Ben Chant’s career as an optometrist has seen him traverse the country and the profession. He’s worked in cities and regions, in independent practice assisting an ophthalmologist and, since 2021, with OPSM. Now he’s found his long-term home in Kempsey on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.
I initially joined OPSM as a member of the Gold Coast relief team, and within that role was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to broader regional Australia to provide optometric care. During my travels I have serviced a wide range of communities stretching from central and northern NSW, across southeast Queensland, and all the way to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. These experiences helped me grow from a professional perspective. For one thing, I learned to be adaptable in my approach when consulting patients who are unfamiliar with standard eye care examinations, so often taken for granted in a metropolitan setting. Personally, the role allowed opportunities to explore parts of Australia I may otherwise never have been exposed to.
In early 2024, having finished a relief stint at Kempsey OPSM, I was invited to become the practice’s full-time sole optometrist. I jumped at the chance. The practice was already equipped with ultrawide retinal scanning and visual field devices, and thanks to my extremely proactive professional services manager, it took delivery of a full suite of equipment, including a brand-new slit lamp and digital acuity chart, before I arrived. More recently, we integrated an optical coherence tomographer with biometry and fundus camera into the practice.
I strongly believe that continuity of care is critical for patient confidence, and I’m proud to tell each patient that I look forward to seeing them on their next visit
Continuity of Care
Working in a regional location provides unique challenges; patients often experience waiting times and need to travel to regional hubs to access services. With our full suite of diagnostic technology, we can relieve patients of some of these stresses by offering a high standard of primary care close to home.
This has enabled me to develop professional relationships with local GPs, who regularly send me urgent referrals for ocular conditions, red eyes, and headaches. I have removed more embedded corneal foreign bodies in the past 12 months than in my previous 10 years. Additionally, I have seen undiagnosed cases of advanced glaucoma, bilateral disc oedema, full thickness macular holes, and all manner of conditions in between. I have also been able to help reduce the patient specialist burden, by co-managing patients with local ophthalmologists.
Patients who see me for the first time often tell me that every time they present for an eye examination, they encounter a new face in the practice. I strongly believe that continuity of care is critical for patient confidence, and I’m proud to tell each patient that I look forward to seeing them on their next visit to our practice.
Loving the Lifestyle
As a country boy at heart, I was excited to be offered the opportunity to provide care in a regional location. Kempsey is approximately half an hour from some of the best coastlines on planet Earth, and I’m able to get out into nature regularly. I find that exploring local wilderness and rainforest helps me relax and unwind over the weekends.
Within Kempsey itself, I feel a sense of inclusion that I’ve found lacking in metropolitan centres. I often stop to chat with patients down at the shops and at community events, rather than just seeing them every one or two years for their eye exam.
In conclusion, my career move to regional NSW has enabled me to find a great work-life balance. The team at OPSM set me up with the tools needed to provide excellent primary eyecare, in a role that challenges my skillset and is tremendously rewarding, both professionally and personally. I’m excited to continue growing the bonds I have already established and creating new ones in years to come.
Benjamin Chant graduated from Queensland University of Technology in 2012. He practises optometry with OPSM at Kempsey.
