What independent practices actually offer newly qualified optometrists
Choosing your first job after qualifying is a big decision. It’s not just about the salary or where the practice is based. The environment you work in can have a big influence on how quickly you build confidence, the clinical skills you develop and, ultimately, the kind of optometrist you become.
Independent practices don’t always have the same big recruitment campaigns as the multiples, but they can offer a different experience – and one that is well worth considering when you’re starting out.
So, what could you expect?
Time with your patients
One of the things that can make a real difference is having a little more time with each patient.
Many independent practices offer longer appointment times, giving you the opportunity to properly talk to patients, take a detailed history and investigate anything that doesn’t quite look right. That extra time can be particularly valuable when you’re newly qualified and still building your confidence.
It also means you can get to know your patients and understand what matters to them, rather than simply moving on to the next appointment.
Clinical autonomy
As a newly qualified optometrist, having someone to support you is important. So is having the opportunity to develop your own clinical judgement.
Independent practices can give you more scope to make decisions based on the individual patient, alongside professional guidance and appropriate clinical protocols. You’ll still have plenty to learn, but you can gradually become more confident in explaining your decisions and managing different situations.
For someone at the start of their career, that can be a really useful part of the learning process.
Mentorship from experienced optometrists
In a smaller practice, you may have the opportunity to work closely with the practice owner or an experienced optometrist on a day-to-day basis.
That can mean being able to ask questions, discuss interesting cases and learn from someone who has spent years working in independent practice. You can see how they approach patients, how they deal with more complex cases and how they have developed their own clinical skills.
And because independent practices vary so much, you can look for one where the level of support and mentorship suits what you need at this stage of your career.
A possible route into practice ownership
You might not be thinking about owning a practice yet. That’s perfectly fine. But if it is something you could see yourself doing further down the line, working in an independent practice can give you an insight into what ownership involves.
You can learn about the business as well as the clinical side of the practice and, over time, there may be opportunities to buy into a practice, become a partner or take on ownership yourself.
It won’t be the right route for everyone, but it’s an option that is worth knowing about early in your career.
Continuity of care
Independent practices often have close relationships with their patients, many of whom may have been coming to the practice for years.
As part of a smaller team, you may get to see the same patients again and again. You get to know their history, their family and their particular needs, rather than starting from scratch at every appointment.
If one of the reasons you chose optometry was because you enjoy working with people and building relationships, that can be one of the most rewarding parts of working in an independent practice.
A chance to develop your clinical interests
No newly qualified optometrist is expected to know exactly what they want to specialise in.
Working in an independent practice can give you the opportunity to try different things and see what interests you. Depending on the practice, that could include areas such as myopia management, dry eye, contact lenses, low vision, paediatrics or other areas of enhanced clinical care.
You may also have more opportunity to shape your CPD around the areas you want to develop, rather than following exactly the same path as everyone else.
Clinical variety
Independent practices can also offer a varied mix of clinical work.
Some may have strong links with local GPs or ophthalmology services, while others may offer domiciliary work, minor eye conditions services or other enhanced services. Of course, every practice is different, but if you’re keen to broaden your experience, it’s worth asking what opportunities are available.
When you’re newly qualified, being exposed to different types of patients and clinical situations can help you work out where your interests lie.
Getting to know the community
Many independent practices are well established in their local communities.
You may find yourself looking after several generations of the same family, getting to know local healthcare professionals and becoming a familiar face to patients who have been coming to the practice for years.
That sense of community won’t appeal to everyone, but for many people it’s one of the things that makes independent practice particularly enjoyable.
Learning about the business
There’s also plenty to learn outside the consulting room.
If you’re interested in practice ownership in the future,W working in an independent can give you an opportunity to see some of the business decisions that go into running a practice – from staffing and suppliers to stock, marketing, finances and the overall patient experience.
You don’t need to become a business expert overnight. But understanding how the practice works as a business can give you a useful foundation if you decide you’d like to take that step yourself in the future.
A possible route into practice ownership
You might not be thinking about owning a practice yet. That’s perfectly fine. But if it is something you could see yourself doing further down the line, working in an independent practice can give you an insight into what ownership involves.
You can learn about the business as well as the clinical side of the practice and, oOver time, there may be opportunities to buy into a practice, become a partner or take on ownership yourself.
It won‘t be the right route for everyone, but it’s an option that is worth knowing about early in your career.
You don’t need to know where you’ll be in ten years
Your first job after qualifying doesn’t have to be a decision about the rest of your career.
The most important thing is finding somewhere that gives you the support and experience you need to develop as a clinician. You might stay in that practice for many years, move somewhere else, develop a particular clinical interest or eventually decide that practice ownership is for you.
There are plenty of options.
Worth having a look
If you’re newly qualified and considering your options, don’t rule out independent practice simply because you haven’t seen the same level of recruitment activity.
Visit a few practices. Talk to the optometrists who work there. Ask about appointment times, supervision, CPD, the types of patients they see and what opportunities there might be to develop.
The beauty of independent practices is that they’re all different. What suits one person won’t necessarily suit another, so it’s worth finding out what’s actually available rather than making assumptions.
You may find that an independent practice offers exactly what you’re looking for at the start of your career – or it may simply give you a useful experience that helps you work out where you want to go next.
Want to find out more?
Whether you’re newly qualified, considering your next move or starting to think about practice ownership, there is support available to help you make informed decisions about your future in independent optometry.
