Dr. Ekaterina Osmak, Voronezh Regional Eye Hospital, Voronezh, Russia SOE Grant Report

The are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle. The

other is as though everything is a miracle.

– Albert Einstein

 

It was like a miracle, when I received an email from SOE which was started with the word: ”Congratulations!…” I was so excited! Which one clinic should I choose? Then was a year of waiting of observership the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. But it was worth it! I spent 4 wonderful November weeks in Corneal, Adnexal, Cataract & Vitreoretinal services. During my stay I was exposed to new operating techniques, treatment protocols and modern hospital management. Every day consists of 3 parts 1) lectures (you can choose which one do you want to attend) 2) clinics or theatre (depends on department) in the morning and in the afternoon with a break for lunch in a middle. Also there were several days when I was able to visit a library in Institute of Ophthalmology, which is located close to MEH and provides all kinds of ophthalmological books in different subspecialties. Each day was full of interesting meetings, findings and discoveries! The teaching programme was amazing. There were consultant’s lectures and in the end we discussed the problem, everyone of our small group was able to explain his point of view and ask a question to consultant. Sometimes it were reports of fellows of their investigations or rare clinical cases with video of surgical performance and photos. We were exchanging the experience – how this situation managed by doctors from other countries. Also I had the opportunity to attend Residents’ Half-day Teaching programme. There were different topics, for example: «The Art of being Service director» – Leadership training.

At the clinics I discovered a lot of very important things: new methods of treatment, management of difficult cases and patient education. I met many wonderful people such are: Mr. B. Allan, Miss M. Beaconsfield, Mr. J. Uddin; Mr. F. Larkin, Mr. P. Sullivan, Miss M. Vesaluoma and Miss M. Garcia-Vilaro. All of them paid a lot of attention, supported me and helped to my professional developing very much. I spent a lot of time in the Theatre, where I have seen numerous surgical procedures of penetrating and lamellar keratoplasty, DSAEK, different kinds of plastic lid surgery after severe traumatic injuries; PHAKO+PHEMTO and many others. Vitreoretinal department impressed me by modern techniques of surgical treatment retinal detachment, macular hole. Some of that, I believe, is possible to apply in our clinic in Russia.

This observership not only upgraded my ophthalmological knowledge, but also, presented professional contacts and introduced me to London J It was one of the best periods of my life. I would like to thanks everybody, who organized and realized this grant programme that helps us all, ophthalmologists from developing countries, enjoy and discover the wonderful specialty that is ophthalmology.

Thank you very much!

 

Dr. Ekaterina Osmak, Voronezh Regional Eye Hospital, Voronezh, Russia