Applications open for online eye banking course

Information provided by UoM states the self-paced online program had been developed by leading international experts in the sector and could be completed within one year of part time study.The new initiative was first announced in February 2017 and, at the time, Dr Grae Pollock from CERA’s Lions Eye Donation Service said graduates would “transition beyond the fundamentals of eye banking and erge as knowledgeable professionals and eye tissue custodians. They will develop skills that can be applied to all stages of eye tissue managent including donor selection and recovery, recipient donor managent, tissue examination and legal and regulatory requirents.“The international course has been developed in conjunction with sector partners the Eye Bank Association of Australia and New Zealand (EBAANZ) and Donatelife Australia,” Pollock added.It is suitable for existing eye bankers, those new to the field and people who work in related sectors, and has been designed to deliver a comprehensive, advanced theoretical and technical evidence-based education program.According to UoM information, aside from learning about the role of eye banking within the health syst, graduates would also receive an insight into the systs and regulations that underpin ocular transplantation, and the diversity and differences in the managent of eye tissue around the world.Furthermore, an additional component of the coursework will explore bioethics in both the national and international context. Participants are encouraged to complete the Graduate Certificate, however, completion of the first core subject will see participants awarded with a ‘Specialist Certificate in The Fundamentals of Eye Banking’.The three-subject course is the first in the country to receive approval from EBAANZ. Applications close on July 31.