One look at Alexandra Rooke’s LinkedIn page gives a clue that, in the world of optometry and ophthalmology, she is something of an intrepid explorer. 

After first deciding she wanted to work in optometry at the age of 15, she has been a weekend assistant at her local opticians in Wales, studied for her degree at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, returned home for her pre-reg year and early career, left that to become a research optometrist in Oxford, took some of her own research to congresses around the world, and for the past few years has been a medical science liaison (MSL) in the pharmaceutical industry. 

“We had some family friends who had an optometrist’s practice so I went on a work experience placement with them when I was at school,” says Alexandra. “I decided optometry was what I wanted to do, so I found a weekend job at a practice that would aid my application to university. Even if I was only helping people to fit glasses, I was able to sit in on eye exams and see what was happening in more detail.

“At university my favourite subject was probably ocular pathology. I thought that by going back to Wales after graduating I might see a bit more pathology. Wales had just had the WECS [Welsh Eye Care Service] accreditation, so after I was qualified I was able to apply, which meant I could conduct additional eye examinations and eye health checks. 

“That felt like a really big step. I was so proud to have my WECS accreditation, to be able to help more patients and do more of what I enjoyed. I decided I really wanted to expand on that and do a bit more pathology disease-related work, so I then started applying for optometry hospital jobs.”