What is the best course of action if a patient has an eye problem and can’t speak English, you don’t have any dilating drops and you are in the middle of rural Africa?

This was just one of the challenges faced by Raf Islam MCOptom on a two-week programme to Ghana a year into his full-time career. The clinical tutor and optometric adviser is among an estimated 10 million people globally who volunteer abroad every year (CBI, 2020).

Escaping your comfort zone, finding your strengths and weaknesses and reframing your thinking about challenging world issues are among the many benefits of offering your services for free in another country.

For optometrists, opportunities to learn about global eye health and how care is delivered in other countries are available at every career stage – including for students, the newly qualified and experienced clinicians.