First Time Attendees of the AAO Annual Meeting: Efficiently Navigating Your First AAO Annual Meeting
By Lance Kugler, MD
The annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology is a tremendous experience. There are typically over 10,000 people in attendance, and the opportunities to learn and connect with colleagues are abundant. The scope of the meeting is so large, however, that meticulous planning is required to make the most of the experience.
Receiving the registration materials for the first time is both exciting and overwhelming. The list of available courses and seminars is impressive, and it is instantly obvious that it is impossible to attend everything of interest.
I attended my first AAO meeting during my final year of residency. At the time I was deep in the process of learning clinical and surgical ophthalmology, but I was also in the process of applying for jobs, deciding whether to complete a fellowship, and learning how to negotiate with employers. I was torn between spending my time at the annual meeting on clinical courses verses career related courses. The end result was I spread my time too thinly and did not address either category well.
In the years since my first meeting I have learned to establish goals and prioritize them. Before each meeting I list two or three goals and then cater my meeting experience toward achieving them. For example, if you are in your third year of residency and are searching for a job, then that could be your primary goal for the meeting. You would then prioritize your time to ensure you have covered the Young Ophthalmologist (“YO”) courses, job fair, and networking resources. If, however, you already have a job secured and a contract signed you may chose to skip the job fair and focus your time on clinical courses instead. If the practice you are joining is in need of someone to perform blepharoplasty, for example, then you may select the appropriate courses to enhance your skills. Or if you feel that your training is lacking in a particular subject, then you may take courses that build your knowledge base in that subject.
Regardless of whether you have already secured employment, the Young Ophthalmologist courses are excellent. You have spent at least eight years of your life learning the science of medicine, but you have spent almost no time at all learning the business. As you complete residency and enter the real world, the business of medicine becomes just as important-- at times even more important-- than the science. The YO program brings together experts in the business of medicine and helps you navigate the world.
It is tempting to sign up for dozens of courses because they all sound interesting, especially with the discount offered to members in training. However, I have found over the years that the free symposia and general sessions are excellent and cover many of the same topics. The exceptions to this rule include the courses offered with a lab, which often provide excellent hands-on experience from the world’s experts. Courses marked with a purple “R” icon are geared toward residents, and they are excellent. The courses are taught with the experience level of a resident in mind and are highly recommended.
It is important to realize that you will likely not retain much of the knowledge and skills gained unless you can apply the knowledge readily in your own practice. So if you are a resident diligently working at a VA or resident clinic, you are not going to be able to start implanting accommodative IOLs upon returning from the AAO meeting. With that in mind, you may chose to delay accommodative IOL courses until you have control of your own practice.
Above all, remember to enjoy the experience. The annual meeting provides a forum for like-minded people to exchange ideas and develop relationships. The experience can be overwhelming, but if you set goals and choose courses wisely then the meeting becomes much more manageable with less stress.
The annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology is a tremendous experience. There are typically over 10,000 people in attendance, and the opportunities to learn and connect with colleagues are abundant. The scope of the meeting is so large, however, that meticulous planning is required to make the most of the experience.
Receiving the registration materials for the first time is both exciting and overwhelming. The list of available courses and seminars is impressive, and it is instantly obvious that it is impossible to attend everything of interest.
I attended my first AAO meeting during my final year of residency. At the time I was deep in the process of learning clinical and surgical ophthalmology, but I was also in the process of applying for jobs, deciding whether to complete a fellowship, and learning how to negotiate with employers. I was torn between spending my time at the annual meeting on clinical courses verses career related courses. The end result was I spread my time too thinly and did not address either category well.
In the years since my first meeting I have learned to establish goals and prioritize them. Before each meeting I list two or three goals and then cater my meeting experience toward achieving them. For example, if you are in your third year of residency and are searching for a job, then that could be your primary goal for the meeting. You would then prioritize your time to ensure you have covered the Young Ophthalmologist (“YO”) courses, job fair, and networking resources. If, however, you already have a job secured and a contract signed you may chose to skip the job fair and focus your time on clinical courses instead. If the practice you are joining is in need of someone to perform blepharoplasty, for example, then you may select the appropriate courses to enhance your skills. Or if you feel that your training is lacking in a particular subject, then you may take courses that build your knowledge base in that subject.
Regardless of whether you have already secured employment, the Young Ophthalmologist courses are excellent. You have spent at least eight years of your life learning the science of medicine, but you have spent almost no time at all learning the business. As you complete residency and enter the real world, the business of medicine becomes just as important-- at times even more important-- than the science. The YO program brings together experts in the business of medicine and helps you navigate the world.
It is tempting to sign up for dozens of courses because they all sound interesting, especially with the discount offered to members in training. However, I have found over the years that the free symposia and general sessions are excellent and cover many of the same topics. The exceptions to this rule include the courses offered with a lab, which often provide excellent hands-on experience from the world’s experts. Courses marked with a purple “R” icon are geared toward residents, and they are excellent. The courses are taught with the experience level of a resident in mind and are highly recommended.
It is important to realize that you will likely not retain much of the knowledge and skills gained unless you can apply the knowledge readily in your own practice. So if you are a resident diligently working at a VA or resident clinic, you are not going to be able to start implanting accommodative IOLs upon returning from the AAO meeting. With that in mind, you may chose to delay accommodative IOL courses until you have control of your own practice.
Above all, remember to enjoy the experience. The annual meeting provides a forum for like-minded people to exchange ideas and develop relationships. The experience can be overwhelming, but if you set goals and choose courses wisely then the meeting becomes much more manageable with less stress.
posted by MedRounds Publications at 10:21 PM
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