Optometry with Preliminary Year (MOptom)

This course offers a modern integrated curriculum with scientific theory taught alongside real-life clinical eye care practice throughout the programme.  You will learn from internationally renowned and highly qualified researchers and clinicians who will deliver a unique and diverse learning experience including tutorials, case-based learning, lectures, and seminars, as well as laboratory and clinical skills sessions.  Our programme will allow you to gain clinical exposure from Year 1 in our on-site ophthalmic clinics which are open to the public.  Your clinical competence, confidence and experience will increase as you progress through the programme, with learning in practice both in the university clinics and externally, fully supported by expert and caring tutors and clinicians. 

We are extremely proud of our undergraduate teaching and its research contribution to knowledge of how the eye and visual system work.  Positive influence of active research on student learning cannot be emphasised enough.  New concepts and ideas filter down rapidly to ensure that students are up to date, and teaching is fresh and vibrant.  

Each year of your study will build on what you have learned already in a ‘spiral curriculum’.  This will help you remember information more easily when you examine patients.  It also helps you develop a deep understanding of the scientific and clinical topics you will need to practise optometry at an advanced level after you qualify.

During Year 4 you will spend most of your time in clinical environments and will be taught and supervised by experienced practising optometrists.  You will learn by conducting eye examinations on a broad range of patients, and then discussing the results for each patient with your clinical supervisor.  

In Year 4 you will attend an extended period of learning in practice will be in an optometry setting in the UK, away from the University.  This is a requirement of the General Optical Council and organised by the College of Optometrists.  Alongside your clinical experience you will continue to be supported by University tutors and clinicians with a blend of e-learning and face to face advanced clinical teaching activities.  

Central to all years of the programme is how you will take more and more responsibility, not only for your patients, but also for your own ‘self-directed’ learning.  Progression towards independent learning is vital preparation for a lifetime of continued personal and professional development as an optometrist. 

We will provide you with self-directed learning activities where you’ll be expected to undertake specific reading and other activities outside of your scheduled contact time. These resources help complement the formal teaching, learning and skills-based activities.

How will I be supported?

You will receive dedicated pastoral and academic support from a personal tutor throughout your studies, and additional support is available from the School’s senior personal tutor.  The University offers a range of support services and events to help you manage your emotional, mental, and physical health, support with financial issues, and provide support for students with disabilities.  They can be accessed both in-person at the University’s Centre for Student Life, or and remotely via the contact details provided on the Student Intranet. Our libraries offer a broad range of electronic resources as well as hard copies on campus. 

General communication is typically via Cardiff University’s virtual learning environment ‘Learning Central’, which is also where you will access comprehensive study support materials.  The University has excellent library facilities with friendly and helpful librarians available for advice, and many of our library resources are available online.

Tutors and clinicians are available for you to contact at specified times outside scheduled contact sessions to help guide you in any areas of concern or difficulty. 

We have an extremely active Student-Staff panel where student representatives meet regularly with School teaching staff, which ensures that students’ invaluable feedback and ideas are instrumental in ongoing programme development and improvement. 

The School is proud of the feedback we provide to students on their performance in all types of assessment and recognise its importance in developing and improving your ability. Where appropriate, generic feedback is given to the student group on issues identified across the group. Generic feedback may be delivered in lectures, labs or clinics related to the coursework, or online.  One-to-one feedback on coursework or exam performance is also available as required. 

Whilst gaining clinical experience, whether internal or external to the School, direct and immediate one-to-one feedback is given by your supervising clinician on all patient episodes, and feedback is also given on all assessments of clinical competencies.  Your learning in practice support team includes your day-to-day supervising optometrist, an additional University academic tutor, and a College of Optometrists assessor who will provide individual feedback following your in-practice assessments.

The University welcomes applications from students with disabilities, and we may be able to offer alternative assessment methods in line with recommendations from student support services. However, this may not always be possible, for example where strictly specified procedures are required to demonstrate high standards of a recognised clinical competency. Such competence standards may limit the availability of adjustments or alternative assessments, but you should seek advice from student support and refer to the module descriptions for details.

