This year’s RCOphth Annual Congress will be taking place in Birmingham’s modern International Conference Centre (ICC) from 22–25 May and let’s be honest, it’s going to be the biggest event of the year.
Eye News will be uploading coverage, interviews, photos and videos of the event on our website and across social media, so keep an eye out for updates, get involved by following us on social media, and share your excitement. The congress will also be filmed by the RCOphth and available to purchase on demand for three months after the meeting for all delegates.
Not only will you have us at your disposal this year but we’re lucky enough to have our co-editor, David Lockington, present in Birmingham and he will be involved in numerous events throughout the duration. Here is a little insight from the man himself ahead of the conference:
What we’re up to
The Eye News team will be at Stand 42 for the duration of the event and we look forward to chatting with delegates, speakers and industry figures throughout. If you’re a delegate with an idea for an article, a trainee looking to get involved or you’re interested in our new podcast, why not pop in and see us and who knows, you might even leave with a Tunnock’s Teacake for good measure!
The #AspireOphth Competition
We’re also running our second #AspireOphth Competition (as above) which is live now right up until Wednesday 24 May, when our book winners will be announced by author, Specialist Registrar and Honorary Lecturer in Ophthalmology, Sohaib Rufai! To get involved, simply take a picture that represents what you wish to do or be in the world of ophthalmology and post it on your social channels with #AspireOphth and #EyeNews in the caption. Why not give our social a follow while you’re there and we’ll make sure to repost your submission! (COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED)
Our ‘Sixty-Second’ Interview Series
This year we will again be producing our series of sixty-second interviews with chairs, speakers, industry and significant figures attending the Congress. This year we’re excited to speak with Drs Dorothy Mutie and Amos Kibata, Sohaib Rufai, Peter Cackett, Christina Rennie, and more. Why not check out one of our videos from last year with RCOphth President, Professor Bernie Chang:
What to expect
As always, this year is chocked full of incredible talks, lectures, seminars and meetings, with a host of voices new and old and an incredible mix of industry presenting themselves in the exhibition hall. As any returning delegate will tell you, there is too much to be able to see it all. With that in mind, here is a rundown of what we’re excited to see by the day:
Monday 22 May
09:00 – 10:30: President's session presented by Bernard Chang
13:30 – 14:25: ‘Barrie Jones Lecture: Developing ophthalmology in Cambodia: How 100 UK ophthalmologists have made an impact’ by Sunil Shah
14:30 – 15:30: ‘Kindness: The business end of healthcare’ chaired by Christina Rennie
Tuesday 22 May
14:00 – 18:00: Ophthalmic Trainee Group Symposium
15:30 – 16:00: Coffee and posters
Wednesday 22 May
08:00 – 09:00: International Breakfast Meeting Programme
10:00 – 10:30: President's handover
11:00 – 12:30: ‘Patient wellbeing: time to take our heads out of the sand’
13:30 – 14:25: Duke Elder Lecture: ‘The Challenges of Managing Anterior Segment Developmental Abnormalities in Infants and Children’ by Susmito Biswas
Thursday 22 May
09:00 – 17:05: Glaucoma Specialty Day co-organised and chaired by Andrew Tatham
09.05 – 09.20: Glaucoma Speciality Day: ‘The future of laser trabeculoplasty’ by Gus Gazzard
Click here to be taken to the RCO’s full programme.
Don’t miss out on
The British Chinese Ophthalmic Society (BCOS) is being set up for UK & Eire ophthalmologists of Chinese descent and friends, for social, cultural and gastronomic meetings. We also aim to assist non-English speaking Chinese patients in the UK and Eire. Our inaugural dinner meeting will take place in Birmingham on Monday 22 May. For more information, visit here.
Before you go
Have you checked out Eye Views, our brand new podcast hosted by Professor Baljean Dhillon?
If you haven’t, check out our most recent episode in which Baljean meets Fiona Buckmaster, Research Optometrist at the University of Edinburgh, and together they discuss Fiona’s entry into optometry, her unique view on its relationship with ophthalmology and their respective demographics, the topic of accessibility in her recently submitted master’s thesis and more.
So, that’s it!
We’ve kept you for long enough already so for now, enjoy the rest of your day and we look forward to seeing you down in Birmingham soon! Remember to check back in with us for any insights during the Congress and don’t be shy near Stand 42.
All the best,
Linda & Samuel
The Eye News Team
