There are greater opportunities to become a pre-reg supervisor after the College of Optometrist lowered the qualification threshold for those interested this week.
There are greater opportunities to become a pre-reg supervisor after the College of Optometrist lowered the qualification threshold for those interested this week. The move follows requests from College members, and the successful outcome of a trial at Dollond & Aitchison. The College's academic committee has agreed to reduce the period of qualification to become a supervisor from three years and nine months to three years. This new limit can be reduced also 'in exceptional circumstances'.
College chief executive Bryony Pawinska said: 'The College's database includes almost 2,300 practising optometrists who are or have been pre-registration supervisors - one in five of all UK optometrists.
'Some of our more recently qualified members are equally enthusiastic about taking on a pre-reg trainee and the academic committee considers that three years in practice provides them with sufficient experience to do this. The College will identify ways of providing support to new supervisors to ensure that they feel well prepared to take on the role.'
The three-year qualifying period should be spent predominantly in practice, seeing patients rather than on some other activity such as research, and the College will develop guidelines on assessing applications from supervisors with less than three years' practice.