A Renewed Look at Optometry
A Renewed Look at Optometry
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) annual meeting, held October 23-26 in Seattle, Washington, was a stellar example of the future of our profession and its lifelong learning opportunities. Each day, and for several preceding days, between 7 and 11 continuing education (CE) hours were accessible to the attendees. Formats ranged from lectures, posters, scientific papers, symposia, and workshops to a plenary session that welcomed approximately 1000 participants.
The AAO attendee was able to participate in a robust learning environment from the time the sun cracked over the Cascades to well after it disappeared below the Puget Sound. In addition to the Academy program, many specialty society meetings were available to the inclined practitioner. Special topics, including retinal disease, glaucoma, and ocular nutrition, were highlighted in the society setting. The AAO educational presentations featured more than 20 key topics that offered more than 100 presentations daily.
The options available to registrants were dizzying at times. The internal battle over what to attend was constant. But the external challenge was apparent when several lectures far surpassed the room capacity of those wishing to attend. This left dozens of optometrists scanning for another option for learning before the doors closed. Fortunately, second choices were never to be considered lesser choices; equally relevant and well-constructed courses were in abundance.
The Academy meeting has always been a venue where the CE was varied with inclusion of timely topics. To its credit, the AAO's CE committee continually rotates in new speakers and topics to keep the meeting fresh.
Optometric Education, From Sunrise to Sunset
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) annual meeting, held October 23-26 in Seattle, Washington, was a stellar example of the future of our profession and its lifelong learning opportunities. Each day, and for several preceding days, between 7 and 11 continuing education (CE) hours were accessible to the attendees. Formats ranged from lectures, posters, scientific papers, symposia, and workshops to a plenary session that welcomed approximately 1000 participants.
The AAO attendee was able to participate in a robust learning environment from the time the sun cracked over the Cascades to well after it disappeared below the Puget Sound. In addition to the Academy program, many specialty society meetings were available to the inclined practitioner. Special topics, including retinal disease, glaucoma, and ocular nutrition, were highlighted in the society setting. The AAO educational presentations featured more than 20 key topics that offered more than 100 presentations daily.
The options available to registrants were dizzying at times. The internal battle over what to attend was constant. But the external challenge was apparent when several lectures far surpassed the room capacity of those wishing to attend. This left dozens of optometrists scanning for another option for learning before the doors closed. Fortunately, second choices were never to be considered lesser choices; equally relevant and well-constructed courses were in abundance.
The Academy meeting has always been a venue where the CE was varied with inclusion of timely topics. To its credit, the AAO's CE committee continually rotates in new speakers and topics to keep the meeting fresh.
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