A personal story of relocation by an optometrist

Sam had been working at an independent opticians in Edinburgh, Scotland, for several years, and while he loved the work, he was feeling a bit stagnant in his career. He longed for something more challenging and fulfilling, something that would give him a sense of purpose and make a difference in people’s lives.

That’s when he discovered OutsideClinic, a nationwide domiciliary optometry service bringing eye care to patients in their homes. Sam was intrigued by the prospect of working in a more flexible and rewarding way and was thrilled by the idea of helping patients who might not otherwise be able to access eye care services.

After joining in 2021, Sam has never looked back! And has since taken hold of a great opportunity in OutsideClinic’s relocation package, which has seen Sam move from Scotland, his beloved country where he grew up, to Cornwall, where he had never visited before! A massive change, but three months into his new home in the countryside, Sam and his partner, Hannah, love their new lives! Let’s hear from Sam himself about his experience:

Sam reflected, “We’ve been here for three months now and have absolutely loved our time in Cornwall so far. The pace of life down here is entirely different to that of Edinburgh. Everyone is very much laid back and relaxed. We found a lovely house in a quiet neck of the woods but still in an excellent location for getting around Cornwall. It’s also nice to have a garden for the first time, as we lived in a flat previously, so we have been experimenting with new plants and looking forward to sitting out in it in the summer.

Sam Graduated in 2018 and went straight into an independent on the high street. He worked for several branches before taking up a resident position in one of the stores. A year later, he was approached about a domiciliary role which caught his interest. So, heI took the leap and started for OutsideClinic.

“Firstly, it is so much more rewarding. I genuinely feel I’m improving my patient’s quality of life. I love the change in scenery too. Being out and about driving between patients is so refreshing; it gives me time to unwind and relax, listening to music which I wouldn’t usually get the chance to do in practice. Getting weekends off – well, that makes sense. I can make plans knowing when I am off. Having just moved to Cornwall and the area being brand new to us, those weekends are used to discover our new home. We also have several surf lessons booked and have recently discovered the app ‘borrow my doggy’, where we hope to eventually meet a few dogs to take on our weekend walks!

“The quality of all the equipment is second to none; I’m working on the leading edge of domiciliary eye care. The company have clearly taken the time to think everything through, making sure all the equipment and technology we use is up to date and efficient in how we use it. The people at the company are great, it can be easy to feel lonely in domiciliary, but at OutsideClinic, we’re always in constant communication with each other. I keep in close contact with the Scheduling team as my day progresses, use WhatsApp to connect to fellow optometrists and have regular catch-up calls with the regional manager (whose support I have found outstanding!) Everyone at head office is lovely and feeling part of a team is excellent.