Clinical experience gained by optometry students during placement: analysis by geographic location

A variety of training opportunities is key to ensuring optometry graduates are competent to practice optometry at its fullest scope. It is therefore important to understand how the geographic location of placements contributes to the volume and diversity of clinical experience gained by students.

Research suggests optometry students and rural-based supervisors believe that rural placements offer students exposure to a wider variety of clinical experiences compared with metropolitan placements. However, to date there has been no formal analysis of whether students on rural placement gain a more diverse experience. This study aimed to compare the clinical experience gained by optometry students on rural versus metropolitan placement.

Clinical experiences recorded in student electronic logbooks from 203 Deakin University optometry students undertaking a 26-week clinical placement were analysed. Differences between the numbers of patients seen, skills performed, and ocular conditions managed by students were compared by geographic location.

Students experienced 12.2% more patient encounters on a rural placement than on metropolitan placement (mean ± SD, 341 ± 123 vs 304 ± 109, p < 0.002). On average, during rural placement, students encountered 49.6% more patients presenting with sore eyes (56.1 ± 37.5 vs 37.5 ± 24.6, p < 0.001) and 61.0% more instances of urgent, potentially sight-threatening eye conditions (8.5 ± 6.4 vs 5.9 ± 4.9, p < 0.001). Students on metropolitan placement encountered 33.2% more patients presenting for reasons related to contact lenses (26.1 ± 14.7 vs 19.6 ± 11.2, p < 0.001).

Students encountered a greater total count of conditions on rural placement than metropolitan placements. However, there were some opportunities metropolitan placements offered which were limited on rural placements. It is important students are exposed to practice in both rural and metropolitan locations to ensure a breadth of clinical experience is encountered.