TheĀ task is to define what is an optometrist and to outline career path possibilities.
The first issue to be studied is how to select andĀ optometry students so as to maximise their future utility as students and optometrists. There is a problem in that the current entry demographic does not meet the manpower needs of the profession in terms of culture, distribution and expected style of practice. There is a second issue in that as significant number of entrants use optometry as a proxy for later entry into a medical course.
The third problem is the interface between graduating students and employers where expectations can be quite different.
Finally the model seeks to balance out endogenous and exogenous factors impinging on the career path of optometrists.
It should be noted that the model is highly applicable to any profession and encompasses both top down system dynamics and bottom up agent based modelling.
Data will be gathered by a range of methods including discreet choice experiments