Optometry’s
Meeting®: Reaching New Heights By Niki Henriksen, ICO Trustee
From the Space Needle to the Pike Place Market, Seattle offers a surplus
of attractions as the host city for the 2008 AOA Optometry’s Meeting®
from June 25-29. The majority of this year’s events will be held
at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, located in the city’s vibrant core
as a gateway to all the sights, sounds, and experiences of the fabulous
Northwest. Every year at Optometry’s Meeting®, thousands of practicing
optometrists, optometric students, paraoptometrics, and members of the
optometric industry gather to share concepts that enhance their practices,
the care they provide their patients, and the profession.
The Meeting kicks off on the evening of Wednesday, June 25, with the
Welcome Reception hosted by Bausch and Lomb. Thursday at the AOSA Awards
and General Session, sponsored by VSP, Mind Reader and Motivational
Speaker Robert Channing guarantees he’ll be able to tell what
students are thinking during an entertaining and interactive program.
Channing demonstrates the power of the human mind by predicting audience
members’ futures, bending spoons, and much more. Next, the Career
Options Expo features “Cracking the Code-The Keys to Implement
the Total Patient Care Model, Part 1,” by Dr. John Rumpakis. Thursday
night features the 17th Annual, ever-popular Optometry Superbowl, once
again sponsored by Essilor. Fierce optometric competitors representing
all the schools will vie for the grand prize of $1000, bragging rights,
and a crystal trophy.
Friday
morning begins with an NBEO Part I Review, Theoretical Ophthalmic and
Physiological Optics featuring Dr. Geoffrey Goodfellow. For those considering
an optometric residency after graduation, the Optometric Resident Forum
offers the opportunity to visit with residency Directors about individual
programs and application procedures. Students can get the “inside
scoop” on the programs and people that make each residency a unique,
challenging, and diverse experience. Friday morning also includes Part
2 of “Cracking the Code- The Keys to Implement the Total Patient
Care Model.” This session will provide a detailed breakdown of
the RBRVS system and provide the theory and coding protocols necessary
for a solid medical coding foundation. At the same time, an NBEO Part
I Review for Ocular/Visual Biology will be hosted by Scott Shatz, O.D.,
followed by the Systemic/Ocular Pharmacology NBEO Part I Review on Friday
afternoon. Friday’s highlight is the afternoon TLC lecture “Is
Your Patient a Candidate for Refractive Surgery?” with an unforgettable
evening to follow. TLC invites students to dance the night away at Trinity
Nightclub, one of Seattle’s hottest nightclubs. As one of the
largest dance floors on the West Coast, Trinity is an eclectic, multi-level
club with unique rooms to fit every mood. Students should be sure to
register early due to limited capacity, and attendance at the lecture
is a prerequisite.
Saturday
includes NBEO Reviews for Part II including Systemic Conditions and
Ocular Disease/Trauma, and Refractive/ Oculomotor/Sensory/Perpceptual
sessions. In addition, first- through fourth-year students are encouraged
to stroll through the Exhibit Hall during dedicated student focus hours,
with prize drawings from AOA and the New Student Graduate Committee.
New this year is a Student/New Graduate Kiosk where new grads will be
on hand to inform students about AOSA benefits, getting involved, and
the transition from AOSA to AOA. Saturday evening, at the Presidential
Celebration sponsored by Hoya, students are invited to Tonight’s
Show, honoring the new AOA President and Board of Trustees. The AOSA
Executive Council will be introduced, followed by a comedic performance
by the Emmy-winning host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno. Afterward, a
dessert reception with live music and dancing will give students the
opportunity to meet with friends, say final farewells, and make plans
to meet next year in Washington, DC.
All
in all, Seattle promises to be an excellent opportunity for students
to meet up with friends, future colleagues, and get a jump start on
preparing for Boards. It's a city where the extraordinary is commonplace
and commonplace is anything but. Don’t wait to make your travels
plans for Optometry’s Meeting® in Seattle 2008!
Friday
morning begins with an NBEO Part I Review, Theoretical Ophthalmic and
Physiological Optics featuring Dr. Geoffrey Goodfellow. For those considering
an optometric residency after graduation, the Optometric Resident Forum
offers the opportunity to visit with residency Directors about individual
programs and application procedures. Students can get the “inside
scoop” on the programs and people that make each residency a unique,
challenging, and diverse experience. Friday morning also includes Part
2 of “Cracking the Code- The Keys to Implement the Total Patient
Care Model.” This session will provide a detailed breakdown of
the RBRVS system and provide the theory and coding protocols necessary
for a solid medical coding foundation. At the same time, an NBEO Part
I Review for Ocular/Visual Biology will be hosted by Scott Shatz, O.D.,
followed by the Systemic/Ocular Pharmacology NBEO Part I Review on Friday
afternoon. Friday’s highlight is the afternoon TLC lecture “Is
Your Patient a Candidate for Refractive Surgery?” with an unforgettable
evening to follow. TLC invites students to dance the night away at Trinity
Nightclub, one of Seattle’s hottest nightclubs. As one of the
largest dance floors on the West Coast, Trinity is an eclectic, multi-level
club with unique rooms to fit every mood. Students should be sure to
register early due to limited capacity, and attendance at the lecture
is a prerequisite. 
Saturday
includes NBEO Reviews for Part II including Systemic Conditions and
Ocular Disease/Trauma, and Refractive/ Oculomotor/Sensory/Perpceptual
sessions. In addition, first- through fourth-year students are encouraged
to stroll through the Exhibit Hall during dedicated student focus hours,
with prize drawings from AOA and the New Student Graduate Committee.
New this year is a Student/New Graduate Kiosk where new grads will be
on hand to inform students about AOSA benefits, getting involved, and
the transition from AOSA to AOA. Saturday evening, at the Presidential
Celebration sponsored by Hoya, students are invited to Tonight’s
Show, honoring the new AOA President and Board of Trustees. The AOSA
Executive Council will be introduced, followed by a comedic performance
by the Emmy-winning host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno. Afterward, a
dessert reception with live music and dancing will give students the
opportunity to meet with friends, say final farewells, and make plans
to meet next year in Washington, DC.
All
in all, Seattle promises to be an excellent opportunity for students
to meet up with friends, future colleagues, and get a jump start on
preparing for Boards. It's a city where the extraordinary is commonplace
and commonplace is anything but. Don’t wait to make your travels
plans for Optometry’s Meeting® in Seattle 2008!