Pre reg Optometrist roles

Pre-registration, known as pre-reg, is the training period (called the Scheme for Registration) that you will tackle when you graduate from university. This training takes on average 12 – 18 months, then when you’ve successfully passed, you’ll be a fully qualified optometrist. Along the way, you’ll be supported by a vast network of experienced supervisors as you progress through the Scheme for Registration, whilst also being enrolled into our Pre-Reg Academy.

When you join Specsavers for your pre-reg, you’ll be enrolled into our industry leading Pre-reg Academy. This programme is written and delivered by college assessors, so you’ll be in great hands as you prepare for every stage of the Scheme for Registration. And don’t forget, you’ll be on this journey with hundreds of other trainees enrolled into the Academy – so you’ll never be short of support.

Aside from the Academy, we also have the largest network of supervisors in the UK – the vast majority are well experienced in supporting trainees through the pre-reg period. Many of these supervisors are even college assessors as well.

Your pre-reg year starts with an induction in store so you can settle in with your team. Across the course of the year, you’ll learn mostly from your supervisor and store team, but you’ll also have seven extra days of residential courses to help you with your learning. These will be delivered by expert tutors, clinicians, assessors, and examiners.

You’ll also have courses designed to support your assessment visits and better help your patients. This learning will be flexible too, with a mix of lectures, clinical discussions, and interactive sessions. These pre-reg academy courses run alongside your formal assessments, making sure you can be as prepared as possible.

We make sure you have all the relevant competencies to get you through the College of Optometrists Scheme for registration, as well as extra training in optical coherence tomography (OCT) and other relevant accreditations.

Unique to us, we also offer a professional network on Viva Engage, where you can learn from thousands of optometrists across the UK and Ireland. And we offer a brand-new Optometry Essentials study guide with decades of study notes, insight, and handy hints.

When you’ve qualified, you’ll have access to a variety of resources that’ll help you make the transition to confident professional and realise your ambitions right from the start of your career and throughout your development. These include:

• Excel – to celebrate you success and help your transition
• Ascend Higher – workshop dedicated to you and your development
• Professional Advancement Conference (PAC) and regional conferences, MiniPAC
• Lectures, peer discussions and workshops
• Profile – online professional journal packed with news, articles, case studies etc.

So many career choices are open to you as an optometrist at Specsavers. Some of these choices include:

• Specialise in enhanced optical services
• Become a WOPEC Assessor
• Facilitate learning and development in store as an ophthalmic lead professional
• Give back to the next generation as a pre-reg supervisor
• Volunteer for a charity
• Work in a Newmedica specialist eye clinic
• Begin the pathway to own your own store as a joint venture partner