Residents Day


The submission window will be open from August 5 through August 22, 2022 at 5:00 PM ET

The Residents Day Committee invites you to participate in the educational program at Academy 2022 San Diego by submitting an abstract for Residents Day. Academy 2022 San Diego will take place October 26-29, 2022, in San Diego, California at the San Diego Convention Center.

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Are you an OD in a 2022/2023 residency program? Do you have a grand rounds case that you would like to share with the audience at Academy 2022 San Diego?

Current residents are invited to submit grand rounds cases for presentation as both papers and posters. The resident must have been directly involved in the patient care of the case being presented. The resident does not have to initiate care but must have examined the patient. Please note, those completing fellowships will not be eligible to submit to the Residents Day program and should submit to the Scientific Program.

Submission Guidelines

Each resident can submit a maximum of one case as first author.

Each submission can have only one first author. Co-authors are NOT to be listed in the submission. The first author MUST attend the Academy meeting and is solely responsible for presentation of accepted abstracts.

Application is made by submitting a case report outline in the online submission system. The reviewers will determine whether the presentation style will be a poster or a paper. Upon acceptance, paper presenters will need to submit a PowerPoint® presentation.

The reviewers take into account the overall quality of each submission and consider:

  • The uniqueness of the case
  • The complexity of the case
  • The pertinent details and appropriate ancillary testing to support the case
  • The overall presentation of the case including writing skills
  • The adherence to Residents Day abstract criteria Residents are strongly advised to utilize the American Academy of Optometry’s Scientific Program resources page for tips in preparing and submitting your scientific abstract.

Because of the limited time between receiving Residents Day results and Residents Day, residents are strongly advised to have posters and papers prepared before receiving Residents Day results.

Paper presentations require PowerPoint® and are limited to 15 minutes. If the abstract submission is accepted as a paper presentation the final PowerPoint® must be submitted in advance of the meeting.

Due to the large number of submissions, late submissions will NOT be considered. Due to the sometimes fickle nature of computer and online systems, we strongly suggest that you plan ahead and not wait until the deadline to submit your abstract(s). If you have any questions or difficulty with the online abstract submission process, please contact Christina Velasquez at 321-319-4865 or ChristinaV@aaoptom.org.

Case Report Format

An abstract along with the case report, are required upon submission. The abstract is limited to 35 words (present tense), describing the case. The case report has a total character limit of 4,000 (including spaces and the bibliography). No images or photos can be submitted. Completed papers and PowerPoint presentations cannot be submitted.

The case report format is as follows:

I. Case History

  • Patient demographics
  • Chief complaint
  • Ocular, medical history
  • Medications
  • Other salient information

II. Pertinent findings

  • Clinical
  • Physical
  • Laboratory studies
  • Radiology studies
  • Others

III. Differential diagnosis

  • Primary/leading
  • Others

IV. Diagnosis and discussion

  • Elaborate on the condition
  • Expound on unique features

V. Treatment, management

  • Treatment and response to treatment
  • Refer to research where appropriate
  • Bibliography, literature review encouraged

VI. Conclusion

  • Clinical pearls, take away points if indicated

Tips for Preparing Your Submission

Guidelines for preparing scientific poster presentations can be found HERE.

Guidelines for preparing scientific paper presentations can be found HERE.

Resident Travel Fellowships (RTF)

Residents, please consider applying to receive a Resident Travel Fellowship once your abstract is accepted. These $750 awards are available to optometric residents who have a paper