On Friday 23 June, the Grafton Atrium successfully hosted the first Year 13 Health Academies Conference and Clinical Discovery Expo targeted at schools’ “Health Science Academies” programme, which is currently administered by Te Whatu Ora in partnership with key schools across the region.
The kaupapa of the conference and the Clinical Discovery Expo component was to bring the visibility and pathway viabilities from our clinical programmes into the recruitment space where year 13 students are first starting to consider their clinical opportunities and options going into either Year 1 BHSc / BioMed.
The School of Optometry and Vision Science display stood out with its bright red tablecloth, banners, visual illusion posters by Associate Professor Sam Schwarzkopf, large model eye filled with treats, and a portable slit lamp microscope.
Associate Head (Academic) Bhav Solanki and alumna Aimee Lloyd-Parangi talked with approximately 70 visitors. Year 13 students and some teachers enthusiastically engaged in a slit lamp familiarisation task, model eye activity and learning about the present and the future of Optometry.
Many thanks go to technical staff Adina Giurgiu and Arash Chaparian for their fantastic set-up (and pack down) support, and enthusiasm for the event.