Rebecca Walker
A pregnant working mum who has spent 14 years climbing the career progression ladder from teenage dispensing assistant to fully qualified optometrist spoke of the need for employers to support women as mothers and professionals.
Rebecca Walker, 32, says she has never felt held back by her gender in the optometry industry since joining leading independent Scarborough opticians Pagan & McQuade as Saturday staff and dispensing assistant after completing A-levels and is calling for all employers to be as supportive.
She explained: “At the time it was just a job while I decided what I would like to do with my life and career, I worked as a dispensing assistant and also did general admin tasks.
“I loved the family feel of the company and made some amazing lifelong friends, so I stayed and started to do really well in my role.”
Soon Rebecca was offered the opportunity to study a foundation degree and become a dispensing optician. During this three-year study period, she worked full time, became a practice manager and enjoyed improving her knowledge so much that Pagan & McQuade supported her to continue her studies with a Level 6 conversion to become a contact lens optician.
She added: “I asked Gary McQuade, the company’s founder, if it would be possible to do the course, he agreed that I could and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult, but I sailed through the course in the minimum time you can complete it, which is 18 months.
“The exams for this course were extremely tough including a full day of practical exams. On the day of the practical exams, I got to the venue in Birmingham, completely on edge, with my patient which you must provide, and the head examiner turned round and asked me why I was there. Apparently, there had been an administrative error with my letter and I was in Birmingham on the wrong day. This was one of the most stressful days of my life, but they still managed to examine me and luckily, I passed.”
After qualifying as a contact lens optician, she was encouraged by company director Bob Barr to consider climbing the next rung on the ladder to become an optometrist.
She said: “I’d just completed four and a half years of study and I didn’t know if I had the confidence or means to continue my studies. Bob encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and approach our boss to ask him if I could once again go back to further study.
“Gary and myself were unsure how this could work – nobody in the company had completed the conversion course available at Bradford University before. We discussed the finer details and it was agreed that I could go back and study full time to be an optometrist.
“Bradford offer a course for qualified dispensing opticians to do the full optometry degree in around 18 months, this includes 12 months full time at university. You study years two and three simultaneously, making for a very intense year.”
Following this, Rebecca completed a 12-month pre-registration period as well as maternity leave, and she finally qualified as an optometrist.
She added: “As a woman in the field of optometry I do believe the stereotype of professional roles always being held by a male is well and truly being broken, the percentage of female students has continued to rise.
“As a woman in the role I feel I can empathise and communicate well with patients and particularly children, I find my patients are always comfortable in my consulting room and are able to express their concerns or queries openly.
“Pagan & McQuade has supported me in each step of my progression, allowing me the time to study, the funding for my courses and the support and knowledge of qualified individuals where available. I have always been judged on attitude and abilities and find that gender does not come into capabilities, I have always been supported fully in my goals.
“To other women aspiring to study optometry I would say, don’t be held back. There was a time I didn’t know how logistically, financially and emotionally I would cope. There was a multitude of hurdles that could have stopped me from continuing my journey, however every single hurdle can be overcome.
“If you have the determination nothing should hold you back. Optometry is a wonderful career and opportunities are equal for men and women. This is all achievable whilst making a home and a family as well, you can have both worlds!”
For more information about Pagan & McQuade visit: https://www.paganandmcquade.com/.
