The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) awarded Dr. Herbert Wertheim ASCO’s inaugural Herbert Wertheim Award, affectionately called “The Herbie.” Dr. Wertheim received his award in October during a special recognition reception in San Diego during the American Academy of Optometry’s annual conference.

Date: April 21, 2023

 

Time: 2 - 3:15 PM Eastern Time

 

Where: Zoom Webinar

 

Registration Link: https://bit.ly/3zEEhoM

 

Cost: FREE to join

 

ASCO announces a theme edition of the journal Optometric Education that will be dedicated to global optometric education. ASCO welcomes manuscript submissions that highlight research, curricula, pedagogy, public health initiatives and other projects that align with the theme edition’s mission of sharing ongoing efforts to advance the profession of optometry worldwide.

At its meeting in late March, the ASCO Board of Directors approved a series of prioritized strategies and tactics for ASCO’s new Strategic Plan which covers fiscal/programmatic year 2023 through 2027.

This annual national award, sponsored by Alcon, is available to optometry students during any point of their professional program at an ASCO-affiliated school or college of optometry in the U.S. and Canada.

Female faculty comprise 60.8% of total faculty at the U.S. schools and colleges of optometry in 2022-23, according to ASCO’s 2022-2023 Annual Faculty Data Report rising from 60.4% last year and 50.4% in 2012-13. In the past year, the percentage of full-time Black or African American faculty increased from 3.8% to 3.9%; ten years ago it was 3.2%. The percentage of full-time Hispanic or Latino faculty decreased from 5.8% to 5.0%. Ten years ago the percentage was 5.3%.

The results of ORMatch 2023 were released March 27. ORMatch matches the student and the optometry residency program based on a mutual ranking algorithm. ORMatch has been in operation since 2013.

In 2022, ASCO and Johnson & Johnson Vision began a unique partnership with an unprecedented sponsorship to address the need for greater diversity in optometry.

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry offers a Career Center resource, hosted by Boxwood.

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On Tuesday, February 28, Midwestern University’s Glendale and Downers Grove Campuses held their annual Health Sciences Career Day for High School Students. More than 1,000 students total from both Arizona and Illinois participated in events designed to showcase the many career opportunities available in healthcare fields.

Hannah Morrison has been awarded the $10,000 Optometry Cares 2023 Bernard Maitenaz Scholarship. To compete for the scholarship, the UAB School of Optometry student created a social media toolkit about the importance of comprehensive eye exams for children beginning at six months of age.

A dubious but durable rumor has it that Ted “The Thumper” Williams, the legendary Red-Sox batter, could see the individual stitches on a baseball as it hurtled toward his strike zone at 90 miles per hour. True or not, something like that experience does happen to athletes at the tops of their sports, says Jeremy Shumaker, OD, chief of Berkeley Optometry’s Sports Vision and Concussion Clinic. “If you’ve got a finely-tuned visual system that is flexible and reacts quickly, the image stream you perceive will slow down,” he says...

Upon completion of his Doctor of Optometry degree at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), Ross Goukler, OD ‘97, wasn’t sure which professional avenue he wanted to venture down.

The first-ever in-vivo Anterior Segment Ophthalmic Laser procedures were recently performed by 4th-year interns in a Southern College of Optometry clinical facility.

Last year’s “EyeBall” – the annual celebration for third-year students of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University before they fan out across the country for their clinical externships – fell victim to COVID-19 and was unfortunately canceled.

The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) announces that Trish Shomion, CAE, has been appointed CEO. Previously, Shomion was a senior advisor with Global Management Partners, LLC (GMP), a professional association management company where she served as the Executive Director of medical organizations such as the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society and the Organization for Human Brain Mapping.

Clinical Insights in Eyecare will be a peer-reviewed online American Academy of Optometry journal that publishes original case reports pertinent to clinical eye care.  

The Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) is now accepting abstracts for consideration for its 2023 General Conference, October 5-8 in Portland, OR.

All nominations should be submitted through the NAP website by the deadline of June 30, 2023. 

The American Academy of Optometry Foundation is now accepting applications for the annual Allison Summers Pediatric Pilot Grant Program, which awards a $10,000 grant to enable mid-career clinicians to collect pilot data and compete for increased funding in pediatric research. Those interested must submit a letter of intent by May 1, 2023.