Attendees at ANZEF’s 2023 mentoring day: (back L-R) Drs Luke Hawley, Alistair Papali’i-Curtin, Nick Mantell, Alexandra Lawrence, Micah Rapata, Tiwini Hemi and Pryce Payne and (front L-R) Drs Will Cunningham, Justin Mora and Isaac Samuels

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists’ (RANZCO) Māori and Pasifika Eye Health Committee (MPEHC) is holding a mentoring hui on 14 September to highlight the specialty to Māori and Pasifika medical students and to support junior doctors vying for selection into the ophthalmology training programme.

The hui is supported by RANZCO’s philanthropic arm, the Australian and New Zealand Eye Foundation (ANZEF). A smaller version was held in 2023, catering just for junior doctors. It was so successful it prompted this year’s scaled-up version, said Paula Llavallol, ANZEF’s head of foundation. “This year’s workshop is set up to accommodate up to 17 attendees and forms part of a strategy to grow the First Nations eye health workforce in Australia and New Zealand.”

Helming the workshop is Auckland ophthalmologist and chair of the RANZCO MPEHC, Dr Justin Mora. The workshop will be a combination of live tasters, including a wet-lab and use of ophthalmic tools for the more junior group, plus a tailored mentoring workshop focusing on presenting and interview skills to prepare candidates for the rigorous RANZCO selection process, he said. “The enthusiasm for the medical student workshop has been very encouraging, with applications far outstripping the wet-lab capacity. We are prioritising those who are further along in their training and hope to be able to offer this opportunity to more students next year.”

Among the day’s highlights will be a whakawhanaungatanga, an opportunity for the Māori and Pasifika medical students, junior and senior doctors to learn about each other and discuss their interest in ophthalmology, said Dr Mora. They will discuss a day in the life of an ophthalmologist and share some surgical videos. Every student will also have 20-30 minutes using the EyeSi simulator for cataract surgery and a session on suturing and working down an operating microscope, he said.

The workshop is funded by ANZEF, with support from a three-year Alcon partnership and other donors who are dedicated to advancing equity and access to eyecare, said Llavallol.