Close to 5,700 O.D.s made the trek to Boston this year for the American Academy of Optometry’s 89th annual meeting, making it the second largest in AAO history. More than 600 eye care professionals came from other parts of the globe and over 1,000 optometry students decided to make the trip. Academy membership—both of students and practicing professionals—is through the roof, reaching higher numbers this year than ever before.
The crowd rushes in as the Exhibit Hall opens.
Opening day on the exhibit hall floor was packed with attendees, eager to check out the latest innovations and products in optometric and vision care. Chizubelu Ejimogu, O.D., journeyed all the way from Lagos, Nigeria. “It’s not very easy to come, but we get a lot out of the lectures, and the access to instruments and other new products is invaluable because it’s not very easy to come by at home,” she said.
A Red Sox package was one of the premier items up for bid at the AOF Silent Auction, as shown by Mark A. Bullimore, M.C.Optom., Ph.D.
The academy’s preliminary figures indicate another fruitful meeting, with more than $11,500 collected through winning bids on auction items and donations at the annual American Optometric Foundation Celebration Luncheon. At the President’s Banquet, 194 new Fellows were inducted into the Academy and seven individuals were awarded diplomate status by sections of the AAO.
Mark your calendars for next year’s meeting October 24-27, 2012, in Phoenix, Arizona.
