If you are still at school or college you may want to know more about which careers offer flexible ways to work. There are plenty of ways to work flexibly when you work in eyecare, and in this article we look at being a locum. A locum is a stand-in for a regular member of staff. You can find locum doctors, optometrists and opticians. Nurses, support workers and health care assistants can also work flexibly. You might hear about working…
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…
So you are a newly qualified optometrist - or maybe you are on track to qualify soon. It's easy to focus on your pre-reg year and passing your exams but have you thought about what comes next? Read on for ideas for your career and different pathways you could follow, from low vision and paediatrics to research, higher qualifications and owning your own business. You may want to build up your in-practice experience. If you have worked in a multiple,…
Describe your typical day As a newly graduated Optical and Imaging Technologies Masters student, with my first degree in Optics and Optometry, I’m involved in the clinical evaluations of the patients. I take measurements for each wearer trial and take part in quality controls during the lens manufacturing process. What do you start with every day? I start by going over the trials protocol for the patients scheduled for that day. In this way I make sure each appointment gets…
Vanessa Vieira is an optometry student and part time optical assistant. Read on to hear about her job and her ambitions to become an optometrist. I did a year of A levels before switching to a BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in Applied Sciences (medical), and I’m now an optometry student. At weekends I work as an optical assistant at Specsavers. What do you like most about your job? I enjoy the training sessions every Saturday. This enables me to…
Luke works in practice as a dispensing optician (DO) in an opticians practice, dispensing spectacles and pre-testing patients before their eye examination. He is also studying to become an optometrist on block release. Read on to find out more about his day. What do you start with every day? I wake up at 6:30am, go for a short run and then come home and eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day! I watch the news on TV before getting…
Experience a day in the life of a pre-reg optometry student as Charlotte walks you through her day. Being organised is essential as she juggles revision, assessment preparations, and her daily clinics. Have you ever wondered what a pre-reg optometry student gets up to on a typical day? We caught up with Charlotte Acton to find out. My daily routine… I set up my test room first thing in the morning and then look through my patient list for the day. After the daily team briefing, I catch up with my supervisor to discuss my…