‘A chance to shine’ – rising stars of optometry experience life at award-winning practice in Northampton

Palak Kapadia, Brian Tompkins, Debra Grant, Keyur Patel and Habeeb Rahman at TK&S Optometrists

Some of the rising stars of optometry have had the chance to experience life working in one of the UK’s leading practices thanks to a partnership with the British Contact Lens Association.

Five BCLA student ambassadors will spend time at TK&S Optometrists in Northampton this summer, sitting in on eye examinations, carrying out tasks to help the clinical team and getting hands-on with state-of-the-art technology in the practice’s diagnostics suite.

Palak Kapadia and Habeeb Rahman were the first two students to grasp the opportunity and will be followed by Sarah Campos, Nouralhuda Idriss and Bonnie Ki Yan Lam.

Brian Tompkins, director at TK&S Optometrists, based in Kingsley Road, Northampton, said: “Giving the next generation of optometrists the chance to experience life in practice is a crucial part of their development.

“The BCLA ambassadors will all be able to shadow our award-winning clinical team and pick up invaluable experience that will stand them in good stead for their third year at university.

“Optometry is in good hands and it’s our pleasure to give the stars of the future the chance to shine.”

All five student ambassadors attended the recent BCLA Clinical Conference and are keen to pick up as much ‘real-world’ experience as possible ahead of their pre-reg year.

Palak, aged 19, said: “This is my first time working in a UK practice. I am from Kenya originally and things are very different over here, there is so much more technology available and I have learnt so much, particularly the way Brian talks to patients and makes it all about them – everyone is treated as an individual with their own particular needs.”

Habeeb, aged 21, said: “I’ve enjoyed the chance to shadow the scleral lens and binocular vision clinics. They are something we touch on at University and that side of things really interests me. Scleral lenses are gaining a lot of traction at the minute and that is a fast-growing side of the profession so may be something I look to specialise in eventually.”