Maximize Your Membership
There are many ways you can become involved with the AOA from joining as a member to advocating to lawmakers on behalf of the profession! Any and all involvement is encouraged and greatly encouraged by the the AOA Board of Trustees and staff.
Become a Member
Advance your profession and your career. Join the AOA and unite with 44,000+ other professionals passionate about improving patient care, public awareness, and the professional standing of optometry.
Join a committee
The AOA could not provide the advocacy, education, practice tools and public awareness programs that support our profession without the contributions of our volunteers. Recruiting passionate and energetic leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences to join the AOA volunteer network is essential to our mission and vision for the profession, today and in the future.
To learn more about the AOA volunteer committees, click here.
The AOA is always looking for volunteers to help advance the profession. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the form below.
Advocate
Optometry is a legislated profession. The decisions made by local and national politicians have a direct, and often long-lasting, effect on optometry. The rules set forth in federal and state legislation have a broad impact on what doctors of optometry can and cannot do with regard to patient care and the overall practice of optometry.
Legislators, along with agency regulators, determine how doctors of optometry are to be paid, how much they are to be paid, or if they are to be paid for the services they render to the citizens of this country.
Defending the rights of doctors of optometry to practice full-scope optometry is one of the most important roles of the American Optometric Association. The volunteers and staff of the AOA Advocacy Group are dedicated to preserving and forwarding the interests of doctors of optometry and their patients in the legislatures of the United States to ensure that Americans continue to have access to quality vision care.
You can also advocate for the profession at both the State and Federal level.
Donate to AOA-PAC
The American Optometric Association Political Action Committee (AOA-PAC) is a voluntary, nonprofit, unincorporated committee of doctors of optometry. This committee is not affiliated with any political party or any other political committee.
AOA-PAC, is your voice to help elect candidates who understand and support optometry's interest. These are not member dues, but money freely given by doctors of optometry in recognition of the importance of the political process.
Contact Us
If you have questions about or need assistance with maximizing your membership, please contact the AOA .
AOA leader: ‘No stone unturned on behalf of our members’
AOA Immediate Past President Robert C. Layman, O.D., discusses the biggest challenge he faced during his presidency: fighting the devaluation of care by vision plans. Learn how the AOA is prioritizing the issue and how members can engage.
DEA’s new opioid training mandate: What you need to know
Doctors of optometry applying for a DEA license after June 27, 2023, must attest to a new eight-hour education and training requirement for substance abuse identification and treatment. Consult the AOA’s FAQ about these new licensing requirements.
Optometry’s Meeting® announces keynote speaker, special events for Washington, D.C.
Early-bird registration is available through Friday, March 31, so lock-in your low, AOA-member rate for four days of industry-leading education, networking, practice solutions and entertainment in the nation’s capital.