BCLA webinar to help optometry students make the most of university life and prepare for practice

BCLA webinar to help optometry students make the most of university life and prepare for practice

Optometry students will be given practical advice on making the most of their university experience and preparing for the transition into professional practice during a free British Contact Lens Association webinar.

‘A journey through student optometry, making the most of opportunities, learning from challenges and preparing for the next step’ will take place from 7pm to 8pm on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 via Zoom.

Led by recent optometry graduate Sumeera Haider, the student-focused session will explore how aspiring eye care professionals can build their experience and confidence alongside their academic studies, while successfully navigating some of the challenges of university life.

Sumeera will share practical advice on strengthening a CV, preparing for interviews and identifying opportunities throughout an optometry degree and into the early stages of a career.

The webinar will also consider the realities of balancing academic studies, work and extracurricular commitments, with advice on managing stress, responding to unexpected setbacks and maintaining perspective when juggling competing priorities.

BCLA Chief Executive Brad Parkes said: “University is an incredibly important period in the development of our future eye care professionals, but there is so much more to that experience than academic achievement alone.

“The opportunities students embrace, the relationships they build and even the challenges they encounter can all play an important part in preparing them for professional life.

“This webinar is about hearing directly from someone who has recently made that journey and can share relevant, practical advice based on first-hand experience. We hope students at every stage of their degree will come away with greater confidence and a clearer sense of how they can make the most of the opportunities available to them.”

Sumeera is a pre-registration optometrist at an independent practice and a recent First-Class Honours graduate from the University of Bradford.

During her studies, she served as Vice President and Executive Secretary of the Bradford Ophthalmic Optics Student Association (BOOSA), helping to re-establish the society and deliver academic and social initiatives for fellow optometry students.

She also completed a contact lens-related research studentship and presented her work at an international conference. She is passionate about helping students build confidence and maximise their potential from the earliest stages of their optometry journey.

The webinar is particularly suitable for those beginning their optometry degree through to students preparing for CLiP. Attendees will be encouraged to reflect on how experiences both within and beyond the curriculum can contribute to developing the professional skills needed for optometric practice.