By Rachel Pilling, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Bradford Teaching Hospital.
As the 103rd Oxford Ophthalmological Congress draws to a close, we reflect back on an enlightening and enriching four days.
One of the defining features of Oxford Congress is single stream programme of high quality symposia which all delegates attend together. Without the distraction of parallel sessions, there is no difficult choice to make and many attendees comment on having learnt so much from a session which they wouldn’t have felt able to choose at a multi-stream event. The Oxford Council take care to provide a broad range of learning opportunities which are directly relevant in everyday practice. This year’s sessions on ‘video vignettes’ and ‘Masterclass’ provided insights from national experts in their field on topics such as the management of corneal ulcer, zonular weakness and disc swelling.
The Congress welcomed an unprecedented number of medical students to the meeting – presenting their posters and rapid fire presentations. The council were impressed with their knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for ophthalmology and feel safe that the future of the speciality is in the hands of such a dedicated group of doctors.
We were joined by delegates from as far afield as New Zealand and the Congress continues to offer travel bursaries each year in its remit to further knowledge and spread of research across the globe. This year we welcomed delegate Dr Ibanga from Nigeria as our bursary placement.
Our Doyne lecturer this year was Rick Spaide from New York, bringing clarity to a complex topic which clinicians can use in everyday practice.
But the most outstanding feature of Oxford Congress will always be the ethos at its centre; ‘The cultivation of the spirit of good fellowship, and the right of our youngest member to rank with his oldest colleague’; the social programme woven through the four days of the Oxford Congress builds networks and professional friendships which enable us to deliver the best possible care to our patients.