How will I be assessed?

Our assessment is designed to demonstrate that you have achieved the standards required by Cardiff University for the award of an integrated Masters degree and reached the standard of competency required by the General Optical Council (GOC) to register and practise as an optometrist in the UK.

The programme utilises both formative and summative assessment in all modules giving you the opportunity to receive detailed feedback prior to submitting your summative assessment.   

You will be assessed in 7 domains specified by the GOC:

1. Person centred care
2. Communication
3. Clinical practice
4. Ethics and standards
5. Risk
6. Leadership and management
7. Lifelong learning

For more information please see the GOC website: https://optical.org/

We use a broad range of intellectually engaging assessment tasks to allow you to develop and present your knowledge, skills and professional behaviours in different ways that are authentic to real-life clinical practice.  Tasks include written examinations and assignments, case reports, reflections, online assessments, portfolios, projects, presentations, structured oral assessments and observation of your clinical practice.  Assessments are designed to support your learning, with formative feedback at all stages given to help you reflect on your progress and guide your studies.

What skills will I practise and develop?

On successful completion of your Programme you will be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

KU 1 Critically apply advanced knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and optics of the normal human visual system to current clinical optometric practice.

KU 2 Critique and evaluate methodologies to appraise scientific and clinical research, including study design and statistical approaches to data analysis.

KU 3 Comprehensively understand mechanisms, manifestations and diagnoses of ocular and visual system disorders, any underlying systemic conditions, and optical, medical, and surgical management options for a range of ocular and visual system conditions.

KU 4 Critically apply knowledge of relevant systemic anatomy, physiology, immunology, and pharmacology to inform safe and evidence-based use of therapeutic drug treatments available to optometrists. 

Intellectual Skills:

IS 1 Act autonomously in critical decision making and adopt an analytical and reflective approach to all aspects of your practice.

IS 2 Critically evaluate the current evidence base and assimilate clinical guidelines to formulate diagnoses, differential diagnoses, treatments, and management plans for ocular and visual system disorders in actual and simulated episodes of patient care.

IS 3 Comprehensively understand, critically analyse and integrate clinical data (which may include uncertainty or ambiguous results), recognise different levels of clinical risk, and exercise professional judgement in managing various levels of clinical risk according to your individual scope of practice.

IS 4 Demonstrate self-direction and originality to critique, debate and justify clinical or professional topics where expert opinion may vary, or where evidence is complex, conflicting, or lacking.

Professional Practical Skills:

PS 1 Act autonomously in planning, performing, and interpreting clinical examination techniques of the eye and visual system to an advanced standard, using current best-practice diagnostic techniques, drugs, technology, and instrumentation.

PS 2 Communicate effectively and empathetically with diverse audiences including patients and professional colleagues and engender a positive culture of collaboration and shared decision making including multi-professional team working.

PS 3 Act autonomously in reflection on and application of person-centred care, eliciting patients’ needs, and placing them above all others in decisions about their care, considering the social, clinical and cultural context, and challenging your own conscious and unconscious bias.

PS 4 Systematically understand, critically reflect on, and apply principles of professional standards, risk management and ethical practice to assure the care and safety of patients and the public, working within your own scope of practice and competence, ensuring that your practice meets all current legal and professional requirements.

Transferable/Key Skills:

KS 1 Exhibit critical awareness of your developing clinical leadership skills, and the importance of promoting and engaging with clinical governance requirements, service improvements and local and national public health initiatives.

KS 2 Demonstrate self-direction and originality to engage with a ‘lifelong learning’ approach to your own learning and practice, using self-reflection and feedback from peers, professional colleagues and patients, demonstrating how you design and implement your individual personal development plans throughout the programme.

KS 3 Act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks using information technology, for your own learning and development, professional practice, research and communication.

KS 4 Adopt an attitude of personal responsibility, collaboration and constructive interaction with peers and your wider university or practice teams.