How to make the most out of attending Ophthalmology conferences
It is well known that Ophthalmology is becoming an increasing competitive specialty with competition ratios of 14.41 (NHS England, 2024). With increasing popularity, the need for a high-scoring portfolio has also been increasing. Building this can feel overwhelming and requires a lot of dedication and organisation early on, including in medical school. It can be easy to focus on building your portfolio; however, it is also important to maintain your interest in the speciality and ensure this is the career path you want to follow.
Whilst focusing on gathering the more achievable points, it can become tough to find opportunities and ideas for some of the more challenging portfolio points.
There are up to 3 points available for attending conferences (Severndeanery.nhs.uk, 2025):
National / International Ophthalmology educational meetings attended (1 point per meeting)
Regional Ophthalmology meetings (including Royal Society of Medicine Ophthalmology Section) attended (0.5 points per meeting, 1 point max)
However, going to conferences can be a lot more beneficial than just those points. It can sometimes be difficult as a medical student to navigate conferences; especially when attending larger ones such as National or International. Focusing on the various reasons for going to the conference can help manage this feeling. This article is aimed at giving tips on how to make the most out of attending Ophthalmology conferences.
Here are some popular Ophthalmology conferences and meetings:
RCOphth Annual Congress
Royal Society of Medicine (RSM)- Ophthalmology Section Annual Meeting
Moorfields Academy Meeting (free)
Moorfields Patient-As-Teacher Symposium (free)
Subspecialty conferences:
BEAVRS- British and Eire Association of Vitreoretinal Surgeons
BOPPS- British Oculoplastic Surgery Society
1. Networking
Conferences are recognised for being a great networking event. It is an opportunity for you to meet other doctors and discuss potential academic opportunities including research projects. It can also be beneficial to network with your own peers, speaking to other students can be useful to discuss how to balance building a portfolio with medical school or being a resident doctor. Personally, I found meeting peers from other medical schools and talking about our different experiences useful, and also learning about new useful resources and symposiums. Since Ophthalmology requires you to work on your portfolio from an early stage, you may sometimes feel alone in this journey, meeting other people in a similar position can be quite encouraging. I felt this was easier at smaller conferences such as when I attended the RSM- Ophthalmology Section meeting.
2. Present own work
If you have had the opportunity to be involved in research, it is a great idea to present your work either as a poster or oral presentation. Not only does this provide additional points on your portfolio under the presentations section, presenting your own work is a useful skill to develop and this is a great occasion to build on this. It provides opportunities to discuss your work and provide a way to meet new people at the conference that are interested in what you have done. Once you have had the opportunity to present your work, you may notice you feel more confident at future events.
You can present your research as either a poster or oral presentation. To do this, you must submit an abstract of your work and then await confirmation of its acceptance and the form of presentation- poster/oral. Make sure to check for abstract deadlines when planning a submission, as they close a few months before the conference date. Oral presentations provide more points for the portfolio; points are halved for poster presentations, however in my experience, they are often easier to be accepted than oral presentations. Remember every point counts!
During medical school your research opportunities may not always be in Ophthalmology, however this can still benefit your portfolio. I have completed research within other specialties and presented them at National conferences within that specialty, which will still contribute towards the presentation points within your portfolio.
Figure 1- My National conference poster
3. New technology
Often Ophthalmology conferences have lots of high-tech equipment that Ophthalmologists use to train using their specialty training. If you have not had the opportunity to use any eye simulation equipment such as the Haag-Streit EyeSi (which may be available in your local trust hospital). Often conferences can provide a great chance to give it a go! It can be useful even if you have already completed your hours on the EyeSi machine. You can sometimes even get feedback or watch experts complete simulated surgeries including cataract surgery. Some of these companies also have online education resources, aimed at students and trainees, that you can be introduced to, which might be useful in the future.
Figure 2- Haag-Streit EyeSi equipment
4. Learning about new advances in field
Looking in advance at the programme to see which talks you find interesting can allow you to plan your day at the conference. Listening to interesting talks can keep you engaged and can give you inspiration from the work other people have done. Exploring different subspecialties and learning about new areas within Ophthalmology can be exciting and conferences provide a unique opportunity to be exposed to such a variety of topics in one place. For instance, I attended the RCOphth annual congress and listened to a talk about sports ophthalmology which I knew very little about but found interesting to see the range of eye injuries that can be caused by various sports, although not a new advancement, it was new for myself.
Additionally, learning about new technology and its potential future use is relevant. I came across Optomap for the first time, similar to an OCT but provides a wider-field view of the retina and is simple to use. Learning differences in the technology available can provide useful for future clinical practice.
5. Reflection
Attending a conference can become a long day that involves lots of different experiences. It can be beneficial to reflect on the day: aspects you enjoyed, and thought were interesting, aspects that you found informative and any personal goals you achieved. Whether it was your first time presenting work or public speaking, having discussions with clinicians or feeling inspired by listening to others talk. I personally remember the first time attending a conference for a poster presentation, having to answer questions about my work, was a new and exciting experience where I learnt a lot about my presentation skills.
It can also be useful to think if there was anyone you met that you hoped to work with and follow up with in the future. Ultimately, conferences are a great opportunity for networking!
References
NHS England (2024). 2024 Competition ratios | Workforce, training and education | NHS England. [online] Available at: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios/2024-competition-ratios [Accessed 12 Jun. 2025].
Severn Deanery.nhs.uk. (2025). Evidence Folder - Severn PGME. [online] Available at: https://www.severndeanery.nhs.uk/recruitment/vacancies/show/oph-2026/evidence-folder-lib [Accessed 12 Jun. 2025].