president’s introduction
As I enter my second year as President I am more passionate than ever about the vital work the College undertakes on behalf of our profession and the optical sector. The College, as a professional body, plays a unique role in shaping the profession. In delivering the highest levels of support for members it enables our members to provide the best level of professional service to their patients. This is evidenced through the development of our Code of Ethics and Guidance; through our Clinical Management Guidelines, providing evidence-based information on the diagnosis and management of a range of eye conditions; through our leading publications, providing authoritative reviews of areas of research, practice and theory; through our clinical conferences, Optometry Tomorrow and DOCET’s award winning learning materials and through our investment in the development of the Scheme for Registration, ensuring a comprehensive and fair assessment.
Following an extensive period of review and development, 2010’s trainees were the first to qualify under the College’s new style Scheme for Registration. The Scheme is now at the cutting edge of assessment for postgraduate education. The introduction of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), discriminates well between trainees who have reached the required standard and those who have not. An OSCE samples from the whole range of patient conditions that the newly qualified optometrist would manage. It is this wide sampling that ensures the OSCE is a fair assessment. These radical changes have ensured a more consistent approach among Assessors and offer a better measure of trainees’ competence. I was pleased to see so many members at our first regional event in the North
West. Supporting the profession is at the heart of our work and initiatives like our programme of regional events have been very well received. As well as addressing relevant and topical areas of practice, these events offer a really valuable opportunity for practitioners to meet in an informal setting. Keep an eye on the College website for details of future events. This overview highlights some of our key successes and challenges over the last
year. The College has invested heavily in several areas this year. In developing high quality materials and events so that members can keep up-to-date and access the latest information, in promoting our profession by raising the profile of optometry and eye health with the public, the media, policy makers and commissioners and also in research by supporting and financing academic and practice-based research, circulating this work and commissioning two major projects that will help us to develop the evidence-base for the profession. This investment is crucial for the development of our profession and this report will help you to understand how income from membership subscription fees is invested. It has been a busy and demanding year and this report reflects both the variety and the breadth of the College’s work. The College is going from strength to strength. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff team and my colleagues on Council and the Board of Trustees for their enthusiasm and dedication. I would also like to thank you, our members, for your commitment to the College and the profession. Our work is only possible with your continued support.
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Dr Cindy Tromans
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