**3. Results**

From the undergraduate Optometry population at Ulster University, 33 year one students, 34 year two students and 34 year three students took part in the study (*n* = 101). Reflective of the current undergraduate population, the majority of participants were female (74%, n = 75).

## *The Place Model*

All subjects placed themselves in the Proto-professional area on the Place Model. Examples of written feedback are described in Table 1.

**Table 1.** Written feedback on personal Optometry undergraduate placement within the Place Model.

> "I don't know enough ye<sup>t</sup> to be anywhere else." "Have only begun learning about Optometry." "At the beginning of my career." "Don't have enough experience." "Don't know everything yet." "Need to see lots more patients." "I have a lot more to learn!"

The majority of participants placed qualified optometrists in the Professional area on the Place Model (87%, n = 88) with the remainder placing qualified optometrists in the De-Professional area on the Place Model (13%, n = 13). There was no statistically significant di fference between responses from male and female participants (t-test, *p* = 0.38). There was also no statistically significant di fference between responses from subjects in year 1, 2 or 3 of their undergraduate program (one way ANOVA, *p* = 0.10). Examples of written feedback from subjects who placed qualified optometrists in the De-Professional area on the Place Model are described in Table 2. There were no comments relating to 'precarious professionals' or 'no professionals'.

**Table 2.** Qualitative feedback on Optometry undergraduate placement of qualified optometrists within the Place Model.

"Stress"

<sup>&</sup>quot;I know lots of optometrists who are fed up with their job and not just old people."

<sup>&</sup>quot;I think Honey Rose is making optometrists scared."

<sup>&</sup>quot;there are optometrists I know that have left their job and are very stressed."

<sup>&</sup>quot;I know an optometrist who gave up their work after 15 years because they didn't enjoy their job anymore."

<sup>&</sup>quot;A practitioner in the practice where I work says the job is very boring and he's only been qualified for about 10 years."

<sup>&</sup>quot;A qualified optometrist I know says he has no motivation."
