Optometry Australia (OA) is pulling together a second Rural and Outreach COPE Group for optometrists who provide eye health care services to rural and remote communities.
The move follows the success of the first Rural Community of Practice and Education (COPE) group
According to an OA statement, COPE groups “provide an excellent way to meet your CPD requirements providing (independent) interactive clinical case-based discussions up to eight times a year”.
The group will involve a small number of experienced clinicians already engaging in rural or outreach practice, and clinicians who are either new to this environment or wish to increase their confidence or scope of care.
It will involve one-hour virtual meetings approximately once every six weeks, across the course of two years, designed to foster support, mentorship, and education in evidence-based practice, via peer-to-peer virtual interactive CPD meetings.
“COPE groups provide a unique delivery of CPD, where practitioners with similar interests can discuss cases, challenges and new evidence that is relevant to their area of practice,” OA said.
“The groups are designed to foster learning, inter-collegiate connections and facilitate upskilling amongst practitioners.”
Meetings were designed to be held in the evenings for those living in Eastern states (usually around 7:00 or 7:30pm) and late in the afternoon (at or after 4:30pm) for those in Western Australia. They are conducted over Zoom.
OA is keen to involve:
- Members of Optometry Australia with a special interest in providing care or outreach services to those living in rural or remote areas.
- Experienced clinicians keen to participate in a group of engaged optometrists passionate about rural or outreach care or optometrists interested in expanding their health service delivery model who wish to have mentorship and support.
- Clinicians who have the desire and capacity to enact change within their practice.
Those interested are encouraged to email n.anstice@optometry.org.au with the subject line ‘COPE Rural 2 group application’ before 5pm Monday, 27 January 2025.
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