The 111th Annual AOA Congress & 38th Annual AOSA Conference

New in Practice Series

Back by popular demand, the New in Practice Series of lectures is again being offered this year, thanks to a generous education grant from CIBA Vision. Expert optometrists and world-class lecturers will cover a comprehensive range of practice management topics that impact optometrists just starting their careers or preparing to change practice settings.

Sign up for one or more sessions and bolster your confidence and practice management savvy by attending the New in Practice Series at the 2008 Optometry’s Meeting™. Some of the comments from past evaluations on the sessions include:

“This far exceeded expectations. Thank you so much for making this available. I had several of my important, life-altering questions answered!”
“Loved this series. Will definitely attend it again.”
“Incredibly helpful!”
“Great information from people with experience.”

The New in Practice Series for Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27 includes three sessions:

Thursday, June 26
12:00pm – 2:00pm
Function #0160
(Fee: $15 – includes lunch)

M. Bacigalupi, O.D. and K. Davis, O.D.

Marketing and Networking for Practice Growth

Growth of an optometric practice depends on the ability to attract
and retain patients. While “word of mouth” remains the best form of
marketing for most practices, it is important to understand the role
of other marketing tools to stimulate growth. This course will review
marketing strategies and suggest creation of a year-long strategic
plan to maximize the return on your marketing investment. Personal
and professional networking will be discussed.

Thursday, June 26
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Function #0170
(Fee: $10)

C. Fleming, O.D. and A. Kalra, O.D.

The Doctor’s Role in Setting Up and Running an Optical

This course will provide a step-by-step process to set up and be
profitable with an optical. It will cover demographic analysis, vendor
selection and relationships, patient purchasing trends, inventory
management, lab pricing negotiations, the advantages of going
direct or through a buying group, tips for training staff, and other
insights to a successful optical.

Friday, June 27
10:00am – 12:00pm
Function #0225
(Fee: $10)

K. Davis, O.D. and L. Sorrenson, O.D.

Financial Management

A successful optometric practice relies on sound financial fundamentals.
This course will discuss concepts such as cash flow, gross versus net profits,
tax considerations for the sole proprietor or S-corporation, and retirement
planning. Also, developing a business plan to acquire
financing for opening a practice will be presented and discussed. Participants
will leave with a basic understanding of the financial aspects of starting and
running a practice.

Sign up for one or more sessions!

This program is available thanks to a generous education grant given by CIBA Vision. O.D.s and paraoptometrics are allowed to pre-register for the program. Students may register on-site at Optometry’s Meeting™ Registration Desk for each course, based on space availability.

Optometry's Meeting™ is the official annual meeting of the American Optometric Association and the American Optometric Student Association.