MSci Optometry

In this unit there is a heightened focus on the clinical component of your course. You will spend more time actively engaging with real patients at the Manchester Optometry Clinics, taking on greater responsibilities within the clinician team. You will have the opportunity to participate in different clinics at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. There will also be opportunities for short clinical placements external to the university. As you progress, you will apply clinical and scientific research to your patient management, becoming an evidence-based practitioner. Furthermore, you will critically examine the influence of technology, including artificial intelligence, on the future landscape of optometry.

The unit aims to:

• Foster a sense of community and a supportive learning environment where all learners feel that they belong
• Develop a mature understanding of professionalism  
• Enable to application of knowledge gained in earlier years to clinical environments (QAA Qualifications Framework )
• Develop the ability to undertake clinical work which a learner can be trusted to perform with reactive supervision (QAA Qualifications Framework).

The teaching and learning philosophy for the MSci optometry is learner centred with an emphasis on building knowledge by working as part of a team through considering clinical scenarios. Learning is structured to maximise guided self-directed learning, with team based learning events provided to support greater conceptual understanding of the material. Practical clinical skills are developed alongside clinical scenarios in a supportive environment with an emphasis of learners becoming trusted to carry out clinical activities and make a positive contribution to patient care. Our approach helps students prepare for their future careers by enabling them to develop independence, confidence, resilience and the ability to work as part of a team. We use a range of teaching and learning activities to meet the learning needs of a diverse range of students:

• Online learning: Learners are presented with a clinical cases along with a suite of resources to facilitate achieving the outcomes associated with it. These may consist of videos, audio, bespoke e-learning packages, factsheets and directed reading.
• Team Based Learning Events: All learning is brought together and consolidated in a day long learning event once every two weeks. Events are led by a team of subject experts who act as specialist facilitators, directing student learning via a range of application exercises which, after a formative assessment of individual understanding, students work through as a team.  
• Practical classes: Learners work in small groups with clinician supervisors who support them to further develop their clinical skills working towards entrustment levels needed to move from third to fourth year.  
• Academic adviser meetings: Learners meet with their named academic adviser twice per semester in formal timetabled meetings. Academic advisers support students with their personal and professional development throughout the MSci optometry course.
• Placement: Learners work in clinical teams with other year groups in our public facing optometry clinics delivering care to patients in the local community under supervision giving an opportunity to show they can be entrusted with key areas of activity. Learners are encouraged to apply for short term placements provided by our Manchester Practice Partners or volunteer for optometry charities. This experience can count towards the regulator mandated clinical experience.   

1. Explain the resources available from professional and scientific bodies to guide clinical management decisions
2. Discuss cataracts, corneal pathology, uveitis, glaucoma, macula pathology, diabetic retinopathy, retinal pathology and neuro-ophthalmic conditions and apply their knowledge to clinical scenarios  
3. Describe emergency eye conditions and how these might be managed
4. Explain the use of lasers and OCT and apply this knowledge to clinical scenarios
5. Explain the process of an examination preliminary to contact lens fitting  
6. Discuss how to choose and fit soft and rigid contact lenses  
7. Explain the oxygen performance of contact lenses  
8. Describe the process of a contact lens collection and aftercare appointment  
9. Illustrate the use of grading scales for recording contact lens complications
10. Describe the tear film and its relationship with contact lens wear  
11. Explain inflammation and infection in contact lens wear  
12. Discuss complications that may arise in the lids, lashes, conjunctiva and cornea which may be the result of or affect contact lens wear  
13. Describe the use of contact lenses in presbyopia, myopia management and fitting an irregular cornea  
14. Explain the practise of orthokeratology  
15. Discuss the use of specialist anterior eye instrumentation
16. Describe the development of ocular structures, vision and eye movements  
17. Discuss the causes and classification of strabismus
18. Explain the diagnosis and management of concomitant and incomitant strabismus  
19. Describe the causes and management of amblyopia
20. Explain what is meant by suppression, ARC and eccentric fixation  
21. Describe management of accommodation and convergence abnormalities
22. Explain gaze palsies and nystagmus  
23. Discuss the process for examining and managing paediatric patients  
24. Explain the aetiology and prevalence of pathologies causing visual impairment  
25. Describe how to take a case history and assess visual function of a patient with low vision  
26. Explain procedures around registering as sight or severely sight impaired  
27. Describe magnification methods and predictions for dispensing aids
28. Discuss the use of angular (telescopes) and transverse (EVES) magnification
29. Explain the use of hand, stand and spectacle mounted plus lens magnifiers
30. Describe the use of lighting, contrast, tints and shields  
31. Discuss peripheral/central field loss and explain how optical aids and training might be used  
32. Explain how technology may be used as an aid to visual impairment  
33. Discuss sensory substitution and the use of non-optical aids  
34. Discuss visual perceptual defects
35. Describe the roles of the multidisciplinary team involved in the care of a patient with visual impairment  
36. Demonstrate what is meant by consent, confidentiality, conflict of interest, whistleblowing, limits of competence, equality and diversity  
37. Apply the legislation applicable to the practice of optometry  
38. Demonstrate what is meant by clinical governance  
39. Demonstrate how an Optometrist delivers NHS funded care  
40. Show how culture and ethnicity may affect the delivery of healthcare  
41. Discover the role of Optometrists in public health  
42. Demonstrate an understanding of intellectual property implications in AI collaborations between the NHS and commercial entities and articulate the distinct sub-fields of AI and machine learning, explaining their applications.
43. Describe the core concepts used in machine learning and what is meant by supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning.

