Pearls for catching up with old friends at the AAO Annual Meeting

by Lee T. Thurber, MD

The AAO meeting provides a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues. Here are a few pearls that will help you get the most out of catching up with people you haven’t seen in a while.

1) Plan ahead. With so many activities available at the AAO meeting, most attendees are quite busy with meetings, events, dinners, etc. If there is someone specific you hope to see, email or contact them a few weeks prior to the meeting and arrange a time to meet. Find out which hotel others are staying at and how many nights they will be at the meeting. Also, it may be best to leave one of your evenings open so if you bump into someone you have a time slot available to schedule an outing.

2) Make reservations. If you hope to have a nice dinner with old friends, take the time to research restaurants & make a reservation well in advance. This allows more time to dine and visit rather than standing and waiting in line somewhere.

3) Attend your reunion. Most residency programs host an evening event for former residents, faculty, & staff. Going to these events gives a great opportunity to see several friends at one time. You may not want to schedule anything immediately after your reunion, as several old friends may want to continue catching up after the official reunion is over.

4) Review names and faces. For most people, after a few years, it’s easy to forget someone’s last name, spouse’s name, etc. Take a few minutes to review old photos or old department lists so you know everyone’s name. This can help avoid some awkward or embarrassing situations.

5) Make the most of down time between meetings. Most of the sessions are separated by 10-15 minute breaks. Take advantage of this time to seek out old friends and visit with people you know.

6) Walk the exhibit hall with an old friend. It takes a chunk of time to walk through the exhibit hall and take in all the displays. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with a friend or colleague if you explore together.

Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful. Have fun & enjoy the chance to see old acquaintances & friends!