WRITER Professor Peter McCluskey

As the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) prepares for its 56th Annual Scientific Congress in Melbourne in November, Professor Peter McCluskey discusses the benefits that can only be achieved by in-person events.

The upcoming RANZCO Congress is likely to be the largest we have ever hosted. The growing attendance at RANZCO’s congresses, as well as the many other events I attend across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and internationally, is testament to the immense value medical education events hold for health practitioners through in-depth knowledge sharing and networking.

Medical conferences remain essential. Even in the age of webinars and online learning, in-person events demonstrate that there is no substitute for face-to-face dialogue. Corridor conversations, debates, and discussions over lunch often bring more insight and inspiration than the lectures themselves.

This year, world-renowned ophthalmic leaders from Australia, NZ, Sweden, India, the United Kingdom, and Brazil will present their international lens on ophthalmic innovation. Their presence at the Congress will be your chance to absorb learned insights from regions tackling eye care in vastly different healthcare settings.

Additionally, a broad range of keynote speakers will update attendees on the many exciting developments across ophthalmology. Major advances including those in ocular oncology, genetically determined eye disease, and medical retinal disease will be highlighted. As a uveitis sub-specialist, I am particularly looking forward to hearing my friend and colleague Professor Daniel Vitor Vasconcelos-Santos. I hope he will give us the Brazilian perspective on ocular toxoplasmosis, which is one of the commonest forms of uveitis in the world and a major problem in Brazil.

The Congress is also an important opportunity to hear and discuss some of the many changes coming to the health spaces of Australia and NZ. RANZCO’s area of focus continues to be on advancing Vision 2030 and beyond,1 our strategic roadmap steering eye health equity, workforce sustainability, and collaboration. This takes place against an environment of rapid change from government and the regulators; from the expanded remit of the National Health Practitioner Ombudsman, to the launch of an expedited pathway for specialist international medical graduates, and significant changes to areas of focus in health in NZ – there will be plenty to discuss.

Not just for ophthalmologists, the Congress is for the entire eye care team. The Practice Managers’ Conference audience is often populated by fellows as well as practice managers, other allied health professionals and industry experts. Experts who have refined day-to-day operations in high-performing eye care practices will be there front and centre. Expect real-world solutions on contact centre optimisation, staffing, billing, patient flow – and the confidence to implement them immediately. This all contributes to facilitating better patient care and outcomes.

Finally, for anyone who is still to be convinced that the Congress has something to offer, I strongly encourage you to review the Congress website. There are ample continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities and a diverse range of pre-Congress activities. Friday 14 November, in particular, is jam-packed with the global eye health workshop, CPD sessions, and a three-hour workshop facilitated by Dr Sarah Dalton, a paediatric emergency physician and experienced executive coach who will be covering the topic of leadership through wellbeing.

When you do register for Congress, you will notice that RANZCO has again put a strong focus on sustainability. The registration form includes an option to support TreeProject Victoria. This organisation is restoring indigenous vegetation and repairing Victoria’s ecosystems. Volunteers grow and care for native seedlings at home, which are then planted across the state. For AU$10, you can offset your footprint by supporting trees that absorb carbon from the atmosphere and for $1,000, you can sponsor a Planting Day, where up to 1,000 seedlings are planted across Victoria.

I hope you will join me in Melbourne and bring your eyes to the future of ophthalmology at RANZCO’s Congress.

RANZCO’s 56th Annual Scientific Congress is taking place from 14–17 November 2025 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Visit: ranzco2025.com.

Professor Peter McCluskey AO is President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Reference 1. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Vision 2030 and beyond. Available at: ranzco.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/RANZCO-Vision-2030-and-beyond-v2.pdf [accessed August 2025].