Specialist Optometry Practice
Subject 655-520 (2009)
Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2009. Search for this in the current handbook
| Credit Points: | 25.00 | ||||||||||||
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| Level: | 5 (Undergraduate) | ||||||||||||
| Dates & Locations: | This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2009: Year Long, - Taught on campus.
Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here. | ||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: | Contact Hours: Up to 24 hours of lectures, tutorials and workshops and no less than 200 hours of clinical work and clinical demonstrations. Students are rostered to attend the University of Melbourne EyeCare practice for contact lens, low vision and paediatric practice. Other clinical placements in Melbourne including private paediatric and contact lens practices, school screening and aged care facilities and visits to specialist low vision rehabilitation centers will occur throughout the prescribed clinical year. Total Time Commitment: Not available | ||||||||||||
| Prerequisites: | Optometry 655-422, 655-430, 655-442 and 655-462. | ||||||||||||
| Corequisites: | Optometry 655-510 and 655-540. | ||||||||||||
| Recommended Background Knowledge: | None | ||||||||||||
| Non Allowed Subjects: | None | ||||||||||||
| Core Participation Requirements: | It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable steps will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the University’s programs. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their active and safe participation in a subject are encouraged to discuss this with the relevant subject coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit. |
Coordinator
Dr Allison Maree Mckendrick, Ms Anthea Louise Cochrane, Prof Neville Mcbrien| Subject Overview: |
This subject provides a detailed account of three aspects of specialty optometric practice: contact lenses, paediatrics and low vision. This subject is aimed at providing students with a thorough background in the clinical aspects of contact lens practice. Students will gain experience in all aspects of contact lens practice including: fitting of soft and rigid lenses, care of contact lenses, and complications associated with contact lens wear. Students will also gain experience in the more advanced aspects of contact lens fitting and care including fitting of lenses for specific eye conditions such as keratoconus, presbyopia and following corneal surgery. Students will gain a detailed exposure to the clinical assessment of the paediatric patients including infant patients, those with binocular vision disorders and the clinical assessment of children with delayed visual information processing skills. Students will be shown how to tailor a consultation to the optometric evaluation of children. The third component (low vision), will provide a clinical framework in how to assess the patient with permanent visual loss including the management of the low vision patient with respect to psychological considerations, optical and non-optical visual aids, and using a multidisciplinary approach to the rehabilitation of the low vision patient. The clinical component will encompass both demonstrations of the different techniques available for the management of the contact lens, paediatric or low vision patient with direct patient contact within a clinical practice setting. The emphasis is placed on students' ability to build a rapport with their patient, practice technical skills, relate clinical findings with symptoms and consideration of management options. At the completion of this subject students will have appropriate skills to manage the contact lens, paediatric and low vision patient in a practice setting and have adequate strategies to manage the more complex cases of these aspects of optometry. |
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| Objectives: | . |
| Assessment: |
Progressive assessment of clinical work throughout the year (30%); practical skills tests, written clinical reports (6 reports of 2000 words each) and oral examinations throughout the year (20%); a 3-hour written examination in the second semester examination period (50%). Satisfactory completion of all assessment components is necessary to pass the subject. |
| Prescribed Texts: |
P B Freeman & R T Jose, The Art and Practice of Low Vision, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston, 1997 (or later edition) A J Phillips, L Speedwell (eds), Contact Lenses 5th edn. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007 |
| Breadth Options: | This subject is not available as a breadth subject. |
| Fees Information: | Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date |
| Notes: | This subject is only available to Bachelor of Optometry students. |
| Related Course(s): |
Bachelor of Optometry |
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