Olivia Almond: A week in rural practice

Each year, the Optometry Queensland Northern Territory (OQNT) Rural Student Placement Scholarship supports future optometrists to experience life and practice in regional and remote communities. This scholarship aims to break down financial barriers so students can learn firsthand about rural eye health, build early connections and understand the important role optometrists play in addressing unmet need outside metropolitan areas.

OQNT was thrilled to support QUT Master of Optometry student Olivia Almond, who completed her rural placement in Yeppoon and Rockhampton. Here’s her reflection on the experience.

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Thanks to the support of the OQNT’s Rural Student Placement Scholarship, I recently had the opportunity to spend time in Yeppoon and Rockhampton, completing a week of placement across a mix of independent optometry and ophthalmology settings.

The majority of my week was spent at Moore Eyes, a well-established independent optometry practice. I was fortunate to learn under Tom and Fiona Moore, two incredibly knowledgeable and generous optometrists. Their willingness to share insights from their experience made for a fantastic placement. I was exposed to a wide variety of clinical presentations, from routine eye exams to more complex pathology, and was made to feel incredibly welcome by both staff and patients.

I also had the opportunity to observe in theatre with Dr Tom Moloney. This was my first time in a surgical setting, and the experience was truly wonderful. I observed a broad range of procedures, from pterygium excisions to vitrectomies and epiretinal membrane peels. Dr Moloney was generous with both his time and teaching, and I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the surgical side of eye care and the collaborative relationship between optometry and ophthalmology in regional communities.

Although I had also planned to observe ophthalmologist, Dr Kate Hogden, a delayed flight unfortunately meant I missed that session. Nonetheless, the week was filled with valuable learning experiences that far exceeded my expectations.

On the last night, Tom and Fiona were kind enough to host me and three other final-year optometry students for dinner before they headed off for their rural placement in Emerald.

This placement was especially meaningful for me, as I’ll be returning to this region next year to begin work as a graduate optometrist. The opportunity to build early connections with local practitioners and gain insight into the eye care landscape in Central Queensland has been invaluable.

I’m incredibly grateful to this bursary for supporting students like myself to explore and engage with rural optometry. The experience has been both professionally and personally affirming, and I’m excited for what lies ahead.

We extend our congratulations to Olivia and our sincere thanks to the practitioners and clinics who hosted her during the week. Supporting students to explore rural practice is an important part of building a sustainable, well-distributed workforce and we’re proud to help enable experiences like this.

If you’re a QUT student considering a rural placement in 2025, applications for the next round of scholarships have opened here.