Over the course of this unit and Clinical Practice 2 learners will be required to demonstrate that they can be entrusted (level in brackets) with the work listed below by the end of third year. See section on summative assessment for further details of entrustable professional activities (EPAs).  

1. Managing a patient with retinal vascular pathology (2)
2. Managing a patient with an ocular emergency (3)
3. Managing a patient with glaucoma (3)
4. Managing a patient with macula pathology  
5. Managing a patient with anterior eye pathology (2)  
6. Managing a patient with neuro ophthalmic pathology (2)
7. Managing a patient with specific needs  (3)
8. Managing a patient with cataract (3)  
9. Managing a patient with a refractive error (3)  
10. Managing a paediatric patient (3)  
11. Managing a patient with a binocular vision abnormality (3)
12. Managing a patient with contact lenses (3)
13. Managing a patient with visual impairment (3)
14. Managing a patient who requires spectacle dispensing (3). 

Upon completion of this unit learners will be able to:

1. Apply basic principles to real world problems  
2. Reflect on and discuss own strengths and development needs
3. Discuss strategies to cope with stress and use a growth mindset when dealing with adversity
4. Work as part of a team and show awareness of methods that can be used to resolve conflict  
5. Discuss how to communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals  
6. Engage with and apply feedback from academic staff and peers  
7. Analyse evidence from the peer reviewed literature
8. Communicate effectively with patients in their immediate context  
9. Use the concepts of variability, sampling and how to test for differences
10. Demonstrate how to investigate associations
11. Demonstrate how to deal with categorical data, how to compare more than one group and regression analysis  
12. Demonstrate how to deal with non-parametric data.

Formative

• Multiple Choice Questions every 2 weeks
• TBL case-based exercises and application exercises every 2 weeks.

Summative

• Integrated case-based examination at end of academic year, using the same format as TBL exercises. This is a single assessment event which covers Clinical Practice 1 and 2 (30 credits).
• Completion of reflective portfolio (pass/fail). This is a single decision which covers Clinical Practice 1 and 2.
• Entrustment scores given by clinical supervisors at each undertaking of an EPA which generates a score between 1 and 4 where:
  • 1 = Observation of activity only  
  • 2 = Activity performed under direct supervision  
  • 3 = Activity performed under reactive supervision  
  • 4 = Activity can be performed unsupervised  
• Decision on progress from third to fourth year made by a competence committee who review these entrustment scores along with other key metrics across the whole year such as attendance and performance in formative MCQs. For a learner to progress the committee needs to be convinced that entrustments levels specified in the ‘Practical Skills’ section have been reached  (30 credits).

Formative

• Immediate feedback on MCQs  
• Immediate feedback on team based application exercises  
• Immediate feedback from supervisors on EPAs
• Periodic meeting and review of all formative assessment from TBL and EPA with academic advisor and year team if needed.

Summative

• Feedback on integrated case based examination following summer exam period
• Written feedback on reflective portfolio
• Feedback from the competence committee on decision to progress.

The MSci optometry uses a TBL approach to teaching and learning. As such, learners are required to engage with a number of self-directed learning activities including reading. In year 3, reading material is provided for students by staff but they are encouraged to search for their own additional resources to supplement learning. Directed reading will be from optometry journals, eBooks and clinical resources (e.g. College of Optometrists Guidance, LOCSU resources). As clinical practice is constantly changing, this material will be reviewed each academic year, and then again before each session is delivered, to ensure it remains relevant. 

Scheduled activity hours:

• TBL Events: 42
• Practical classes: 35
• Clinical placement: 228