Getting back to optometry meetings

As I pen this editorial, I am almost 2 months status post my second COVID-19 vaccination. I got the Moderna vaccine, and it didn’t treat me too poorly. The first shot left me with a sore arm and nothing more. The second shot gave me about 12 hours’ worth of what I would describe as an arthritis response: I felt it in my joints. Acetaminophen took care of the symptoms, although I could tell when it had worn off. All in all, it didn’t last too long, and I’m glad I felt something and equally glad I didn’t have a response akin to some others.

Looking ahead

So, with my mindset more optimistic that we may beat COVID-19 sooner rather than later, I turn to the optometry conferences coming up in the future. I will be speaking at SECO 2021, and I am excited about it. I will also be broadcasted via the cyber component of the conference.

I am not speaking at the June Optometry’s Meeting this year in Denver, Colorado, but I will be attending wearing other hats. I have responsibilities as the chief optometric editor, and I am also a proud member of the American Optometric Association’s Evidence-Based Optometry Committee. I can’t wait to give my fellow committee members a big heartfelt air high five or fist bump. We’ve been hard at work on our assignments, which now entails reading, grading, and articulating scientific papers. We need to get together in a socially distanced format, and Denver looks like the perfect destination. I was disappointed but completely understood the venue change, and I believe the conference will be great.

All in all, it appears that we are headed in the right direction with regard to COVID-19, and I am excited to be taking off again in June and heading to Optometry’s Meeting. Are you going? If so, what are you most excited about? Do you have business there? Are you going to get live continuing education again? How are you feeling about optometry slowly starting to “open back up?” Drop us a note and let us know. We can’t wait to see you again (hopefully sooner rather than later).