In June, I had the pleasure of attending the Christchurch Eye Surgery study day. I had attended a few study evenings here before, so I had already seen its impressive facilities; but this full-day event was a first for me.
I went along unsure of what to expect and was pleased by the whole day. The atmosphere was very collegial and the content and format of the day highly engaging. From kick-off at 9am, we covered eight specialist ophthalmic presentations and two hands-on workshops on foreign body removal and gonioscopy. The final session was a very competitive quiz, one of the better ones in the industry! Before I knew it, it was 4pm and the day was done.
Each presentation was highly relevant to optometrists and it was a rarity to have so many ophthalmologists with various specialties under one roof. With a decade and a half of experience under my belt, it is always refreshing to learn new things and understand new perspectives, as well as renew my confidence that my regular advice to patients is correct and appropriate. The relaxed atmosphere meant that most attendees were happy to ask or answer questions and seek clarification.
I particularly enjoyed the workshops, where we could practice removing metallic foreign bodies from a sheep’s eye and hone our gonioscopy skills under the tutelage of one of our esteemed anterior segment specialists, Dr Rebecca Stack.
A few of my colleagues had travelled from as far as Timaru and the West Coast for the day, and I can see why. There aren’t many study days of this calibre in the South Island; and with six CPD credits to gain in a single day without having to travel to the North Island, it was a no-brainer to attend. My only request is for more study days!
