If you know me, you know that as a student, I’ve been on a mission to go to as many optometry conferences and lectures as I can before graduation. With all the formal education required of us, why attend more lectures than necessary? The answer is simple. In order to stay on top of things hot off the press and learn real strategies they don’t teach you in school (practice management strategies, anyone?), you need to go to CE.
Real-life conferences are amazing networking opportunities that allow you to meet new doctors, students, and industry reps. You can try new products before they’re on the market and learn about new drugs and therapies via exhibit halls. There are lunches and socials. While all of this is certainly something I recommend every student to do because of the experience and potential for professional growth, it can get a tad costly with travel expenses and hassle with time away from your regular schedule. This is why the virtual conference is such an ingenious idea for the digital age.
A VIRTUAL conference? Doesn’t that sound like something out of a movie? Nope. Totally real, and totally eligible for CE credit. “Seeing is Believing” is the brainchild of Dr. Alan Glazier, also the creator of ODs on Facebook. There will be live streaming CE lectures on January 28 and 29 between 12 and 7 pm that are eligible for CE credit for ODs. The virtual conference is interactive, and the presenters can answer questions in real time. Lectures can also be watched up to 90 days after the live stream with registration. This is an awesome deal for ODs as there are 20 COPE courses being offered for a registration fee of $139. A “full staff” package is available for practices as well for $279. Think about the fact that you don’t have to travel AT ALL! And the best part again is, as a student, you can register FOR FREE.
Check out some of the topics and speakers here! Some interesting tidbits I may log on to watch:
“Meet the Choroid” given by my very own attending Dr. Pizzimenti
“Success Outside the Optometry Practice, What No One Teaches You” by a certain creator of this website (Matt Geller, OD)
If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending AAO, Vision Expo, or Optometry’s Meeting yet, give this a shot (and even if you have!). It’s free, what do you have to lose? Use the knowledge of other doctors to further your knowledge in practice management and other niche areas that aren’t typically emphasized heavily in traditional OD curriculum.
Click here to register (make sure to select student/recent grad under groups, and “solo pass”) and the total will zero out! Happy streaming!
