ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

ASCRS News
March 2023

by Liz Hillman
Editorial Co-Director  

The opportunities for young eye surgeons (YES members) at the ASCRS Annual Meeting continue to expand. At the upcoming Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, May 5–8, attendees can expect a full day of YES labs, YES programming, as well as events throughout the rest of the meeting. 

“I’m excited about all the upcoming YES opportunities at the ASCRS Annual Meeting. I look forward to the multiple networking and mentorship offerings with many incredible surgeons and physicians,” said ASCRS YES Clinical Committee Chair Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, MD. “Over the past few years, we have increased the YES offerings at the Annual Meeting, including a Saturday YES networking breakfast, lunch, and mentor meetup session in the ASCRS Tap Room. The impact of important mentors is critical to academic and career success. ASCRS provides this for our young eye surgeons and guides them as they progress in their careers. Although COVID-19 helped establish significant opportunities for online education, nothing replaces the face-to-face connection one has when meeting mentors and educators in the field.”

YES opportunities begin on Friday, May 5, with a full day of skills transfer offerings in the Phaco Lab, the Anterior Segment Surgery Lab, the DALK Lab, and the DMEK/DSAEK Lab. 

On Saturday, May 6, a day of programming specifically for YES attendees will take place in room 6D of the Convention Center. This program begins with the breakfast and networking kickoff at 7:00 a.m. Following is the first YES symposium, “Good to Great Surgeon: Working Through Complications,” and the YES Networking Luncheon, which brings together YES attendees and ASCRS leaders. The day will conclude with the second YES symposium, “Toolkit for Job Success,” and a residents and fellows papers/posters session. Throughout the meeting, look for the YES-endorsed programming tag, which indicates sessions the YES Clinical Committee has endorsed for the YES audience.

Outside of educational programming are several additional networking events. YES Mentor Meetups are informal, open discussions with ASCRS leadership and legacy members in the ASCRS Tap Room. These events will take place Sunday and Monday from 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–1:30 p.m. Registration is available through the main ASCRS Annual Meeting registration portal (log in with your badge ID and email address). Also taking place in the Tap Room on Sunday from 4:00–5:00 p.m. is the YES-sponsored happy hour. All YES attendees are invited to join and network with industry sponsors. 

To further aid YES attendees in navigating the extensive ASCRS Exhibit Hall, new this year is the “Get to Know Your Industry Partners Guide.” This guide, designed to provide an overview of sponsoring companies, available resources, special events, and company points of contact for YES attendees, will be available to all YES attendees. 

Finally, YES Connect Dinners with Industry, complimentary events that feature a cocktail hour and seated dinner, will take place Friday and Saturday from 6:00–8:00 p.m. These events provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about the benefits of ASCRS membership, the ins and outs of working with industry, work-life balance, leadership skills, global health, and more. Space is limited; find out if space is still available here. 

“ASCRS YES offerings provide significant opportunities for clinical, surgical, and life education through different symposia, wet labs, webinars, and mentorship events,” Dr. Al-Mohtaseb said. “The medical-surgical education is exceptional, but the connections, mentorship, and networking that occur are unique and one of a kind.”

Learn more about YES offerings at the ASCRS Annual Meeting. 

Contact

Al-Mohtaseb: zaina1225@gmail.com