Optometrist Katie Martin has achieved her pre-registration qualifications in under a year, surprising her colleagues. Trainees have two years and three months to finish the scheme. Nathan Burn, a director at Specsavers Plymouth, says: “We’ve all said a huge congratulations to Katie for stunning us by completing her pre-reg so quickly. “We're simply in awe of her. It really is a fantastic achievement. She made it look so easy, even though many others will tell you it absolutely isn't. We're…
A project to inspire young people to become optometrists is being expanded across the UK. Specsavers is rolling out its Bright Futures bursary programme into England and Wales after it was initially launched in Scotland and Northern Ireland. More than £2,000 is available to help students into their career and pay for some of their equipment. The programme also offers part-time work in local branches, providing vital experience as well as shadowing and mentoring. "The bursary will allow partners in…
Faye is a qualified optometrist, who recently moved to a role where she visits patients in their homes, working for community opticians The OutsideClinic. What do you start with every day? I usually start the day with an early morning gym session and then breakfast. After this, I load the car with my equipment, check my patient list and set off to see patients at about 8am. Sometimes these times can change around a bit, for example if I need…
Specsavers is helping partners who own and run local practices and home visit domiciliary services to fund optometrists’ professional advancement. Clinical services director Giles Edmonds says: “We know our clinicians love enhanced optical services and the range of development opportunities on offer – so we're making a big investment here. “We're going to go shoulder to shoulder on professional certificates for medical retina and glaucoma in the UK and Ireland as well as for independent prescribing courses in Scotland and…
Watch a video from the GOC
The Spectacle Makers’ Charity has opened its bursary application scheme for the current academic year to help students on apprenticeships, degree and diploma courses. These must be in optometry, dispensing, orthoptics or allied eye care subjects. Ophthalmic nurses and clinical technicians are also eligible. People can apply for financial support if they are on a recognised course at Level 4 or above which is designed to lead directly to a career in eye health. This includes: apprenticeships in ophthalmic clinical support…
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…
EyeThrive – a pioneering ophthalmic leadership programme - is for ophthalmologists, optometrists, orthoptists, nurses and other allied health professionals who are looking to take their leadership skills to the next level. Friday 9th and Monday 12th September 2022 8.30am – 3pm | Live online Learning Objectives Gain insights into your personality and strengths and how to proactively use this knowledge to develop yourself and others.Develop essential skills to empower yourself to be more proactive in nurturing your resilience and…
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…