From the AOSA

AOSA Gearing Up to Hit the Hill

By Brian Park, AOSA executive council vice president, Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University, Class of 2014

This September, the students and leaders of AOSA are preparing to make the trek to Washington, D.C., walk the halls of Capitol Hill and fight for our profession at the 2013 AOA Congressional Advocacy Conference (CAC).

The AOA CAC is a unique conference for students to attend because we get to observe our future colleagues and the leaders of our profession as they advocate for the rights and privileges that have shaped, and will continue to shape, our future as optometrists. Students also have the opportunity to network with ODs from their states and with students from schools and colleges of optometry across the country.

Students from my school have always asked, “What events are good to be involved in?” and I always reply, “Be a member of AOA/AOSA and AOA-PAC and attend a California Optometric Association Legislative day or AOA Congressional Advocacy Conference.” When students hear this, they’re a little skeptical about the trips due to the expense and time away from school. But the ones that do attend, leave the conferences fired up about our profession and the legislation that will affect it. They return with stories to pass on to classmates and help other students realize the importance of being involved.

The 2012 conference was a recordbreaking year for AOSA involvement. With over 300 students in attendance, AOA and AOSA had over 800 people walking the halls of Capitol Hill. This will be my third straight year attending the conference and I believe that it will be my best because of the experience I’ve gained in previous years. I can’t wait to see how many students AOSA can wrangle up and once again join my colleagues in making a difference in our profession. nOD