Education, overseas trips and volunteering time to support those in need… there’s plenty going on in the world of optometry
O WA
Tony Martella
We’re racing towards the end of the year but don’t think that means we’re slowing down. 2016 is the Centenary of OWA and to celebrate, we will host a two day conference in Hong Kong from 9–11 November, coinciding with the Hong Kong Optical Fair and Optics Fair. The conference is limited to 50 people so be sure to get in early.
There is plenty going on for our younger members as part of the OWAGG program. Not long ago we held our first social evening for 2016 – an ‘OWAGG Escape’ – at the Escape Hunt Perth. With our OWAGGers broken up into two small groups and tasked with working together to solve mysteries, this was a terrific opportunity to get to know each other. Next up, an evening of lawn bowls in early December, which promises to be just as enjoyable.
Why not get along to Blue Sky Congress in Adelaide from 25–26 November – the last Optometry Association conference of the year
OWA is very fortunate to have so many members who are willing to volunteer for community programs, some on a regular basis. The annual Homeless Connect Project takes place from 9–10 November, offering a one stop centre for homeless people with services provided free of charge by business and community. Our monthly eye clinics at St Patricks provide another opportunity to volunteer. Please get involved by offering your services.
Your Association has recently helped several optometrists with their APHRA audits and we are happy to do the same for you. Visit our audit helpline where you’ll find there’s a process in place to generate copies of your Professional Indemnity and CPD records – another great advantage of your membership.
Coming up is our Annual General Meeting on 26 October – please don’t be shy about stepping up for a role on the board. Nomination forms are available.
Finally, you have until 30 November to be compliant with your CPD requirements. Still need points? Why not get along to Blue Sky Congress in Adelaide from 25–26 November – the last Optometry Association conference of the year.
Visit www.optometry.org.au/WA or phone us on 08 9321 2300.
O SA
Libby Boschen
Rome was built on seven hills and it is to the Adelaide Hills that we are heading for this year’s Roman-themed SA Blue Sky Congress. So optometrists, optical dispensers and countrymen, lend us your ears to soak up the latest from Dr. Blair Lonsberry, Graham Lakkis, Dr. Laura Downie, Dr. Raymond Loh, Dr. Shane Durkin, Steve Leslie, Scott Boocock, Steve Daras, Grant Hannaford and others, as we again serve up a proverbial banquet of practical clinical, technical and business tips for you to deliver in your practice. As well as lectures and workshops, we will have plenty of trade exhibitors on hand with diagnostic equipment, frames, lenses, contact lenses and accessories on board for you to peruse.
For the third year running, in addition to providing up to 40 CPD points for optometrists, SA Blue Sky Congress will host a range of education for our optical dispensing colleagues (qualified or not). Not being ones to rest on our laurels, we have digested great ideas for improvement previously provided by our delegates. As a consequence, this year we will provide two parallel streams of education for optical dispensing, allowing for the diverse range of abilities and experience. The choice is yours – join one stream or the other, or alternatively, divide and conquer, then share your new knowledge with colleagues over a glass of Adelaide Hills wine on the deck later.
New in 2016 is a fully-equipped Optical Dispensing stand in the trade area where you can get one-on-one coaching and advice from our experts during trade hours.
Courtesy buses will be available to ferry those of you from interstate to our sensational new venue just 30 minutes from the airport. There is a range of accommodation to suit all budgets on site and in nearby Hahndorf. On the Friday night, you can party hard at our Toga Party (complete with a spit roast and entertainment), or take a back seat and enjoy the spectacle from a distance with old friends.
SA Blue Sky Congress 2016 runs from 25–26 November in Adelaide. Visit optometry.org.au/SA or call (AUS) 08 7070 2615.
