Student Fellowship

Begin your career in the optometric field before you even graduate!

The Academy has launched an exciting new Student Fellowship program to encourage students to experience the entire meeting, hoping that it will stimulate improved integration of all of the opportunities offered at the meeting, encourage future involvement, and persuade students to become Fellows upon graduation.

The Student Fellowship program is a great opportunity for students to engage in cutting edge knowledge and technology through lectures, workshops, posters and much more! The program is geared to guide students to develop their skills as an optometric or vision science professional.

The entire process of obtaining Student Fellowship takes place during the annual meeting:

  1. Be a Student Member of the Academy. Your OD graduation date must take place after the annual meeting of which you are pursuing Student Fellowship. Residents are not eligible to participate.
  2. Before the annual meeting, notify the Academy you want to become a Student Fellow
    • log into www.aaopt.org
    • Select “Update Profile”
    • Select “Student Fellowship”
    • Check box next to “Student Fellowship Candidate” and select “Save”
  3. Attend the orientation breakfast
    • Thursday October 25 at 7:15 am
  4. Attend 4 hours of continuing education, at least two hours must be in:
    • Public Health, Jurisprudence, or Practice Management
    • Binocular Vision
    • Low Vision
    • Contact Lenses
  5. Attend 2 hours of scientific talks
  6. Attend 2 hours of posters
  7. Attend ONE of the following:
    • Plenary Session (Wednesday October 23 noon to 2:00 pm)
    • Monroe J. Hirsch Symposium (Thursday October 24 8:00 to 10:00 am)
    • Ezell Fellows Present (Thursday October 24 1:30 to 3:30 pm)
  8. Attend the Academy Business Meeting*
    • Thursday October 25 5:30 to 7:00 pm
    • Friday October 26 6:00 to 7:00 pm
  9. Attend ONE Section or SIG Symposium*
  10. Participate in a special student activity in the Exhibit Hall (more details to be provided)

*You may substitute a Merton Flom Leadership course for 8 or 9 above
* You may substitute participation in Fellows Doing Research for 8 and 9 above (students were previously contacted about this)

This must be completed prior to graduation from optometry school. Upon completion, the students will receive a Student Fellow lapel pin, Candidacy for Fellowship application dues waived during the year of graduation and free student registration to the next Academy meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: Obtaining Student Fellowship status does not give a student any points or credentials that can be used toward Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). 

For more information, please contact the Chair of the Student/Faculty Liaison Committee, Dr. Etty Bitton, at etty.bitton@umontreal.ca.