In Person Meetings Held in San Diego in Conjunction with the Academy Convention

In Person Meetings Held in San Diego in Conjunction with the Academy Convention

Beautiful San Diego was the backdrop for ASCO’s fall meetings in late October.

Prior to the Board of Directors meeting, deans and presidents along with OGML’s top sponsors devoted a morning to an Optometry Gives Me Life (OGML) brainstorming session. OGML is ASCO’s public awareness campaign designed to increase the quality and quantity of the applicant pool, as well as increase the number of applicants from underserved groups. ASCO has seen a 9% increase in applicants since the launch of OGML in March 2019.  

The brainstorming session welcomed guests from Truth Collective and True Media, the campaign’s public relations and media firms respectively, as well as student affairs officers, Board members (deans and presidents at optometry schools and colleges), top OGML sponsors, and ASCO staff. Breakout sessions allowed small groups to discuss challenges, “outside the box” ideas, funding, and additional opportunities as the campaign enters Phase 2.

The Board of Directors meeting began with a working lunch. A sampling of the completed tasks and topics discussed were:

• Adoption of the Men of Color in the Health Professions Consensus Statement as well as joining the Men of Color in the Health Professions Coalition
• Discussion with Dr. W. Scott Slagle, Executive Director, National Optometry Service, Veterans Health Administration National Optometry Service
• Review of the proceedings from recent events (NBEO Part III Task Force, NECO Industry Collaborative, ACOE Invitational Summit, ADEA Men of Color in the Health Professions Summit, Stop the Stigma Challenge Meeting)
• Presentations from Corporate Contributors Essilor Instruments and VSP Global
• Approval of changes to ASCO’s volunteer structure, including the formation of a Residency Directors professional group and a Chief/Senior Diversity Officer profession group; changing the Applicant Development Task Force to a programmatic committee; and changing the name of the Student Affairs Officers professional group to the Student Affairs and Admissions professional group
• Examination of current fundraising results and plans for future fundraising initiatives
• Update on the 2022 Summer Institute for Faculty Development program
• Welcome and dialogue with special guest Dr. Herbert Wertheim prior to him receiving the inaugural Herbert Wertheim Award (or the “Herbie”)

The Board of Directors will meet next in Philadelphia during March 23-24, 2023.