After more than six years in the role and having led the college through the most comprehensive review of the ophthalmologists’ training programme since its inception, Dr Justin Mora handed over his RANZCO censor-in-chief (CiC) role to fellow Kiwi Dr Andrew Thompson at the 2022 RANZCO Congress.
RANZCO’s censor-in-chief is responsible for all aspects of a budding ophthalmologist’s postgraduate education, including overseeing the selection of trainees, the curriculum, training post-accreditation and examinations. Paying tribute to Dr Mora’s “sacrifice”, outgoing RANZCO president Professor Nitin Verma said Dr Thompson had some big shoes to fill, given the size and scope of the CiC’s role. “Noting the requirements of the regulators and understanding the health landscape of Australia and New Zealand, Justin has guided advances and improvements to the selection curriculum examination system and increased support for supervisors and trainers, all the while staying at the helm of the ship to ensure trainees are progressing to the best of their abilities,” he said. “Justin has done this while serving as a RANZCO director and having been co-opted to almost every RANZCO committee.”
Dr Mora will be stepping into even larger shoes, however, said Prof Verma, having agreed to lead the College’s Vision 2030 for New Zealand, together with Dr Sarah Welch.
In response, Dr Mora said he’d never thought of his extra RANZCO work as a sacrifice but as an honour and thanked everyone at RANZCO, the board and all the fellows who’ve helped him along the way. “We’ve made some useful changes in the last six years but the best part is not the work, which has been very fulfilling, but all the relationships I’ve developed… the colleagues and the friends I have now across both Australia and New Zealand who I wouldn’t have got to know if I hadn’t done this.”
Board changes
