The University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) orthoptics department celebrated the opening of its new purpose-built facilities with a clinician’s evening last week.
The department has moved to new, purpose-built facilities opposite UTS’ main campus, consolidating all of the university’s Graduate School of Health departments into a single location.
As well commemorating the move, the clinician’s evening was held to thank those who have supported the education of UTS’ orthoptics students. Corporate supporters of the evening included HumanWare, Device Technologies, and Glaukos.
The clinical and research endeavours of the department, which includes electrophysiology and virtual reality, are all housed side-by-side within the new facility. In something that is expected to provide a competitive edge for the department, the facility also offers a postgraduate student lounge.
The evening was opened by Professor Kathryn Rose, UTS orthoptics’ head of discipline. She explained the move and thanked all those involved, including UTS staff and a relocation company.
Staff and graduates both past and present, with some dating back to the course’s Cumberland College (USyd) years, were in attendance.
Representatives of industry and some of the larger employers were also present. Some of the latter were recognised on the evening, with several awards based on the number of student contact hours they had contributed to the course over the academic year.
After announcing the award winners Rose revealed that the course produced 58 graduates at the end of 2018, making it one of the largest orthoptics educators in the southern hemisphere, and it has been re-accredited for the second time.
Furthermore, orthoptics is now touted as a champion for the university, thanks to the outstanding attributes of its graduates and its achievement of intended learning outcomes.
Total clinical placement hours for the course are expected to exceed 23,300 hours in 2019, including time offered at the Singapore Eye Centre. Time in New Zealand is expected to be made available for the 2020 academic year.
The other departments now located alongside orthoptics are pharmacy, clinical psychology, physiotherapy, speech pathology, genetic counselling, and indigenous health.
