Carina Wang

Class of 2014/2015

Exchange Period: 28 July - 24 August 2014
The University of Melbourne 

The 2014 summer had been one of my most memorable experiences. My fellow classmates and I were attached to the Department of Optometry and Vision Science, the University of Melbourne, which offered us clinical training, ophthalmic lectures and clinical grand rounds. As the most livable city in the world, Melbourne also brought us a very pleasant life experience there.

The University of Melbourne is the only school that offers the Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree in Australia. Therefore, we got to work with their post-graduate students and learnt a lot from them. We had hands-on experience of therapeutic management for different ocular problems, which is not yet legally permissible for optometrists to carry out in Hong Kong. The contrast between patients we came across in Australia and in Hong Kong was another highlight. The patients in Melbourne were diverse culturally and ethnically, which turned out to be a great opportunity to boost my communication skills. Besides attending clinics, we also had clinical grand rounds and several ophthalmic seminars covering some up-to-date topics.

Last but not least, the trip has boosted my self-confidence; we should never underestimate the power of confidence and the difference that we could make. This one-month exchange programme was short but it indeed inspired me in the long term.