Bill Harvey: Pigs on the wing

Just when I thought there was some sense of normality returning.

This week, the adapted stage 2 assessments for pre-reg optometrists began apace after a long hiatus. With a combination of PPE-shielded direct observation in practice and Zoom-based viva-style discussions of case scenarios, I believe the College has done a good job under very difficult circumstances.

Also this week, the excellent annual conference of the American Academy of Optometry begins. Originally planned for Nashville, the adapted event is now online so I will still be able to run some reports of what to look out for. Historically, the AAO event has proved a useful crystal ball for what may hit the UK in future. I saw my first OCT here, many years before they were seen in UK community practices. My sadness at missing a trip to the US is tempered by my having to miss a country and western themed social evening; so not all bad then.