Patient Evaluation of Professional Skills of Optometry Students at an Academic Eye Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Purpose: Patient evaluations of optometry students provide an important real-world perspective on the quality of care, complementing conventional academic assessments. However, many institutions lack formal systems to systematically gather and analyse such feedback on students' clinical professionalism. This study aimed to assess the professional skills of final-year optometry students as perceived by patients attending an academic clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that measured patients' perceptions of students' technical competence, communication skills, professionalism, and overall satisfaction. A purposive sample of 80 patients aged 18-70 years participated, with the sample size determined using Slovin's formula based on an estimated population of 180 patients. Data analysis was conducted in Microsoft Excel using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis; analyses of demographic subgroups were exploratory, and inferential comparisons by race were not undertaken owing to very small subgroup sizes. Results: Findings indicated consistently high ratings across all domains. Technical competence was rated as good to excellent by 99% of participants (n=79). Communication was perceived as extremely clear by 77.5% (n=62). Professionalism was also highly rated, with 98% (n=79) describing students as respectful and courteous, and 86% (n=69) noting punctuality. Overall satisfaction was very high, with 98% (n=78) expressing satisfaction and willingness to recommend the clinic. No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed across age or gender groups. Conclusion: Patients attending the academic clinic reported high levels of satisfaction with the professional skills of final-year optometry students and were willing and able to evaluate these skills. These findings suggest that structured patient feedback is a feasible complementary source of information on student professionalism in optometry education. Further research is needed to establish how such feedback can be integrated into formal student assessment and whether it improves student learning and patient care.