Questions?

For questions about the Student Fellowship program please contact Kayla Ritten at KaylaR@aaoptom.org.

The Academy offers the 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.

Student Fellowship Requirements

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 and graduate students are not eligible to participate.
  2. Before the annual meeting, notify the Academy you want to become a Student Fellow by selecting the "I want to pursue Student Fellowship" box during registration for the meeting
  3. View a mandatory orientation video.
  4. Attend 4 hours of continuing education, at least two hours must be in one or more of the following topic areas:
    • Public Health, Jurisprudence, or Practice Management
    • Binocular Vision
    • Low Vision
    • Contact Lenses
  5. Attend 1 hour of paper presentation sessions (Residents Day paper sessions also count) **
  6. Attend 1 hour of poster presentation sessions (Residents Day poster sessions also count) **
  7. Attend ONE of the following sessions:
    • Ezell Fellows Present - Wednesday, October 23, 8 to 10 AM
    • Plenary Session - Wednesday, October 23, 10 AM to Noon
    • Monroe J. Hirsch Symposium - Thursday, October 24, 8 to 10 AM
    • American Academy of Optometry and American Academy of Ophthalmology Joint Symposium - Friday, October 25, 10 AM to Noon
  8. Attend the Student/Resident Awards Lunch*
    • Thursday, October 24, Noon to 1:00 PM
  9. Attend ONE Section or SIG Symposium*
  10. Attend 1 hour of the Residency and Graduate Program Fair*
    • Friday, October 25, Noon to 3 PM
*You may substitute a Merton Flom Leadership course or you may volunteer for a shift assisting with the FDR SIG study for either requirement 8, 9, or 10.