Now you’ve got all the details about Optometry at QUT, let’s take a look at what students there really think!
We chat with Hailey, a graduate of a Bachelor of Vision Science at QUT who is currently in her first year of a Master of Optometry. She gives us the low-down on what’s great and what isn’t about the degree, plus the factors she considered before ending up in this degree.
Let’s take a look!
Why should you study an Optometry degree at QUT?
Top 3 Pros of an Optometry Degree
Top 3 Cons of an Optometry Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting QUT Optometry
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying QUT Optometry
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study an Optometry degree at QUT?
QUT is the only university in Queensland offering a Bachelor of Vision Science with most students choosing to continue studying to obtain their Master of Optometry. Upon the completion of their Bachelors and Masters, graduates are accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand and will be eligible to register as an optometrist with the Optometry Board of Australia.
Hailey also points out the welcoming culture, close-knit cohort and supportive teaching staff they have. With each year having about 60 to 80 students in a Bachelor of Vision Science, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know your peers really well.
Additionally, there are student-based study groups within the degree where a few members from the year above will help students out in the year below providing help with specific subjects but also advice for uni life in general!
Top 3 Pros of an Optometry Degree
#1: Queensland Optometry Student Society
QOSS organises a range of events for students and Hailey draws attention to their Sundowners. “It happens every semester — the tickets are usually $10-$20. Pre-COVID we used to dance and it was really fun getting to know people from different cohorts in a casual setting. There’s a board game and movie night, an Optometry Ball and dodgeball!”
#2: The campus and culture
“I enjoy studying at uni with my friends,” Hailey laughs and says, “Studying at home, I always get distracted and just end up eating. But studying at uni, in that environment it’s a lot more motivating and you get in the zone.”
There are also study groups within the degree when senior students will help out their juniors with their course work or any other concerns they may have while completing a Bachelor of Vision Science.
#3: Teachers and the Optometry Clinic
Hailey states that “all the lecturers really care about us and you can feel it. They all respond really quickly to emails and they’re always hanging around their offices so it’s really easy to reach out”. She particularly recalls Katrina Schmid who runs the student study program and supported the students during COVID and online learning.
She also really enjoys being in the Optometry Clinic in her first year of Masters. “In the first, second and third year, you’re learning the fundamentals and basic skills but don’t really combine anything.
“However in fourth year, you put it all together and you have to get the flow right so from case history to prelims, and then refraction — it all falls into place and it’s like, ‘Wow, I actually did a two hour consult on a patient’ and I kind of understand what I’m doing. So it’s really satisfying and rewarding in that sense,” Hailey shares.
Top 3 Cons of an Optometry Degree
#1: Inflexible degree
A Bachelor of Vision Science has a strict course structure that students must follow and failing a unit could set students back by a full year within their degree.
Hailey warns, “You have to pass everything to move on. If you fail, you can resit tests and things for exams but if you fail that unit overall you can’t redo the unit next semester or as a summer course, you have to wait till the following year to repeat the unit.”
#2: Lack of internships and exchange opportunities
While students learn a range of practical skills during their Bachelor of Vision Science, there are no internships or placements until they commence their Master of Optometry.
“It would be nice to have internships and placements earlier in the course or more exchange opportunities… Once you’re actually in the room with an optometrist and seeing everything that they do, it gives you a better understanding of what optometry is as a job.
“However, the first couple of years is quite general so even if you did do an internship earlier, you may not necessarily understand what’s happening when you’re inside the room there. So there’s pros and cons with both,” says Hailey.
#3: The notorious Kelvin Grove Hill
When studying a Bachelor of Vision Science, your studies are split across two campuses.
So in the first year, you’ll be studying on the main campus at Garden Point but by the end you’ll be at Kelvin Grove. Hailey recalls that during her second year, she sometimes had classes in both campuses but states that it was no trouble as there is a free shuttle bus connecting the two campuses.
Hailey jokes that the Kelvin Grove Hill is notoriously tough, describing it as a 10-minute hike with a running joke among QUT students that those studying at Kelvin Grove are a lot fitter because they have to walk up and down the hill all the time.
However, Hailey has a fondness for Kelvin Grove as study spaces are easy to find and it’s a smaller campus with decent food options. She laughs, “Walking up the hill kills me every time.”
Any regrets?
“No, I don’t think so. It’s a good degree and while you are dealing with patients and giving them health advice as an optometrist, the responsibility isn’t as much as a doctor’s.
“I guess you could say it’s a bit more relieving in that sense — there are still a lot of really bad consequences if you do miss some signs of disease and that sort of thing, but it’s not as taxing as medicine,” she shares.
What do you wish you had known before starting Optometry at QUT?
“You need to save up at least $6000 to $8000 to buy equipment at the end of second year, where you buy a retinoscopy and ophthalmoscope. They’ll last for 10-20 years and you use them when you’re out in practice so there are fees outside of tuition and you can’t defer it to HECS.”
Hailey pauses for a while, “You can find them secondhand, but if you buy them new you have your warranties and they do last. But do be prepared for that upfront investment.”
She also suggests that to get a good idea of what a job as an optometrist entails, you should consider working as an optical dispenser to get an idea of what it’s like.
She says, “As an optical dispenser, you help patients to pick out a pair of frames and take measurements like measuring pupil distance or heights. You learn how to cut lenses and fit them into frames. There aren’t subjects for it when you study Optometry, but you definitely have to know how to do it.”
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
QUT is the only university in Queensland offering a Bachelor of Vision Science although other unis in NSW and VIC have them — such as the Bachelor of Vision Science at UNSW.
Additionally, the supportive teaching staff and close knit cohort is a particular standout, ensuring that students are supported throughout their degree.
What inspired you to choose Optometry at QUT?
“I’ve been going to an optometrist every year or so and initially I thought I wanted to do something health related. Optometry seemed like something really fun to do — I wasn’t scared of going to see my optometrist every year, but somehow the dentist scared me.
“Also you wouldn’t see too much blood and you don’t need to do surgery. It’s just refraction, checking prescriptions and looking at the general health of your eyes,” she highlights.
Hailey laughs, “Maybe you’ll get a few crying kids. My first patient was an 86 year old patient and he fell asleep on me, so you meet a lot of interesting people. I like it because you are providing people with good vision and life isn’t easy if you can’t see. So being able to help a person see better improves their quality of life and it’s really rewarding.”
What are the possible career paths?
Upon completing a Bachelor of Vision Science, students will be qualified to work as an Ophthalmic Assistant, Optical Dispenser or Ophthalmic Administrator. However, if you would like to become an Optometrist, a further two years of study needs to be undertaken through a Master of Optometry.
Tiffany Fong is currently completing a double degree in Media and Communications with Law at Macquarie University. She currently contributes to the university zine, Grapeshot where she enjoys writing feature articles, commentary on current affairs or whatever weird interest that has taken over her mind during that month. During her spare time, Tiffany enjoys reading, writing, taking care of her plants or cuddling with her two dogs.
