Orthoptics Applicants 2012

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Reply 20

flamingo2003

do orthoptics timetables change often? bit of a pain for travel...

Reply 21

foundintransmission

Original post by Malsa

Thanks for that, lol, i just read somewhere that orthoptics is literally a all female career, so was just enquiring really. its actually not my first choice, am wanting to go into audiology, but with the modernising scientific careers plans going into place, a lot of universities have taken that degree off, so im unsure whats really going on, and ive got to make a decision asap, so am just browsing other allied health professions similar to audiology that i could possibly put as part of my top 2, tis a pain but gotta get it done! anywayz thanks again :smile:

Aww that's a shame they've took it off! Good look anyway :smile:

Feel free to pop back and ask anything!

Reply 22

foundintransmission

Original post by 9427S

Hey =] I am currently looking to get into Moorfields - the other ones say they give uni people preference. I am considering a year out maybe but do you think entry requirements are likely to increase next next year?

Moorfields? I'm going there on placement in a month or two. Do you mean for shadowing? As far as I know they're a busy department and have alot of students, it's known to be one of the hardest placements, but somewhere that you really learn alot. And it's somewhere they like to send 2nd/3rd years I think. So it wouldn't surprise me if you where having trouble trying to get in there for observing.
But, don't be disheartened, I have friends going to Kings College for placement, so they must do Orthoptics there too? So if you're having trouble getting in Moorfields, then maybe try Kings if they're all local to you?

In all honesty I haven't got a clue. And I wouldn't want to say either incase I was wrong. They've already increased since I applied so who knows? If you apply and defer entry for a year then do the entry requirements matter? :s-smilie:

I assumed if you already had your place then it wouldn't matter if they changed? I'm not sure though.
I realise I've not been that much help here, but I wouldn't want to say something I don't know and give you the wrong idea, and then you end missing out on something because of me? Sorry! :redface:

Reply 23

foundintransmission

Original post by flamingo2003

do orthoptics timetables change often? bit of a pain for travel...

Hi! It depends how you look at it really, I've travelled in everyday now and I'm in my last year and it's not a problem. Plus it means sometimes you have lie ins sometimes you don't :smile:

Some lectures are at the same times every week, especially the ones you do in first year with the physios and OTs etc. You always have Wednesday afternoons off, and they try and give you Friday afternoons off too if they can. And it also means that every now and then you have a full day off.

Unless you don't mean daily and you mean going home of a weekend? Which in that case, again it's still good, because they try and give you Friday afternoons off, and also, odd days off means you never know, if you get a Friday off you can go home on Thurs and that sort of thing.
Hope this helps? Like I say, some lectures are the same time and some aren't.

Also, as an aside, (just to everyone) I don't know if I've mentioned this earlier (which I also mention on open days) is that the reason the timetable is varied is that the lecturers have lots of outside responsibilities. Not only do they lecture, but they're all actively involved in lots of research, work as orthoptists in clinical practice, and are also on the boards of BIOS and international representatives too. They do this so what they teach us, is the most recent and up to date information that it can be. Orthoptics still has bits missing, and therefore there is lots of research going on to fill in those bits.
I assume Sheffield is the same too, seeing as lots of the research is done involving the unis. (On their active roles in research, I'm not sure about the timetable?)

Reply 24

flamingo2003

oh i meant for placements too, sorry for being so unclear...
so does that mean orthoptics people get no holiday time because of the lacements and everything (except xmas)?

Reply 25

Ven.2011

Hi, i am applying to sheffield and liverpool Uni for orthoptics. My A levels include Chemistry, English lang and lit and Sociology. Do you think my a levels are suitable for this course as Biology seems more significant. Even though it says either one of biology, chemistry, physics or maths.

Reply 26

flamingo2003

Original post by Ven.2011

tbh i think your going to really struggle if you dont have biology under your belt- spesh for modules like physiology, because all of the physiology module is basically biology a level (and it was hard). also i think its compulsory to have a science a level due to the material of the course, thats from what ive been told anyway, but dont take my word for it!

Reply 27

foundintransmission

Original post by flamingo2003

oh i meant for placements too, sorry for being so unclear...
so does that mean orthoptics people get no holiday time because of the lacements and everything (except xmas)?

Hi! Sorry I've not been on here lately, I've been to Dundee on placement! :biggrin:

Yeah it can be a bit of a pain, but it's the best way of getting out there and being able to see different departments and seeing the different patients they see. I always really enjoy my placements, not only just the fact it's placement, but I really enjoy seeing other areas of the country.

As far as holiday time goes, you have time off at christmas, possibly easter (though this can change, so I would count on it) and you do still have some time off in summer. For instance, at the end of second year, I had two weeks off, then I went on placement for a month, came back for two weeks, then went on placement for another month, then had 3/4 weeks off then started back at uni, for 4 weeks, then I've just been on placement for another month, I'm off for a week, and then on placement for another month, I'm back just before Christmas. Now that sounds tiring, which, it is :tongue:

but that is the most placement intensive part of the course that I've described there. You always get plenty of time at christmas because you have study for exams aswell. And you do have study for exams after easter aswell.
It sounds worse than it is, honest :redface:

Reply 28

foundintransmission

Original post by Alice Donnachie

ahh thank god for all these threads.. it's nice to know there are other orthoptists out there!

