Collaborate with us

The primary purpose of our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program is to provide members with accessible, high quality, evidence-based learning to address any identified gaps in their skill and knowledge base. We aim to inspire and enhance their ability to deliver the emerging eye care needs of their local communities with confidence.

Early Career Optometrists

Our ECO Committee hosts regular evening CPD events in Victoria during the year for small (workshops) to medium groups (interactive lectures) and is always looking for ophthalmologists who are keen to share their expertise and passion at an OV/SA-hosted event such as this. The schedule is based on identified clinical need, so please understand if we ask to postpone your suggested event to make way for a topic of higher priority. Any evidence you can provide (e.g. quality of referrals, new research findings) to support your suggested topic is always welcome. A minimum of 2 months notice is required for consideration.

All members

Our OV/SA CPD Committee hosts regular OV/SA CPD events in Victoria and South Australia during the year and welcomes ophthalmologists who are keen to share their expertise and passion to present. Events vary in size and format and may have clinical themes depending on identified clinical need. A minimum of 2 months notice is required for consideration.

• O=MEGA – 3 day clinical education programme hosted by OVSA in unison with Australia’s largest trade show hosted by ODMA. 1000 delegates from around Australia and overseas. Melbourne.
• Evening CPD events – 2-3 hour local events focusing on one topic and 1-2 speakers hosted in Melbourne. Interactive 40-100 local optometrists depending on topic and format. 3-5 per year.
• OV/SA Regional Series – 2 hour interactive lecture over lunch or dinner in regional areas. Small group only.
• OV/SA Blue Sky Congress – 2 day clinical conference hosted in Adelaide in alternate years. 200-250 delegates. 50% from outside South Australia.

Our members are always keen to hear clinical pearls and research updates relevant to optometry practice and collaborative patient care. Don’t forget to ‘follow us’ on the following social media pages:

OV/SA Early Career Optometrists Facebook page – news will be shared at the discretion of the OV/SA ECO Committee and will be visible to all SA and VIC ECO members.

OV/SA Facebook page and LinkedIn page – news is shared at the discretion of OV/SA and will be visible to all members in SA and VIC.

OV/SA Snapshot is our fortnightly electronic newsletter distributed to all members across South Australia and Victoria.  It provides an opportunity to communicate updates, news and opportunities.

We recognise that there are times when your event objectives do not align with ours, or you are unable to provide us with the minimum required notice of 2 months to consider your request for collaboration. As a result you will choose to organise and promote your own event.

• Education evenings

We encourage  you to maximise the number of optometrists attending your event by consulting the OA event calendar before scheduling (to ensure that the date does not clash with an existing event) and securing CPD points for your event (where applicable).

This Optometry Australia service does attract a small fee but ensures that our members know about your event and can register via the member portal.

• Clinic tours and information sessions

If your event is not for educational purposes, OV/SA is happy to consider including in our OV/SA Snapshot newsletter.

Our younger members are often keen to undertake a professional development short course or attend an optometry conference interstate or overseas, but are worried about the cost. A Victorian ophthalmologist has sponsored an annual grant of up to $1,500 for the last two years specifically for this purpose and we now offer the same opportunity to one or more of our ophthalmology colleagues here in South Australia.

ECOs can apply for funds to support a range of professional development activities run by recognised institutions and the grant can support one or more applicants in any given year. CPD examples include:

• participation in professional development short courses or specialist certificates e.g. myopia management, advanced contact lens practice, paediatrics, anterior eye disease and dry eye, acquired brain injury, sports vision;
• clinical workshops e.g. foreign body removal, glaucoma assessment techniques such as gonioscopy and OCT interpretation, mini-scleral and orthokeratology contact lenses;
• attendance at national or international optometry conferences; or
• further study including Masters, PhD or research studies, or post-graduate certificates or courses which may be within or outside the practitioners current scope of practice.

The primary purpose of our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program is to provide members with accessible, high quality, evidence-based learning to address any identified gaps in their skill and knowledge base. We aim to inspire and enhance their ability to deliver the emerging eye care needs of their local communities with confidence.

Early Career Optometrists

Our ECO Committee hosts regular evening CPD events in Adelaide during the year for small (workshops) to medium groups (interactive lectures) and is always looking for ophthalmologists who are keen to share their expertise and passion at an OVSA hosted event such as this. The schedule is based on identified clinical need, so please understand if we ask to postpone your suggested event to make way for a topic of higher priority. Any evidence you can provide (e.g. quality of referrals, latest research) to support your suggested topic is always welcome.

All members

Our OVSA CPD Committee hosts regular OVSA CPD events in SA and Victoria during the year and is always looking for ophthalmologists who are keen to share their expertise and passion. Events vary in size and format and may have clinical themes depending on identified clinical need.

• OV/SA Blue Sky Congress – 2 day clinical conference hosted in Adelaide in alternate years. 200-250 delegates. 50% from South Australia.
• OV/SA Blue Sky Congress presents “A Day in May” – 1 day clinical conference hosted in Adelaide in alternate years. 100 SA optometrists.
• OV/SA Blue Sky Congress presents “A Day in November”– 1 day clinical conference hosted in Adelaide in alternate years. 100 SA optometrists.
• Evening CPD events – 2-3 hour local events focusing on one topic and 1-2 speakers. Interactive 20-40 local optometrists depending on topic and format. 3-5 per year.
• OV/SA Regional Series – 2 hour interactive lecture over lunch or dinner in regional areas. Small group only. 2 per year.
• O=MEGA – 3 day clinical education programme hosted by OVSA in unison with Australia’s largest trade show hosted by ODMA. 1000 delegates from around Australia and overseas. Melbourne.

Our members are always keen to hear clinical pearls and research updates relevant to optometry practice and collaborative patient care. Don’t forget to ‘follow us’ on the following social media pages:

OV/SA Early Career Optometrists Facebook page – news will be shared at the discretion of the OVSA ECO Committee and will be visible to all SA and VIC ECO members.

OV/SA Facebook page and LinkedIn page – news is shared at the discretion of OV/SA and will be visible to all members in SA and VIC.

OV/SA Snapshot is our regular electronic newsletter distributed to all members across South Australia and Victoria.  It provides an opportunity to communicate updates, news and opportunities.

We recognise that there are times when your event objectives do not align with ours and as a result you will choose to organise and promote your own event.

• Education evenings

We encourage  you maximise the number of optometrists attending your event by consulting the OA event calendar before scheduling (to ensure that the date does not clash with an existing event) and securing CPD points for your event (where applicable).

This Optometry Australia service does attract a small fee but ensures that our members know about your event and can register via the member portal.

• Clinic tours and information sessions

If your event is not for educational purposes, OV/SA is happy to promote it to members via OV/SA News.