Registration now open for the AOA 2020 Virtual Learning Livecast

Contemporary optometric education and professional development reimagined for the current times-the AOA's first-of-its-kind, virtual learning experience delivers the quality education expected of an AOA meeting but without ever leaving your home.

The AOA 2020 Virtual Learning Livecast, June 24-27, is a real-time, interactive continuing education (CE) and professional development online event offering more than 60 live courses specifically for doctors of optometry, paraoptometric professionals and optometry students. Offering both COPE-approved CE for doctors and students, and CPC-approved (some ABO/NCLE-approved) courses for paraoptometric staff, this first-of-its-kind AOA event grants doctors 53 hours of education (up to 26 hours of CE credits), 19 paraoptometric hours and 12 hours of integrated, doctor-paraoptometric education.

While there are only so many hours in a day, the AOA 2020 Virtual Learning Livecast doesn't have to cost doctors and staff time out of the office. To balance patient care and work schedules, many of the courses will be offered in the late afternoon and evening hours or over the weekend, maximizing opportunities to get the education and professional development that doctors and staff need.

"Professional development and education are at the heart of how we advance and grow as a profession and AOA has worked hard to bring together a unique, modern program that can meet and exceed doctors' and staffs' exceptional standards," says Barbara L. Horn, O.D., AOA president.

"While we all may have had something different in mind for our traditional June gathering, we are thrilled that, just as optometry has pivoted to confront this challenge, so has our ability to come together, learn and grow."

The reimagined education experience is one born of necessity as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prompted not only cancellation of the profession's premier meeting, Optometry's Meeting^® 2020, and the industry-leading CE offered by AOA's annual meeting, but also-and more importantly-suspension of routine patient care and 'normal' business operations of optometry practices.

"Over the past several weeks, the optometric community has navigated this unprecedented crisis with exemplary communal strength and perseverance, turning a great challenge into countless opportunities to move our profession forward," says Ron L. Benner, O.D., AOA Education Center liaison and AOA trustee.

"While we were especially excited to connect during Optometry's Meeting 2020 and participate in the high-quality education opportunities offered, the AOA has worked to reimagine that education experience in a first-of-its-kind, virtual learning event specifically geared toward meeting the needs of doctors, staff and students."

Spanning the four-day livecast, accessible via online portal, are more than 60 courses that cover a range of optometric topics, including:

• Infection control.
• Tele-optometry.
• Systemic diseases.
• Coding and billing.
• Artificial intelligence.
• Low vision.
• Eye diseases.
• Virtual ePoster session.