Earlier this year, the College surveyed a sample of all newly qualified members joining the College between May 2004 and May 2005. The results suggested that two thirds of students became aware of the College during their first year at university, and that a similar proportion were aware that they were, by default, student members of the College.
However, more detailed follow-up with individual students and academic staff identified that students' understanding about the College and its role was patchy and inconsistent, and that there was a desire to know more.
As a result, the College has reviewed what it offers students and launched an awareness campaign. College student associate members will now be able to access a variety of new or improved benefits.
Two interactive roadshow programmes have been organised for 2005/2006. Fresher Roadshows will take place at all eight universities during September and October. The roadshows will be hosted by senior Council members and will introduce new, first-year optometry students to the College. Fresher packs (worth approximately £10) will be distributed to every first year student who attends and an informal networking session will take place after the presentation.
A series of pre-registration roadshows is planned for all eight universities later in the academic year. The roadshows will provide practical advice on how best to prepare for the pre-registration period (PRP) and will include a short presentation from a recently qualified optometrist who will share their experiences of the PRP.
The newly launched College website (www.college-optometrists.org) includes a dedicated student area. Students will be able to find out more about the College and the benefits it offers, as well as updates on the scheme for registration and other information relevant to their study. We have also launched PRP Talk, an online discussion forum that enables students to discuss any queries regarding their exams, studies or PRP with their peers, College examiners and experts in the field.
Textbook benefits
Student associate members have had free access to the College library, the biggest optometric library in the UK. It is a very well used resource by students throughout their time at university and in particular during their PRP. The library catalogue is now available online via the College website, so students who can't make it into the library in person can easily identify the book they're looking for and follow up with a phone or email loan request.
The College is now pleased to announce a new book offer in association with Elsevier Science, which will enable students to buy titles online and receive a 15 per cent discount, plus free postage and packing.
The College recognises that it is essential for students to keep up to date with what's going on in optics and to have access to current research. University project work not only demands book research, but also the use of optometric journals.
Annual subscriptions to these journals can be costly, and it can be an inconvenience having to use the 'reference-only' copies available in university libraries. With this in mind, the College has negotiated a 70 per cent student discount on an annual subscription to optician and a 20 per cent discount on an annual subscription to Contact Lens and Anterior Eye journal.
The College has developed a newsletter, Foresight, specifically aimed at undergraduate optometry students. We intend to issue the newsletter annually but will review this frequency depending on feedback. The first issue includes an update on the scheme for registration, case studies on the career paths chosen by four recently qualified optometrists and an interview with General Optical Council chief executive Peter Coe on the new GOC student registration process. Thanks to sponsorship by Elsevier Science and Vitabiotics we have also included a student competition with prizes worth over £350.
Optometry tomorrow
The College offers a limited number of free passes to student associate members to its Optometry Tomorrow Conference. In 2006, when the Conference will take place in Bristol, these passes will be allocated to students based in the South West.
Today's student members are tomorrow's practising optometrists and College members and it is important they understand the College and what it can do for them now and in the future. This means establishing a good relationship with students early in their careers - hopefully, the student campaign will do just that.
Richard Gott is marketing manager at the College of Optometrists