Over half of newly qualified optometrists believe that they did not receive enough clinical experience while training at university, according to new research commissioned by the General Optical Council.
Sixty percent of new optometrists in the UK felt that the clinical experience on their course was limited and did not reflect real life practice or typical patients.
Gareth Hadley, chair of the GOC, said: ‘We cannot ignore the breadth of support for earlier clinical experience for students in order to improve patient care and safety. I echo my previous call to action urging education providers, employers and professional associations to come together to ensure this is realised.’
Just 26% of newly qualified dispensing opticians felt the clinical experience received during their studies was insufficient.
