I am excited to share that I am now a candidate for Fellowship in The American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (AAOMC), a non-profit organization of practitioners and academics devoted to the science and education of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control. Since I have offered myopia management options for over a decade, becoming a Fellow has long been a goal of mine.
These are qualities of a Fellow according to AAOMC:
- Fellows have undergone advanced training and rigorous testing to demonstrate their level of expertise in myopia control and orthokeratology
- A Fellow is the gold standard and represents the highest level of knowledge, ethics and patient care in the myopia control.
- Fellows serve as mentors and role models for other practitioners as well as the general public.
This has been a long time coming. While attending the annual College of Optometrist in Vision Development (COVD) meeting in 2005 I saw Dr. Earl Smith present a lecture on refractive error regulation in monkeys. I was persuaded. My understanding of visual development and my plans for practice changed forever. I had recently completed my residency in Pediatric and Binocular vision and received my Fellowship at the Illinois College of Optometry in the American Academy of Optometry. My immediate plans were to open a practice where I could provide these specialized services and attain my Fellowship in COVD. I quickly opened Bright Eyes in 2006.
During this time, I became more and more involved in myopia control. Initially, I only offered ortho-k as a method of managing myopia. I learned a great deal. I regularly attended and occasionally lectured at the annual Orthokeratology American Academy of meeting, now Vision By Design. It was hugely inspiring and I started offering multifocal contacts and atropine for myopia management, respectively.
I am certain that the process of completing the Fellowship process will make me a better doctor and allow me to provide better care for my patients!