Narthika
Currently, my favourite area in optometry is the connection between systemic diseases and ocular health. While the anatomy of the eye is fascinating, I find it particularly interesting how conditions like diabetes can affect the eye. This area is crucial because signs of systemic diseases are often detected in the eye before patients are aware. The ability to identify early health indicators highlights the importance of comprehensive eye care.
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
The Clinical Management Guidelines is my favourite tool, especially the management section. Its clear layout makes it easy to use for quick reference. The Information for Patients section is particularly helpful, as it translates technical terms into lay language, making it easier to communicate effectively and ensure patients fully understand their condition and treatment.
Kian
My favourite piece of equipment is the OCT, optical coherence tomography scanner. I think it’s incredible how it allows optometrists to get such detailed, high-resolution images of the retina and optic nerve which allows us to detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration before symptoms are visible. It’s exciting to see how advanced technology can make a huge difference in patient care.
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
My favourite College resource is the combination of webinars and quizzes. The webinars provide valuable insights which help solidify my understanding of key topics while the quizzes are a great way to test my knowledge and reinforce what I’ve learned, making the resources both engaging and practical for my studies.
Joanna
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
The CMGs. I like the fact that they provide a clear framework for managing ocular conditions.
Tya
I enjoy working with a hand held direct ophthalmoscope, it is my personal favourite as it provides a direct, non-invasive window into the health of a patient's eye and overall well-being.
What inspired you to study optometry?
My role as an optical assistant at Specsavers has solidified my desire to pursue a career in optometry by giving me a firsthand look at how impactful the profession is in improving patients' quality of life. I have always had a passion for science, and optometry offers the perfect opportunity to combine my interest in both neurological and biological processes with a high degree of patient contact. It allows me to merge my love for science with my desire to help people.
Bhiraamy
My favourite piece of equipment is the Volk because just as I begin to want to give up, I then see the optic disc and everything I am searching for! Just takes a bit of patience and steadiness that I am beginning to master!.
What inspired you to study optometry?
My experiences in healthcare, particularly in patient care and clinical settings, have strengthened my passion for helping others preserve their vision. Growing up, I saw firsthand the importance of eye health while caring for my diabetic father and accompanying him to his eye appointments, which ultimately inspired me to pursue a career in optometry.
Faiza
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
The College provides extensive resources about the CLiP placement which is super helpful as we're one of the first groups qualifying like this. While conflicting information is shared by others, the College provides clear explanations on how the placement works, defining the roles of the student, employer, and college. The CLiP portal is also well-organised, making the experience less overwhelming than traditional job applications. The concise and practical prompts and guides simplify the steps
Nazanin
What inspired you to study optometry?
I have always been fascinated by the intricate design of the human eye and how it connects to overall health. Optometry allows me to explore this whilst directly helping people.
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
Patient information leaflets that make it easy to explain things in layman terms.
Jake
Working in a practice when I was younger and seeing the difference that can be made to people's lives
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
The Clinical Management Guidelines
Artemis
I enjoy all aspects of Optometry, however optometric examination is my favourite area, as I enjoy interacting with patients.
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
EyePod: The Optometry Podcast.
Samia
So far, my favourite topic has been pathology! All the anatomy can sometimes be overwhelming but understanding how it all works and everything interacts in perfect harmony and what can go wrong if this balance isn't maintained has been very interesting.
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
I often use the Clinical Management Guidelines to aid my understanding of specific pathologies and for revision. They're detailed and easy to quickly access to check something, especially as you can access them on the College app too.
Sujood
Pathology - I enjoy learning about the science behind things and the reasoning for everything aswell as the reasoning as to what is actually going behind the scenes
What is your favourite piece of equipment?
Slit Lamp - There are numerous techniques in which may be used and there’s so much to see and find. It can also help find pathologies and check the eye health and is always so interesting to look through. There are so many different techniques that can be used dependant on the patient and what is also most suitable to the optometrist.
Juwaria
My favourite area of optometry would be Clinical Optometry Skills and Refractive Management; I enjoy practical work where I can apply what I’ve learnt in class. Everything makes more sense when I put it into practice, and it’s extremely rewarding to see how it helps during patient interactions :)
Which College resources do you recommend to your fellow students?
My favourite College resource is The College of Optometrists app because it’s packed with useful information and guidance for clinicians at the touch of their fingertips. In this new era of digital healthcare, I find it especially useful that it lets you share patient resources with a QR code, making patient care more efficient through technology. It’s also very handy if you end up in situations such as running out of physical copies of the advice leaflets.
Margaret
I love the clinical, testing side of optometry and the health and disease aspect. I love interacting with patients, like testing them and then just talking with them on shop floor. I love learning about the whole ocular health and disease. The complexity of the eye and how various conditions affect vision is intriguing. The thought of being able to use my knowledge and skills to diagnose and manage a wide range of ocular diseases is just incredible.
What's your favourite piece of equipment?
The slitlamp and volk lens or trial frames. It is just mind blowing that something so small as a volk lens can let me see into a pupil and look at something as tiny as the retina and ONH. Trial frames I love because it is essentially what optometry is all about, getting that prescription as exact as you can.
Emma
Dispensing is my favourite topic area so far I love how it’s blends the more science based aspect of getting the accurate measurements and recommending the best suited lens material with the more aesthetic aspect of fashionable but functional frame choices for the prescription so that it is suited to the patients individual preferences and lifestyle.
What's your favourite piece of equipment?
I’d have to say my favourite piece of equipment would be the slit lamp, it allows you to see a magnified view of the structures of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye and is essential for diagnosing and managing various eye diseases. It is a skill I am continuing to work at to be able to increase my proficiency and precision when using it.