Catherine McGuckin: “Flexibility means working in an environment that supports my career, learning, and professional development”

Throughout my life, there have always been different reasons why flexibility has been important to me. Earlier in my career, it might have meant having the freedom to take a last-minute holiday or make plans at short notice. Now, my priorities have shifted, and flexibility is more important in allowing me to pursue further qualifications, attend placements, and continue my professional development. Most recently, flexibility has been crucial in enabling me to complete my independent prescribing placement alongside my work commitments.

Working in both academia and locum practice allows me to see the profession from all angles, including both the joys and the stressors. Through working with students, I get to experience the excitement, enthusiasm and challenges that come with becoming qualified and being newly-qualified. I also have my own perspective from where I am at this stage of my career, while working alongside colleagues in practice and academia who may be 20 years ahead of me.

I love being able to utilise different skills and the variety that comes with my work

With this variety, above all, I enjoy the people. I enjoy working with different teams and meeting people across the different settings. Beyond that, I love being able to utilise different skills and the variety that comes with my work. One day I might be lecturing, the next I could be carrying out routine sight tests or seeing patients with acute eye problems. I also really enjoy the crossover between practice and academia. I can bring real anecdotes and experiences from practice into my teaching, but equally, I love being able to tell a patient, ‘I was teaching my students about this just last week.’ For me, that variety keeps both sides of my career interesting and means they continually complement each other.

A varied career

This isn’t what I ever imagined my career would look like, but I think that has been one of the best things for my professional development. If I hadn’t experienced such a variety of working environments and worked alongside so many different colleagues, I’m not sure I would have pushed myself to develop my skills as much as I have.

Reflecting on it now, building this style of career has meant taking risks. They have been calculated risks, but risks nonetheless, particularly when choosing a less traditional career path. I think part of having a flexible career is accepting that it may continue to evolve, and being open to changing how I work as my priorities change.

I also think flexibility has to work both ways. If you value having choice and flexibility in your career, there are times when you need to offer that flexibility in return and adapt to the needs of the practices, teams and people you work with.

Flexibility is much easier to achieve when knowledge and expertise are shared across a team

For the profession to continue to evolve and provide optometrists with flexibility while still supporting patients, practices and career progression, teamwork and upskilling are hugely important. Flexibility is much easier to achieve when knowledge and expertise are shared across a team. If several colleagues have the skills and confidence to manage particular cases, it creates greater flexibility for staff while still ensuring continuity and a high standard of care for patients.

Ultimately, I think the profession should continue encouraging development across teams so that flexibility and career progression can complement good patient care, rather than being seen as competing priorities.