Optometry's Meeting and Project Foresight

Last week I traveled to Orlando, Florida for two purposes. The first reason was to attend Optometry's Meeting, the annual meeting put on by the American Optometric Association. The second reason was to compete in Project Foresight, a business plan competition sponsored by Walmart Health and Wellness.

Optometry's Meeting was a great experience. It was nice to see so many members of the Optometric community together and unified. I enjoyed the continuing education seminars and got some new ideas for my future. The exhibit hall had vendors from across the country and I was able to see and learn about new products and technologies. My passion for optometry was renewed and I look forward to next year's meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.


Project Foresight was another great experience. Four months ago I partnered with JJ Lant to create a business plan for Project Foresight. We were challenged to create a plan for an optometric practice of the future that would be successful in the changing healthcare environment. I was surprised by how much work it took to create a good business plan. The practice we created was a model for how to bring optometric care to the rural populations of America. In March, we competed with three other teams in the school-level competition and were chosen as the best business plan. Last week in Orlando, we competed with the winners from seven other optometry schools. Unfortunately, we were not chosen as the national level winners, but the experience of creating and presenting a business plan was very valuable.

I'm grateful I was able to make this trip and for all the people that made it possible. Next time, I hope to bring my wife and children to enjoy some of the experience with me.