Completing the first CLiP assessments as a trainee optometrist

Whilst many optometrists in training embark on their CLiP roles, a number are continuing to work through the Scheme for Registration as pre-registration optometrists.

Here Iman Azam, a pre-registration optometrist with Black & Lizars in Glasgow, tells OT about the opening weeks of his placement.

I recently graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University before starting my pre-registration year with Black & Lizars.

I’m currently based across three practices in Glasgow, giving me exposure to varying patient groups and clinical settings. I have enjoyed the diversity, as each practice brings something different and has shown me how much my approach can vary depending on the presenting patient.

I chose optometry because I wanted a career that combined science and healthcare with patient interaction.

I like building relationships with patients while using clinical knowledge and problem-solving skills to make a meaningful difference to their lives. Vision plays such an integral role in a person’s independence and quality of life, so being able to help improve it, preserve it or sometimes identify something more serious is incredibly rewarding.

The first few weeks of pre-reg have been a big transition from university, but in a positive way.

Some highlights have been seeing my first emergency patients, gaining more experience with paediatric testing, and becoming familiar with equipment such as topographers and wide-field imaging devices.

I have started to appreciate that clinical decision-making is rarely based on a single finding or fixed set of rules.

Every patient presents differently, so you need to understand the full picture by bringing together their symptoms, history, risk factors, clinical findings, and individual circumstances before deciding on the most appropriate management.

I’m very fortunate to be working with supportive supervisors.

They give me the independence to develop my own clinical judgement, while remaining available to guide me through more complex cases, challenge my thinking, and help me reflect on the reasoning behind my decisions. Alongside the practice team, their support has made the transition into pre-reg easier and shown me the value of learning from those around me.

What I’m most excited about is how much there is still to develop over the year.

I want to broaden my clinical experience, manage a wider range of presentations and continue refining how I communicate and make decisions for each patient. I’m also looking forward to my hospital placement, as it will give me the opportunity to experience a different environment, see a wider range of ocular conditions, and build on what I’m learning in practice.

The responsibility that comes with moving from student to practising clinician is probably the part I am most conscious of.

There will inevitably be situations I have not encountered before, but I am learning that knowing when to ask for guidance is an important part of developing as a practitioner. I’m also aware of the challenge of balancing full-time work alongside pre-reg visits, so managing my time effectively and staying organised will be important.

The most important thing I have learnt in the past 60 days is that becoming a good optometrist is about much more than knowing clinical facts.

It is about listening properly, understanding the whole patient, recognising when something does not quite fit and continuing to learn from every case. I’m still early in my pre-reg journey, but I’m looking forward to seeing how my skills and approach develop.”