As a first-time Optometry’s Meeting® attendee last year, I had no idea what to expect. I had just finished up my first year of optometry school and was a little nervous about going, because I wasn’t totally sure what was in store for me. Here are the top five things to know before you attend Optometry’s Meeting this summer.
- Business cards
Go ahead and order those business cards that come complimentary with your AOSA/AOA membership. There are going to be opportunities to chat with doctors, residency programs and state affiliates, and you may want their contact info. Having your own business card makes it so easy to trade that information. It also may make you more memorable. On that same note, do not be afraid to network with the doctors! From my experience, they are always excited to meet students and are willing to help in any way that they can.
- Dress for success
There is technically not a dress code for Optometry’s Meeting; however, I would recommend dressing business casual. You’ll see doctors in the full spectrum of jeans and a nice button-down to those in suits. My advice is to be somewhere in the middle. I would avoid jeans, but you don’t need to run out and buy a suit. There is potential for you to be meeting big names in optometry, whether that is a member of the AOA Board of Trustees or one of the major industry reps. Regardless, you want to be treated like a professional, so why not dress like a professional? Oh, and to my friends who wear heels, just know that there’s a decent amount of walking (at least there was for me), so maybe throw some flats and band-aids in your bag!
- Be on the lookout for student-oriented classes
There are a ton of great CE classes, but honestly, some of the titles were WAY over my first-year head. No need to fear, though; there are several AOA+ Pop-Up Sessions and student-recommended courses being offered. These courses are notated with the AOSA logo. Some of them include talking about how to pay off student loans and how to market yourself. I learned so much from these classes and they were enjoyable to sit through. You can also follow the AOA+ Leadership Society track, which will ensure you take in all the best parts of Optometry’s Meeting for students.
- Network with students from other schools
A little insight about me: I like being comfortable, and it takes an internal pep talk to go and meet new people. If it went my way while I was at Optometry’s Meeting, I would have only interacted with the students from my school. Don’t do this—don’t be like me! Yes, it is important to network with doctors, but it also is important to network with your fellow students! These are your future colleagues, and you’re going to be working alongside them for the next 40 years. Start making those connections early! I did talk myself out of my comfort zone, and I now have several contacts and friends from various schools. Let me tell you, it is so nice having those connections. Plus, it gives you another thing to look forward to going to these meetings: catching up with long-distance optometry friends.
- It is what you make of it
I had a fantastic Optometry’s Meeting experience. I met new friends, was able to chat with doctors, learned a ton and had so much fun at the evening events for students. But I had to get out of my comfort zone and have those conversations and go to those classes. No one is going to force you to do any of this. You could very easily do a fraction of the available opportunities and you may say, “Eh, Optometry’s Meeting was alright.” Or, you can take advantage of all the event has to offer and walk away from the weekend excited about your profession because you were surrounded by others with that same excitement and learned so much. And if you’re a planner like me, you can download the Optometry’s Meeting app and get a head start on planning your schedule to ensure you don’t miss an event. Just search ‘Optometry’s Meeting’ in the app store.
*Bonus tip: you’re going to be so tired by Sunday, but the good kind of tired.
