If you want to do a degree in medicine, ophthalmic dispensing or optometry, and you have been offered a place, make sure that you apply for student finance too. New students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan - for your fees - and a Maintenance Loan - for your living costs. https://youtu.be/I-ohAdv5CiY Here are some useful links for students in England: Find out what type of funding is available and if you can get any extra help Get an…
In Northern Ireland, students can apply for: Help with tuition fee costs Help with the costs of living Some students in various circumstances, such as students with a disability or long-term health condition, can et additional funding, or to help pay additional costs for childcare. Visit Student Finance NI to explore what might be available to you and apply. In Scotland, the Student Awards Agency Scotland is responsible for student finance. If you live in Scotland and you are going…
If you are coming up to the time when you need to choose your GCSEs, you can feel under pressure. Don't panic: intsead, read on for some tips to help you. When choosing your subjects, you could pick subjects you are good at or those you enjoy. You might want to do subjects your friends are doing, or ones where you like the teacher. These are all good reasons to pick a subject, but they are not the only things…
Have you applied to uni to study courses like dispensing optics, medicine or optometry? For some people, going to uni is as much about the life experience as it is about the course – so you want to get your choice of where you live right. There are a number of options open to you: Live at home and study a full-time degree at a local uni. With the rising cost of living, staying at home can seem like the…
Are you ready to choose your subjects for sixth form? Whether you are staying at school or moving to a sixth form college there are lots of options open to you. It can seem overwhelming – but don’t panic - here are tips to help you. First, you might want to think about the sort of job you would like to do. Look on a careers website like Careers in Eyecare and explore careers you might like and what you…
OutsideClinic officially launches joint venture partnership model Have you thought about specialising in eye care in the home? A new opportunity means that optometrists can now combine a rewarding career delivering genuinely life-changing care, with all the benefits that come from owning their own company. OutsideClinic has officially launched its joint venture partnership (JVP) model as it looks to plug the optometrist gap in the sector and ensure the people most in need of eye care don’t get left behind.…
Becoming a dispensing optician or optometrist gives you a range of options for your career. Some people may enjoy the clinical side of the role, while others may like to focus on management and retail. If you would like to have control over all aspects of the business, have you thought about running your own optical practice? You can discover more about running a practice at the ABDO Become an Independent Optician twilight session. This event is free of charge…
Primary schools across Birmingham came together to celebrate the finale of the ZEISS Challenge your Imagination programme at Millennium Point. Eleven schools pitched innovative product ideas that aid visual impairments, to a panel of judges, followed by two workshop sessions and an awards ceremony. https://youtu.be/x8u_WAWggiY Funded by ZEISS and delivered by Learn by Design, the year-long Challenge your Imagination programme gave pupils from twenty local schools the opportunity to experience and understand optics, robotics and visual impairments through interactive STEM…
Matthew tells us about his new role as a qualified DO. What do you start with every day? I start every day by checking my emails. It’s a straightforward task, and I don’t necessarily deal with every one of them straight away, but it’s good to get an idea of any updates from colleagues the day before that I may need for the day, or any updates with suppliers, or even contact from patients. If anything does need actioning, then…
Have you thought about offering work experience but don't know where to start? We've got tips and resources to help. Have a plan. Don't wait until the student turns up but work out activities for each day that will show them a range of aspects of the business. Think about what sort of student you are looking for - someone who is studying for GCSEs or Alevels? You can also offer work experience to someone who wants to change career.…