Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a gradual increase in the number of optometry education programs in low resource settings yet there is limited knowledge on optometry students' experiences of their clinical training. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the optometry students' experiences of their clinical learning environment at a national referral and teaching hospital within a low resource setting. METHODS: The study adopted a qualitative design using face to face in-depth interviews to explore experiences of the participants. All 16 optometry students in fourth-year at university were purposefully recruited into the study. Data was collected at the end of the students' clinical training at the eye clinic of a national referral and teaching hospital. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis using an inductive thematic approach. RESULTS: Two themes, learning at the eye clinic and organization of the eye clinic, were identified to represent participants' experiences. Each theme had three sub themes. CONCLUSION: The students' experiences in a clinical learning environment take a transformative nature from initial hesitancy and feelings of inferiority, anxiety, uncertainty and nervousness to increased confidence and active engagement. Future studies should compare optometry students' experiences in lower-level health units to those in national referrals hospitals.