Access the Student Fellowship portal


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*Please note, only hit "Save" when you make changes in the portal until all requirements are completed. If you hit "Submit and Save" you will not be able to make any changes or edits to your submission.

You must hit "Submit and Save" with all requirements complete by Friday, October 30 at 11:59 PM ET*

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

You must be a current OD student with a graduation date of 2021 or later and a Student Member of the Academy to participate. Residents, PhD students and graduate students are not eligible to participate. You are not eligible to participate if you have completed the Student Fellowship program in the past.  You must be registered for Academy 2020 At Home. 

Student Fellowship program progress will be managed entirely by the student using our new online submission portal. You will need to log in with your Academy member credentials and complete all fields as directed.

Please follow the directions carefully. Each of the requirements 1-6 noted below have additional tasks that need to be completed in order to earn your Student Fellowship, whether that be answering fill in the blank or open ended questions about sessions you attended, uploading your CE completion certificates, or other items as requested.

Students must answer all questions, upload all required documents and submit all requirements by Friday, October 30 at 11:59 PM EST to become a 2020 Student Fellow. 

1. Attend 6 hours of any CE lectures of your choosing 

  • This includes any courses in the following topic areas: AS, BV, CL, GL, GO, LP, LV, JP, NO, OP, PH, PM, PO, PS, RS, SD, SP. 
2. Attend 2 of any poster (POS) or paper (P) sessions of your choosing (See Scientific Tracks on the Education schedule offered the first week of the meeting)

  • Residents Day paper and poster sessions offered on Saturday, October 10 will count toward this requirement
3. Attend 1 of the following special sessions**

  • SE-02 Plenary Session: A New Look at Some Old Medical Guidelines - Wednesday, October 7 from 11 AM to 1 PM EST
  • SE-07 ASCO/NOA/AAO Joint Symposium on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Thursday, October 8 from 1 to 2 PM EST
  • SE-04 Monroe Hirsch Research Symposium: 2020 - The Future is Upon Us - Thursday, October 8 from 9 to 11 PM EST
  • SE-01 Ezell Fellows Present: 2020 - Advances in Clinical Imaging - Wednesday, October 14 from 5 to 7 PM EST
  • SE-08: Joint AAO/AAOphth Symposium: Update on the Assessment and Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Monday, October 19 from 9 to 11 PM EST
4. Attend 1 Section or SIG Symposium** - Symposia schedule to be announced. 

5. Attend the Residency and Graduate Program Fair - Saturday, October 10, 4 to 7 PM**

6. Attend 1 hour of the exhibit hall - Exhibit hall hours to be announced.


**You may substitute the LDR-01 Fundamentals of Leadership: Part 1 Defining Leadership on Wednesday, October 7 from 1 to 4 PM for ONE of either requirement 3, 4 or 5.
Please note: LDR-01 is a paid addition to your registration and will cost $10 for students. You must register and pay prior to Thursday, September 24 to be admitted to the session. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I want to participate in the Student Fellowship program but I am not a student member. How can I sign up?
A. Submit your application on our Student Membership page. There is a $30 membership fee that will cover your entire OD education as well as a year of residency. Please allow 1-2 business days for your application to be processed. 

Q. I missed a required session. Are there any additional substitutes?
A. There are no additional substitutions for any of the Student Fellowship requirements other than what is noted on the requirement list. Please note, you have 2 consecutive years to complete the Student Fellowship program. You can finish the remaining requirements next year at Academy 2021 Boston (provided you will still be an OD student at the time of the 2021 meeting). 

Q. How can I find out what courses will be offered and when?
A. You can access the Education Grid here. Additionally, all sessions will be listed in the Academy.20 mobile app. 

Q. I read that completing Student Fellowship will grant you complimentary registration for the next meeting. Where do I get my code?
A. All new Student Fellows will receive complimentary registration for the next Academy meeting in Boston 2021. This code must be used for the Boston meeting and cannot be transferred or deferred. You will receive an email with your complimentary registration code shortly before Academy 2021 Boston registration opens. 

Q. When will my new Student Fellow certificate and pin arrive?
A. Your certificate and pin will be mailed to your Faculty Student Liaison to distribute in December 2020.