On June 3, 2016, the ASCO Clinical Affairs Committee (CAC) conducted its second Online Clinical Educators Forum (OCEF). This clinical education professional development event reached more than 180 clinical faculty who either directly registered or viewed in an on-campus, group-viewing setting. The program was presented by ASCO under the direction of CAC Chair Dr. Donald Jarnagin (AZCOPT) with the technical oversight of the State University of New York College of Optometry’s IT department via WebEx. Both current and former CAC members provided program and logistics oversight as part of the OCEF planning group. The lead planning chair for the event was Dr. Richard Madonna (SUNY).
OCEF supports the CAC’s objective of identifying ways for schools and colleges of optometry to informally share expertise and resources in clinical education, services, research and administration. The forum enables participants to:
- develop relationships with other faculty who have similar interests to allow for personal enrichment and to provide insights that can be conveyed back to institutions
- explore collaborative efforts in clinical research and clinic procedure development
- share best practices
A key objective of the OCEF was to provide brief updates in several key clinical areas: anterior segment, posterior segment, pediatrics/binocular vision/rehabilitation, and refractive/contact lens. Presentations by renowned clinical educators from ASCO institutions covered topics such as clinical grading, clinical remediation, and teaching the eye exam of the future.
Dr. Madonna, speaking on behalf of the planning group, said, “The CAC and the OCEF Planning Committee were again heartened by the participation of clinical faculty in this year’s forum with an increase in both number of ‘attendees’ and schools taking part. Post-event surveys indicated that the great majority of attendees were satisfied or very satisfied with both the content and the web-based platform used to deliver that content. Attendees indicated in post-event surveys that they wish to see greater opportunities for interactive discussions and offered ideas for topics at future forums. It is my hope that the incoming CAC will continue to build on the success of the first two iterations of the OCEF and make it an even greater resource for clinical faculty at all schools and colleges of optometry.”
For additional information about the Online Clinical Educators Forum, contact ASCO Manager of Professional Affairs Carol Brubaker.