OPTOM 561A/B : Optometry in Practice

Medical and Health Sciences

2024 Semester One (1243) / Semester Two (1245) (60 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Advanced clinical work experience in locations external to the Grafton Campus Optometry Clinic. These locations may include University satellite clinics, private optometry practices, hospital eye departments, private ophthalmology practices, overseas institutions, or other approved locations. Topics include; therapeutic management of eye disease, legislation relevant to healthcare including registration and competency, occupational safety and health, ethics, practice management, small business management.

Course Overview

The primary objective of this clinically focused Part V course is to gain workplace-based experience of optometry in both community optometry practices and in the interprofessional environments of public (hospital) and private ophthalmology practices. Students will also take part in a number of outreach initiatives including providing optometric services under supervision in a range of locations including schools, provincial and rural settings. On completion of this course, students will have the ability to manage a wide range of optometric conditions, including the appropriate use of ocular therapeutic medicines, and know when referral for tertiary care is appropriate and required. The students will also have further developed their understanding of the legislative, ethical, cultural and business aspects of optometry practice.

Course Requirements

Restriction: OPTOM 462, 560 To complete this course students must enrol in OPTOM 561 A and B

Course Contacts

Course Coordinator and Course Director: Geraint Phillips ( g.phillips@auckland.ac.nz )

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Optometry

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate the ability to competently manage the range of patients typically seen in the practice of optometry in settings other than the University’s Eye Clinic. These outside settings include community optometric practices, public and private ophthalmology clinics. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
  2. Reflect on their practice of optometry in light of their workplace-based experiences to develop better personal clinical practice. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
  3. Analyse and critique the management of optometric cases encountered in a range of optometric practice settings including aspects of therapeutic management and interprofessional management of cases. (Capability 1, 2, 6 and 7)
  4. Develop and justify evidence-based therapeutic management plans recognising the risks and benefits of the use of therapeutic management for these patients. (Capability 2, 3, 7 and 8)
  5. Discuss, interpret and apply the legislative, ethical, cultural and business aspects of optometry practice to their workplace-based experiences. (Capability 1, 2, 7 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignment 1 10% Group & Individual Coursework
Assignment 2 10% Individual Coursework
Assignment 3 10% Individual Coursework
Assignment 4 10% Individual Coursework
Test 10% Individual Test
Oral 20% Individual Coursework
Portfolio 30% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Assignment 4
Test
Oral
Portfolio

Workload Expectations

This 60 point course is delivered across two semesters. For this course, you can expect 10 -12 hours of clinics and tutorials, 4-5 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 4 - 5 hours of work on assignments, portfolio and/or test preparation per week.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials and clinics to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course may include live online events including tutorials. Attendance on campus is required for the written and oral tests.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Some feedback of the Business component included a student feeling unprepared to provide business modelling. For 2024, further emphasis will be placed providing background on this and broader aspects of the business of Optometry, and on the need for students to engage with the lectures and resources provided in this course. 
Some feedback of the Portfolio component mentioned the uncertainty of how it is marked as these are personal reflections of the authors. For 2024, further resources will be made available to outline how to approach reflective writing and how it is assessed. 
There were requests for the marks from the OTDCP sessions to be released earlier. Consideration will be given to see if these sessions (which are spread out over time) can be timetabled more as groups so that all the marks will be available more closely together. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 06/11/2023 10:06 a.m.