto campus and meet the staff and get a feel for the University itself. I soon realised, although courses differ across the country, fundamentally they all place a heavy emphasis on clinical practice – this is something I underestimated when I started the course but I immediately fell in love with the hands on approach.
My third piece of advice – never stop looking to gain work experience
Just because you’ve got work experience to talk about in your personal statement and University interview doesn’t mean you can’t go out and get more! Some of the experiences after you’ve started the degree are much more valuable as your understanding is greater, it also gives you a wider insight into the profession. Gaining experience will increase your confidence when working as part of a team and most importantly interacting with patients. Finding a role as an Optical assistant during the pandemic was a long process but definitely worth it! By directly emailing stores and utilising platforms such as LinkedIn I was able to secure interviews which led to my first job offer. Many in this role build a good rapport with the team and are able to complete their pre-registration year at the same practice - this means they are already familiar with the practice, staff and company ethos. Pre-registration is one of the most challenging years for any graduate, the process of applying starts during the second year of university. This year consolidates 3 years of University and trains graduates for their final assessment called the OSCEs.
My final piece of advice for any aspiring healthcare applicant is to stay open minded!
There are numerous pathways within healthcare, often leading to specialist roles within departments. Academic opportunities open the door for research and teaching. It’s never too late to branch out and study further to explore a different route, no matter what the field! To every aspiring Optometry student never be afraid to get in touch and seek advice from students or professionals within the field.
