NATIONAL OPTOMETRIST SURVEYS

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTES COLLABORATE

The Project released the first of its online surveys for Australian and New Zealand optometrists to OAA-members in July 2009. 

Focusing on the effective preparation of optometry graduates for rural & remote optometry, the survey aims to gain insight into the driving factors for choice of rural versus city-based practice, optometrist perceptions of the effectiveness of their undergraduate training in preparing them for the realities of the workplace. 

The survey also explores practitioner interest and experience with the universities’ student preceptorship programs.

NZ optometrists will receive an invitation to participate via email from the NZAO during September 2009.

A second online survey was also released to Australian optometrists in August, focusing on practitioner preparedness for the provision of optometric services for elderly and low vision patients.

Paper-based surveys have now been mailed to all Australian optometrists without current email addresses registered with the OAA.  These can also be requested from the Project Manager:

Email: Optometry ALTC Project Manager

pH: +61 2 9385 9879

The Project welcomes the collaboration of the following international optometry training institutes:

w Department Of Veterans Affairs USA

w Ecole D’optometrie Universite De Montreal

w Illinois College Of Optometry

w Indiana University

w Michigan College Of Optometry At Ferris State University

w New England College Of Optometry

w Northeastern State University: Oklahoma College Of Optometry

w Nova Southeastern University

w The Ohio State University

w Pacific University

w Pennsylvania College Of Optometry At Salus University

w Southern California College Of Optometry

w Southern College Of Optometry, Tennessee

w State University Of New York

w University Of Alabama

w University Of Houston

w University Of Missouri At St. Louis

w University Of Waterloo

w Western University Of Health Sciences

w Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge)

w Aston University (Birmingham)

w City University (London)

w Dublin Institute of Technology

w Manchester University

w University of Ulster (Coleraine, Nth Ireland)

Each institute has committed to sharing their training approaches and educators’ experience in the field of low vision.  This is a significant boost to the Project’s aim of benchmarking approaches to learning and teaching for the effective provision of low vision services by graduate optometrists.

RURAL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

TOOLKIT TO HELP TRANSITION TO RURAL & REMOTE ALLIED HEALTH PRACTICE

The Rural Allied Health Undergraduate Scholarship (RAHUS) Scheme will open its 2010 scholarship application period in mid August 2009.

Undergraduate optometry programs of UNSW, QUT and University of Melbourne are all approved courses eligible for scholarship.

The goal of the Scheme is to increase the number of students from rural and remote areas of Australia who enter and complete allied health or oral health undergraduate or graduate entry tertiary studies.  Scholarship holders will receive $10,000 each year during their entry level studies.

For further information about RAHUS and application procedures, visit:

www.sarrah.org.au

Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) have recently released a Training Toolkit and Resources to assist allied health professionals moving to practice in remote and rural Australia.

The “Remote and Rural Transition Toolkit” includes information and resources on:

- Remote & Rural Context

- Remote & Rural Practice

- Skills & Competencies, and 

- Orientation, Development & Support.

A number of online, interactive learning modules, focusing on key issues for rural and remote practice, are also part of the toolkit.

Explore the toolkit at:  www.sarrahtraining.com.au