How Is Life Inside My-iClinic?

One week before Christmas there is lots of shopping, long ‘to-do’ lists and last visits to doctors…My-iClinic is a part of the last category. A week before Christmas we welcomed Jack to our clinic.

No, Jack is not our new team member. Jack is a young optometry trainee who observed us in the clinic for two days. What led him here and how did it feel to work with us?

The answers come in the article below.

With an interesting background, Jack is a full-time pre-registered optometrist and part-time rugby player.

He was 16 when he did some work experience in an optometry practice in Milton Keynes. He enjoyed talking to new people and helping them. He felt that the working environment was perfect for him. While studying at university, Jack had to plan where to go afterwards.

Placements for Pre-registrations students are not easy to find and after contacting many practices, and being let down by a couple, Aves Optometrists in Ware invited him to work with them for a few days in their Practice and realised that he fitted in very well, offered him a position.

As a part of his training, he needed some hospital experience, so Aves sent him to My-iClinic to get insight into how our eye surgery clinic operates and to learn more about the healthcare industry from our well-known surgeon Mr. John Bolger.

There are a lot of clinics in London. How did he come to My-iClinic?

My-iClinic runs training evenings for optometrists. It was one of those evenings in December when Jack was introduced to John Bolger by his supervisor. Jack was really grateful for “John’s generous offer” to allow him to observe how My-iClinic runs, to see John perform surgery and to sit in on some follow-up clinics for 2 days in December.

As he mentioned:

“Aves refers quite a lot of patients here as we think this clinic is excellent and the quality of the surgery is very high. Our patients have always been very pleased with their care and results when they come here. My supervisor said that I would get a really good experience at My-iClinic, so here I am!!”

Tell me more about your job…what do you think about optometry?

"Aves Optometrists is a private practice. We operate differently to many multiples. We are particularly focused on patient care and share very similar views to My-iClinic. If you provide excellent patient care then patients will be loyal. We regularly refer patients to My-iClinic for surgery and when they have finished their follow-ups, they come back to us for their spectacles and continued care. I was very pleased to see how patient-focused My-iClinic is."

Where do you see the future of eye care and eye health? Do you think technology will replace the actual working personnel, clinics and optometrists?

“It is something that has been talked about since I was 16 and chose to go into this profession. There has been a lot of discussion about whether ‘computers are going to take over’. This does not worry me because I do not think that computers will fully replace humans. Human interaction is absolutely needed for successful eye care.

I think that together with computerised instruments eye care can evolve well. I was speaking to John earlier, his idea is that in 10 years' time, most people will have laser eye surgery, so no contact lenses, no more problems with uncomfortable glasses and thinking rationally this may happen at the rate that the technology is evolving”.

From your experience at My-iClinic, what was the most impressive in the clinic?

(Laughs) "Well I saw quite a lot of different patients, but I can’t really think of one in particular. It is really interesting how you operate, and to observe things which you usually do not see in the optometrist's environment. I am so grateful that I got an opportunity to see how you treat cataracts.

Watching a few surgeries has allowed me to have a better understanding of the procedure. It will really benefit my patients that I will be able to explain the procedure to them in more detail. I was really impressed by the level of care and expertise”.

What made this clinic particularly special for you?

“Spending time with John gave me the opportunity to view it, not only from the clinical side of optics and optometry but also from the ultimate customer service side and excellent management which Mr. Bolger and Ms. Odufuwa have developed over the years.

Some of the chats I had with them, opened my mind a little bit, John is so inspirational. I was impressed by the whole patient experience: you come in, it is a lovely-looking place, everything looks great in here, and all the instruments are top of the range. I particularly enjoyed the way that he takes time to explain things to the patients, and how they really involve the patient in the treatment process.

All of the results of the tests that patients underwent were shown to them on the screen and the findings were explained. This enables patients to get involved and be reassured about what can be done to help them.

Also, patients learn this way, it is a great approach”.

Thank you, Jack, for the interview.

It was a pleasure to have you here; we wish you all the best from My-iClinic.

“Thank you, everyone, for a good time, everyone was so nice to me, I learned a lot here and feel welcomed.

Thank you.”