ONE OF THE things that has always amazed me is how many colleagues are not members of any of the professional organizations. They go to the office in the morning, and they provide eye care all day, then they go home, and, seemingly, have nothing else to do with it.

That being said, at the 2022 American Academy of Optometry (AAO)’s annual meeting in San Diego, there were, according to the AAO’s post-meeting report, roughly 8,300 people at the meeting—and nearly 5,000 were optometrists.

That is interesting, because according to the AAO website, almost 10% of optometrists in America are Fellows of the Academy, and since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there are 38,720 optometrists in the U.S., that means the AAO has roughly 3,900 members with the international Fellows.

It seemed about right, though. When the halls of a convention center are crowded, then that’s a big meeting. It just amazes me that there were many more ODs in attendance than there are Fellows in the Academy. Clearly, these ODs felt that the Academy meeting was valuable. So, why don’t they become Fellows?

When it comes to the world of contact lens practice, there are numerous organizations from which to choose. In my experience, the highest achievement is Diplomate status in the AAO Section on Cornea, Contact Lenses, and Refractive Technologies. First, you must become a Fellow in the Academy, and then go on to receive your diploma, which is intentionally tough. This year, there were three new Diplomates in the section—out of 38,720…plus all of the international ODs, because a bunch of the current Diplomates are from other countries. The section only has approximately 130 Diplomates, which is by far the biggest section.

So, I get it that joining this group may not be the place to start, but you have to begin somewhere, right?

There are so many other contact lens-based professional organizations. While this list is not exhaustive, there is the Association of Optometric Contact Lens Educators, American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners (ABO-NCLE), American Academy of Orthokeratology & Myopia Control, the American Optometric Association’s Contact Lens & Cornea Section, the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, the Contact Lens Society of America, the GP Lens Institute, the National Keratoconus Foundation, and the Scleral Lens Education Society.

Let’s not forget the state-level organizations. Oh, and then there are the international organizations, like the British Contact Lens Association, the Asia Optometric Congress, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, the International Keratoconus Academy, the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists. I am sure there are some that I am missing, but you get the idea.

To how many of these organization do you belong? Now, you can be pathologically involved like I am and belong to almost all of them. Alternatively, you can select a couple of them to join. Perhaps, start with one.

So, why have I decided to hector all of you in print about being members of these organizations? The answer is simple: you…and…your…patients…stand…to…gain.

Each of these organizations have resources to offer eyecare providers that will make for better practitioners. Professional organizations offer insight into the current evidence base and give ECPs educational opportunities that will make practices more efficient and effective.

In these times of inflation, when one cannot just adjust fees to keep up because fees are often contractual, we need all the help we can get. One of the most valuable assets that all of these organizations have is simply the membership of each group. I have benefited so much during my lifetime from the interactions that I have had with the members of these different organizations.

Becoming a Diplomate was an amazing experience that made me such a better contact lens practitioner. So, where do you belong? CLS

References

1. AAO. Post Meeting Report. 2022. AAO. Annoucing the 2022 New Fellows and Diplomats. Available at aaopt.org/about-us/news/#toggle-id-1 . Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available at bls.gov/oes/current/oes291041.html . Accessed Jan. 5, 2023.