3 can’t-miss CE opportunities at Optometry’s Meeting® 2020

This is your year, this is your meeting- Optometry's Meeting ^® 2020 elevates your continuing education (CE) experience with five days of intensive, industry-leading courses and all-new ways to learn.

Once again, Optometry's Meeting, June 24-28, in National Harbor, Maryland/Washington, D.C., unites the powerfully engaging, advocacy focus of AOA on Capitol Hill, as well as the student and new grad experience, AOA+, with over 200 hours of CE credits, countless networking and entertainment opportunities, and an innovative Exhibit Hall that attendees have come to expect from the profession's premier meeting. There's truly something for everyone with the latest CE opportunities spanning clinical care, practice management, staff training and more.

"We know there are ample opportunities for you to obtain your continuing education credits, but by attending Optometry's Meeting, you can be assured that you'll be exposed to high-quality material spanning a multitude of topics affecting how we practice our profession," says George Veliky, O.D., AOA Education Center co-chair.

"Come to Optometry's Meeting and support the conference that empowers your profession."

3 can't-miss CE opportunities

Make Optometry's Meeting your all-in-one education destination in 2020. Consider these select education highlights while you browse the 2020 CE catalog and start planning your Optometry's Meeting CE experience today.

1. Specialty tracks, workshops. If an a-la-carte approach to the 2020 CE menu isn't your cup of tea, try taking a comprehensive, deep dive into any one of the various specialty tracks or workshops offered. Among those tracks, systemic disease and ocular manifestations will be a major focus of this year's CE curriculum with courses that range from diabetes to STDs and autoimmune diseases.
   
   "I am extremely excited about this 'systemic diseases' track that runs throughout the meeting," says Lindsey Wright, O.D., AOA Education Center member. "It will explore many different ocular manifestations of systemic diseases, including sleep apnea, autoimmune diseases, anticoagulants and more, as well as other management and treatment options available."
   
   With a mind to optometry's future, 2020 CE also will include workshops and coursework devoted to injections, surgical and laser procedures. Numerous courses on Saturday and Sunday will help optometric physicians build on skills and education that provide elevated medical care, services and procedures to patients. Be sure to register in advance for the injections or amniotic membranes workshops.
   
   Additionally, doctors and staff can find various courses-including a workshop-devoted to scleral lenses. Scheduled for Friday morning, these courses are offered in succession as an informal-yet-suggested track to better understand the growing market and technology of scleral lenses. Be sure to register in advance for the scleral lens workshop.
   
   Adds Dr. Wright: "We keep in mind that attendees have varied interests, skill sets and learning styles when picking lectures and workshops. Our ultimate goal is for lifelong learning of the optometrist and enhanced delivery of patient care."
   
   
2. Doctor, paraoptometric integrated courses. Optometry's Meeting recognizes how integral staff are to the day-to-day operations of your business, which is why in addition to paraoptometric-specific courses, this year's CE selection includes over 18 hours of doctor-paraoptometric integrated education. Attend courses together on topics that impact care coordination, including ICD-10 coding procedures, clinical care for contact lens patients, lab testing, technology integration, and myopia control-just to name a few. Choose from one- or two-hour courses to enhance the cohesiveness of your care team.
   
   "New this year, we selected and paired courses to include education across all levels of learning-from beginner-themed topics to paraoptometric courses-which can help your staff become better prepared to help you in areas where you want to excel," Dr. Veliky says.
   
   
3. Education in the Exhibit Hall. Back by popular demand! The returning Education Theater in the Exhibit Hall means you can have your cake and eat it, too: Visit the Exhibit Hall to checkout all 120+ vendors-and counting-then find a seat in the Education Theater for some of the industry's leading education. This year, Optometry's Meeting offers six courses in the hall, including:
   
   Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for the Intense Practitioner
   3:45-4:45 p.m., Thursday
   
   When a Slit Lamp Exam Can Save a Life: The Essential Role of Optometrists
   5:30-6:30 p.m., Thursday
   
   Cyclosporine vs. Lifitigrast: Dawn of Justice
   9-10 a.m., Friday
   
   In-Office Electrodiagnostics for the Non-Glaucoma Patient: DM, DR, AMD
   Noon-1 p.m., Friday
   
   Implementing Myopia Control with Standard and Specialty
   3-4 p.m., Friday
   
   The Sequential Workup of AMD Using OCT
   4-5 p.m., Friday
   
   And, don't forget the COPE-approved ePoster sessions inside the Exhibit Hall. For a second year in a row, attendees can receive up to three hours of COPE credit for participating (one hour per session, must attend at least 50 minutes for credit): 6-7 p.m., Thursday; 9-10 a.m., Friday; and 12-1 p.m., Friday.

For a day-by-day view of all the educational opportunities at Optometry's Meeting, open the 2020 CE catalog.

Stop procrastinating, register now for Optometry's Meeting

If Optometry's Meeting is in your future then stop procrastinating and save yourself time and money: Take advantage of early-bird registration discounts, now through April 1. This limited-time, low registration rate can save AOA member doctors nearly 20% off on-site registration fees. So, too, educators, students and others also can save throughout early-bird registration.

One low rate grants attendees access to the latest CE, the Exhibit Hall, countless networking and mentoring opportunities, and other banner events, all brought together in our nation's capital for our profession's most auspicious year.