by Nivi Aravind, Y5 Medical Student, University of Edinburgh, UK.
The 22nd Scottish Glaucoma Symposium enlivened the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh on 21 June in what was a delightful meeting of minds. The day’s programme was impeccably curated with a high calibre of speakers and attendees hailing from a variety of regions and sectors. The symposium’s sessions explored the topics of ‘Risk’, ‘Surgery’ and the ‘Community Glaucoma Scheme’, with the speakers presenting their respective research and experiential wisdom.
The presentations covered several facets of glaucoma care: the practicalities of delivering care with finite resources and increased demand; how to risk stratify and manage complex cases; and how the latest research informs both surgical and non-surgical glaucoma management. The breadth and depth of the expertise conferred by the speakers was truly exciting and engaging with important take-home messages to not only improve glaucoma care and clinical practice within Scotland, but also further afield. The speakers also highlighted interesting future prospectives for management, research and resource allocation.
Following each session was a panel discussion where the opportunity for audience questions encouraged insightful and informative discourse and underscored the strength and cooperation between colleagues from every sector of glaucoma care. In fact, the symposium, punctuated by wonderfully catered comfort breaks, was an excellent opportunity to engage with and to meet the various stakeholders invested in glaucoma management. Overall, it proved to be a thoroughly enriching experience – a day of important learning, conversation and much fun.
