As I prepare to step into the world of Orthoptics and embark on my career as an Orthoptist, the conference has been an exceptionally encouraging experience. After an unsettled few years with the pandemic, BIOS 2023 conference was buzzing with members that made 10% of the workforce.
I found myself warmly welcomed into the community of experts from all over the UK and many were gracious to send their first day tips to us students. Dr Anna Horwood’s talk about her career progression and the concept of “imposter syndrome” was insightful and I found it very inspirational to see how far her career has taken her. She credited a lot her success to the support of mentors, highlighting the importance of a supportive network of supervisors and colleagues at all levels within our niche area of work.
These conferences provide a wonderful opportunity to explore the research of others into emerging technologies aimed at supporting the profession. The concept of Virtual Reality (VR) between hospitals clinics and University teaching opened my eyes to a new dimension of learning in some interesting research from Dr Jignasa Mehta. Additionally, the conference gave opportunity to discuss the technologies that make up the foundation of many of our daily tools; Kay Picture’s had a lovely stand with all the fun and friendly Orthoptic toys that get little eyes happy to comply in clinic!
It is clear that supporters of the conference are very important to its success, it was lovely to have the Guide Dogs who also gave a great talk on the services they provide for both adults and children. I had no idea of the plethora of services to support our patients beyond dogs. Adapted books and toys to name a few. I would really urge any reader to see what local services their Guide Dog’s can offer their patients.
As I pen down these reflections of a fantastic two-days, I would like to extend a heartfelt gratitude to the organizers, speakers and fellow attendees for making this conference an unforgettable milestone in my orthoptic journey. I look forward to meeting a lot of you in the future, and definitely at the BIOS conference 2024!
