College relaxes conditions for pre-registration supervisors

The new pre-reg arrangements were finalised by the College's academic committee last month and will take effect from this summer. The main change is that trainees must have sole access to a consulting room for half the working week (a minimum of 20 hours per week). This will allow two students to share facilities, although each will continue to have his or her own supervisor. Previously it had been assumed that a pre-registration trainee should have sole use of a consulting room for the whole week. The rules regarding the minimum length of time practitioners should be registered before taking on a supervisory role have also been amended, from four years to three years nine months as at June 30. This change will allow those optometrists qualifying in September to supervise a student earlier than was previously the case. In addition, where a practice has two pre-registration trainees, the qualifying period for the second supervisor has been reduced. The new pre-reg arrangements were agreed after wide consultation, taking in the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians, which last year put forward a raft of proposals for overhauling the pre-registration system (News, May 14 1999). - A series of training days will be held during June for optometrists wanting to become pre-registration supervisors or those who have supervised in the past who would like a refresher courses. Details are available from Gregory Pain, pre-registration co-ordinator at the College on or email gpain@college-optometrists.org (See page 5 - College expands role for pre-reg mentors.)