Optometry's Best Meeting Just Got Better

Although the Academy is proud of its traditions, it is trying something a little different this year: the Annual Meeting has a new, 4-day format. Some Fellows will regard this change as evolutionary, whereas some may feel it is unnecessarily revolutionary. Whatever your perspective, the organizers have programmed a fully integrated meeting. In the past, the Ellerbrock Continuing Education Program has occupied the first half of the meeting and the Scientific Program has taken place the latter half. The major benefit of the new format is that it avoids the appearance of two separate meetings and allows all attendees to attend the entire program for a single registration fee. I urge all Fellows to take advantage of the new format by sampling all aspects of the meeting. If you do not usually frequent the poster sessions, give them a try. If you have not been to a Section Symposium before, then seize the opportunity in San Diego. The theme of this year's Annual Meeting, Caring for Patients with Diabetes, is very timely. The continuing increase in the prevalence of diabetes is alarming. At the same time, researchers are reporting potential breakthroughs in the management of the disease and its complications. Come to San Diego and learn how your patients will be cared for over the coming decade and how you can best participate in their care. The Scientific Program of papers and posters promises to be the best ever. Submissions were up 16% from last year, and Tom Raasch and his committee have scheduled 120 papers and 420 posters. In perusing other aspects of the meeting schedule recently, I was also impressed by the Section Symposia. The array of topics and the caliber of speakers are first-rate. Presenters often try to come up with provocative and amusing titles for their presentations. My favorites this year are Robert Sanet's You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks: Treating Older Amblyopes and Tom Quinn's Twists and Shout: Rotational Compensation with Toric Soft Lenses. Academy Fellows should note that 2002 is an election year. Hopefully, the process will be less eventful than last time. 1 This is your opportunity to shape the future of the organization by voting for your Board of Directors. Why not attend the business meeting and be among the first to congratulate incoming President Tom Lewis? Be there when the new Editor of Optometry and Vision Science is introduced. I also invite you to attend the Annual Banquet, which for many is a highlight of every Academy Meeting. This year, the banquet is the last event and will offer you the opportunity to welcome our new Academy Fellows. Why not come along and cheer for alumni of your school or college and colleagues from your home state or country? San Diego is one of my favorite Academy Meeting locations, and the San Diego Marriott Hotel is on the waterfront and right next to the meeting area. It is a spectacular setting for our meeting. At the time I was writing this editorial, airfares were less than 300 round trip, even from many cities on the East Coast. What better time of year than December to spend a few days in Southern California? Why not stay a few extra days and take in the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, or LEGOLAND California? In summary, I encourage all Academy Fellows to do three things. First, register for optometry's best meeting. Second, attend at least one aspect of the meeting that you do not usually attend. If you consider yourself a scientist-educator, then attend an Ellerbrock lecture. If you are a 4+ clinician, go to a scientific paper session. And third, keep your eyes open for first-time attendees, particularly candidates, students, and residents. Make them feel welcome so that this is the first of many Academy meetings for them. So come to San Diego for four days of fellowship. Prepare to be educated, prepare to be stimulated, and prepare to be exhausted.