I'm applying to sheffield and liverpool with BBCC at AS (they are my predicteds too) and I have biology... My preferred option is sheffield (only slightly :smile:

) but i'm not sure if they'll consider me with these grades... My ps is very orthoptics focused and i have good work experience though. do you know of anyone else who got offer with less than BBB?

also, do you reckon the number of applicants to orthoptics will increase this year as its NHS funded? that only just occurred to me :s

And what are the clinical placements like? vague question but I can imagine them being very interesting and they're such a big part of the course..

Hi there! I know it is scary thinking you're the only one! :smile:

As I'm a Liverpool student I couldn't really tell you about Sheffield :smile:

But I do know that if you do show you have a genuine interest and have done your experience and things in your ps then it definitely goes in your favour :smile:

As far as the number of applicants, I too have wondered this, I honestly wouldn't be at all surprised if there was a sudden influx in AHP and nursing course applicants, because of funding. I can understand this would be worrying from an applicants point of view, however, regarding the number of students they take on at each uni, this wouldn't change (only by a few each way each year), so they make sure the NHS doesn't suddenly become saturated with Orthoptists :smile:

So as far as job prospects go, I wouldn't let that worry you too much. As far as applying for uni goes, as long as you've got A levels that are appropriate, you've clearly done your research by getting your experience, and you show a genuine interest and care in your ps, then you've done as much as you can do for now :smile:

Erm, about placements, that is pretty vague. :tongue:

And they differ depending on where you are in your studies, and they also differ depending on where you go in placement. Generally, in first year you sit with an orthoptist and see a patient together, you might do bits here and there or you might do a bit more, depending on where you are and things. In comparison to now, that I'm in third year, the Orthoptists leave me to see a patient, and once I'm finished I go to the orthoptist, present my findings, make a diagnosis, and suggest long and short term management (though they keep more of an eye on you when you first start somewhere to make sure you're clinically competent, and double check bits as and when they see fit). And second year is kinda somewhere inbetween? It's quite tricky to say really, because it is quite variable, and thats why they send you different places :smile:

Most hospitals try and give you a mixture of things too, so you'll do mostly orthoptics clinics, but also get a chance to go into surgery, maybe go out screening, do community clinics, do visual fields, sit in with the doctors and refractions and depending on where you go, you might do biometry, OCTs or that sort of thing.
Hope that's okay? Feel free to ask anything else :smile:

It's a bit tricky to kinda summarise placement but I hope that gives you a rough idea? And also, apologies for a delay in replying, I've been on placement in Dundee and checking TSR didn't even cross my mind, sorry! :redface:

Reply 29

White.Shadow

Original post by 9427S

Just a word of note... Moorfields do not like taking anyone for work experience prior to Uni... They have so many students studying Optometry (City), Medicine (UCL), Orthoptics (Sheffield and Liverpool), Nursing (LSBU)... etc that they just can't take pre uni students.

Saying that... things may have changed since I tried to get work experience there 7(!) :eek:

years ago!

I did get some work experience with a lovely consultant at the Royal London, and we do take some work experience students (if you ask nicely!) at St Thomas'. :wink:

Reply 30

lrnnn

Just wondering, has anybody got an offer from Sheffield or Liverpool for orthoptics yet?

Reply 31

zoidberg153

As an alternative to A levels, you can do a foundation year (again, I don’t know if this is the same for Sheffield) to health sciences, which is a year at a college and providing you have completed the year and passed it, you will then be accepted onto Orthoptics.
Here is a link to the foundation degree at Liverpool:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/undergrad...urse-overview/

i looked on the wesite and it says the foundation degree is for people wanting to go on to Dentistry, Medicine and Veterinary Science. is this ture or can u do it anyway and then go on to the orthoptics course.

another question is that when i went to the open day the person in the health scince block said they dont do interviews for people applying to orthoptics. is this also ture please reply as i need to send off my ucas, thenks =]

Reply 32

foundintransmission

Original post by zoidberg153

http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/foundation-to-health-studies-year-0/course-overview/
It says:

Successful completion to the specified standard ensures automatic progression onto degree programmes at the University of Liverpool in: Dentistry, Diagnostic Radiography, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Orthoptics, Physiotherapy, Radiotherapy and Veterinary Science.

Hope this helps?
Do you mean true? If so then yes? Especially if they told you that? I wasn't interviewed for Orthoptics anyway, and as far as I'm aware they haven't changed it? You have an open day sort of thing where you can look round and they answer questions you may have about funding and the course itself etc.

Has anyone been to one yet by the way? If I remember rightly they normally have one in December? But I'm not at uni atm so wouldn't know :smile:

Reply 33

Ven.2011

Does anyone know whether Orthoptics was available on Ucas Extra last year?

Reply 34

Malsa

got an offer from sheffield :biggrin:

i have to attend a open day though, has anyone else had any replies yet?

Reply 35

x-Holly-x

I got an offer too today :smile:

Reply 36

9427S

Original post by Alice Donnachie

Yes me too :smile:

but it hasnt come through on track (even after a few weeks) cos i think we have to go to the open day/crb check first...

So there won' t be like any interview type things on the open day then? Lol i'm quite confused about this because like you said, it doesn't come up on track :confused:

Reply 37

shopaholic1379

Has heard from liverpool yet for orthoptics?

Reply 38

Pege

I've been given conditional offers from Liverpool and Sheffield and been to the open day things, but I was just wondering what to do about accommodation as its a longer year? Whether the normal weeks are enough for us and whether to go catered would be stupid as were not there ?? Sorry if this seems that I'm worrying about nothing