What’s happening in May?

May is off to a great start. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is visiting for a week, with surgeons looking to gain their refraction certificate. They’ll make the most of the clinical bays on Floor 5, which provide a realistic environment for candidates during optical assessments – in this case, the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). Each surgeon will examine three patients, performing a retinoscopy on each eye.

Later this month, we will welcome back the team from Positive Impact for a contact lens workshop. They’ll enjoy the panoramic views from Floor 5, making the most of the cabaret set-up in our lecture theatre as well as the clinical bays. Delegates and exhibitors are coming from across the UK. 

The Specsavers professional development team will be coming to Birmingham for their pre-reg academy over the course of two days. Last year, we hosted around 120 trainee optometrists and hope to welcome similar numbers in 2025. We’ll set up our flexible spaces in classroom layout, supporting the students to work collaboratively. They will also use the clinical bays – the perfect setting to prepare for optical exams. 

After the spring bank holiday, ABDO College will join us for their senior optical assistant exams. We’ll transform Floor 4, creating multiple bays with partitions across the four lecture rooms. This allows the visiting candidates to focus on the task at hand. During exam season, our reception is set up as a waiting area to accommodate those waiting to complete the various sections.

It’s always a pleasure to welcome people back to the NRC and we are incredibly proud to have companies choosing us time and time again.