WHY STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADS SHOULD GET THEIR CALENDARS OUT

IT’S CONFERENCE season again. Are you going? You should. Optometry school students and new graduates tend to be the least represented groups at most of the major optometry conferences and, yet as a member of this demographic, you often have the most to gain. Just ask Sloan Rajadhyksha, O.D., a 2017 graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Optometry who is completing her Vision Therapy & Rehabilitation Residency at SUNY College of Optometry.

“As a student, I tried to attend as many conferences as possible because I wanted to see what each one had to offer,” she explains. “The student rate for registration and travel grants from different sponsors made it an affordable expense.”

Here, Dr. Rajadhyksha explains the specific benefits of attending optometry-related conferences.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

The 2017 graduate says she found it incredibly helpful as a student to attend so many conferences because the CE courses supplemented her school curriculum. She recalls Mobile Low Vision Devices, by Dr. Robert Greer; Amblyopia Therapy, by Dr. Sue Cotter; POAG vs. NTG, by Dr. John Flanagan; and Scleral Lens Fitting, by Dr. David Kading as the most impactful CE courses she attended.

“As a doctor/resident, I am now able to prioritize certain conferences based on what I learned from [the conferences I attended] as a student,” she explains.

As a result, Dr. Rajadhyksha says she seeks conferences that include CE on vision therapy and practice management, so she can stay up-to-date on related treatments and management and be ready to open her private practice when her residency ends, respectively.

NETWORKING

Dr. Rajadhyksha adds that another benefit of attending optometry-related conferences as a student and recent graduate is the networking opportunities they provide.

“I love attending the non-CE events hosted by the conferences, such as alumni mixers, student/doctor mixers and opening and closing events because you can unwind and really build connections with your fellow students and doctors,” she explains.

Dr. Rajadhyksha advises new graduates wanting to network at conferences to connect with people based on common ground rather than diving head first into a specific job opportunity.

“Approach a person as if you were meeting them, not as a doctor, but just as a person trying to build a connection,” she explains. “Taking an interest in their background and experiences helps you establish a solid connection, rather than a superficial one, and can also provide you with something memorable/specific to bring up in your follow-up email after the conference.”

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Dr. Rajadhyksha says attends an average of four to five conferences per year.

“Every conference has a unique theme — political advocacy, practice management — which makes them all worthwhile.” OM

DR. O’BRIEN started her private practice cold in Denver. She is heavily involved in private practice student programming with Optometric Insights, the Vision Source MentorOD Program and, most recently, began working with iCare Advisors to help others pursue their cold start private practice dreams.