News from the AOA's Blog

By Ben Gaddie, O.D., Meetings Center Continuing Education Committee chair

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most distinguished lecturers in the nation at the 2011 Optometry’s Meeting® in Salt Lake City, Utah. There will be new programs, topics, lecturers, and more free CE than ever before!  Continuing education begins on Wednesday, June 15 and continues through Sunday, June 19.  Pre-register for your CE to receive early-bird rates!

For the first time ever, Optometry’s Meeting® will be hosting Specialty Day! Kick your week off on Wednesday with five innovative societies that will be offering continuing education in specialty areas of optometry. The participating societies include: the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD), the Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS), the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry (OSSO), the Optometric Retina Society (ORS), and the Vision Leads Foundation. Please visit www.optometrysmeeting.org/x6160.xml or e-mail Stacy Diliberto at sadiliberto@aoa.org for further information. 

The OD program begins late Wednesday afternoon following Specialty Day and continues through Sunday. Optometrists can choose from more than 200 hours of education in a wide range of topics that will fulfill any doctor’s educational needs.  In the past, we have offered education in two theaters in the Exhibit Hall; this year we have seven theaters! Be sure to attend courses in the Practice Management and Career Center offering discounted education supported by an unrestricted education grant from CIBA Vision and Luxottica; the Discovery Theaters offering complimentary education on topics such as: contact lenses and solutions, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, optical, and general optometry; and the Complete Refractive Solution Theater offering complimentary education supported by unrestricted education grant from AMO.

We all have these cases in our offices.  The ones that make you scratch your head, call a colleague, or go to an extreme reference source. Attend course 1018, “House OD: Case Reports and Video Grand Rounds,” on Thursday evening and be part of this interactive course where attendees will have a chance to collaboratively diagnose these types of cases. The evening will also include a video contest that ODs can submit for viewing at the course. If you are interested in submitting a video, e-mail Stacy Diliberto at sadiliberto@aoa.org for further information.

A team approach is beneficial and necessary in an eye care practice, so we have incorporated a team approach to learning in programs. OD and paraoptometric joint courses will include a variety of topics to ensure your office is providing the best in patient care. Course topics will include optimizing the patient experience, in-office finishing, social media, and medical eye care coding.   

The paraoptometric program consists of three new tracks of education that will not disappoint! The three tracks will cover assistant/technician, optical, and practice management education. All of the courses are designed to keep the optometric staff educated on the latest developments in patient care, new products in the industry, general knowledge of eye health, and career advancement. 

Optometrists and paraoptometrics can enjoy more than 40 hours of free education, included in the base registration fee, courtesy of some of the premiere companies in the profession. This is the largest number of free courses ever offered, keeping Optometry’s Meeting® the best value in our profession.  We understand the tough economic times; therefore, we are once again increasing our complimentary offerings. These courses will fill up fast, so register early to reserve your seat!

In true American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) fashion, the student program is guaranteed to benefit the future of optometry. The education program includes courses that will give students valuable information about the transition from student to doctor, the strategies to private-practice ownership, common cases in optometry, and creating a niche in an optometry practice.  This year we added an additional benefit to student registrations—all student education will be complimentary!

Come join us at the 114th Annual AOA Congress & 41st Annual AOSA Conference: Optometry’s Meeting®. Visit www.optometrysmeeting.org for complete information and to register today!