“I remember the feeling when I put on my first pair of glasses”

How did you first become aware of the profession?

I had my first eye examination when I was 10 years old because I was struggling to see the board at school. I was then back-and-forth to the optometrist throughout my school years due to my myopia progression. This is where I became familiar with the profession.

Who influenced or inspired the decision to go into optometry?

My family always told me to choose a career that I was genuinely interested in. Being the only person in my family to wear glasses from a young age, I was always curious as to why this was the case. I started wearing contact lenses at the age of 13 and became very confident with handling them, which also made me interested in optics.

What were the main reasons you wanted to become an optometrist?

I remember the feeling when I put on my first pair of glasses when I was 10 years old, and I could see the board at school and my work on the walls in the classroom. I knew that I wanted to help others feel the same.

Do you have a career path in mind? What are your professional goals?

For now, I want to complete pre-registration and establish a rapport with patients in order to understand their needs and help them. In the future, I would like to take the independent prescribing course to help provide better care to patients.

What was it like to be part of the first graduating class of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)?

I feel very grateful to be part of the first cohort of UHI as it was a new experience for all of us, and the lecturers would always ask us for advice and feedback on when they were teaching us the modules. It did mean that as students we became very close with our lecturers as we all worked together to make the course even more successful. Being part of the first ever optometry cohort to graduate from UHI also made me feel very important for the day which was nice. I will always remember this unique experience.

Where are you now based, and what led you to pursue a pre-reg here?

Dunfermline is located just North of Edinburgh, and I really enjoy working here. Over recent years Dunfermline has been named as a city for its history, cultural heritage and lively culture. However, I like working here because it is different to other cities. It is not a busy, fast-paced, bustling city like Edinburgh or Glasgow, but I still get to meet a diverse range of people of different ages and lifestyles.

What were your expectations of the pre-reg year and how did you prepare?

I knew pre-reg would be very hard, however, you never know exactly how hard it will be until you are doing it. The only way you can prepare is to have a plan of how you will balance work, studying, and socialising, and try to stick to it.

What reflections can you make of your pre-reg year so far, and what advice would you offer to other students?

My advice for stage one of pre-reg would be to make sure you are organised and that you have all of your patient records well in advance before your visit. Even having two different patient records for the one competency helps, so that you have a backup.

Building good relationships and finding familiar faces

What helped you settle into university or the workplace?

Building good relationships with your fellow colleagues is important. If you help them, they will help you.

Is there one thing that you wish someone had told you about optometry before you started?

The world of optics is very small, and you will always run into familiar faces throughout different parts of your journey, which I really enjoy.

How do you approach balancing studying and work, with socialising and making time for yourself?

Having a schedule planned out that is realistic enough that you can stick to it will make it a lot easier.