Women in Ophthalmology 2022 Summer Symposium to focus on mentorship, being ‘inspEYEred’
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The Women in Ophthalmology 2022 Summer Symposium aims to #BeInspEYEred and concentrate on mentorship through a hybrid format similar to that of its 2021 meeting.
“We plan to continue the virtual-hybrid annual offering in 2022, and we think this technology is incredibly important for WIO members in particular,” Susan K. Burden, MD, president of WIO, told Healio/OSN. “Many members have family commitments that make it difficult to travel, and it allows our international members to participate in ways they could not otherwise.”
Even though the virtual side of the meeting allows for participation from all over the world, Burden encouraged members to experience the symposium in person if possible.
“We feel that in person is the best way to connect with fellow members,” Burden said. “Informal conversations that can occur in person are difficult to replicate on any virtual platform. For me, those conversations and informal mentoring opportunities are my favorite part of the meeting.”
The meeting is scheduled for Aug. 25-28 in Monterey, California.
Mentorship and leadership are the focus of the meeting’s keynote sessions, featuring leaders from all facets of ophthalmology.
“Here we focus on how these women came to be leaders, how they stay mindful in leadership and then what to do after you have attained leadership,” as well as how to be a leader among leaders, Usiwoma Abugo, MD, program chair for WIO 2022, told Healio/OSN.
Other highlights of the meeting include the Bernice Z. Brown Memorial Lecture delivered by Deborah M. Costakos, MD, MS, and the presentation of the WIO Honorary Lecture Award to American Academy of Ophthalmology past president Cynthia A. Bradford, MD.
Burden said that she is most looking forward to hearing from Bradford.
“She reminded me that fighting for the safety of our patients is always the right thing to do, even when it can be personally stressful and challenging to participate in politics and advocacy in a very public way,” Burden said. “Those experiences helped give me the confidence to pursue other advocacy opportunities, including serving on the board for WIO.”
Skill labs, networking events, symposia, workshops, poster presentations and breakout sessions on topics ranging from self-care to patient care round out the meeting, continuing the WIO’s overarching mission to empower women in ophthalmology.
“We have over a thousand members who are contributing their energy to the organization as a whole and to this event,” Burden said.
The skill labs and networking events will be available for in-person participants over the course of the meeting. Those attending virtually will have access to live streams of the symposium’s presentations, as well as on-demand content, such as a virtual poster session and a live well session to do at home.
“I hope to see many familiar faces at our signature event, as well as to meet some of our new members,” Burden said.
“These past years have been filled with challenges, heartache, success and triumph. Many moments have left us wondering how much more we can take,” Abugo said. “As women, we are called to lift and inspire those around us, but how can we do this if we ourselves are not lifted and inspired? WIO 2022 wants to serve as a space to remind us to be mindful of who we are, where we’ve been, and who or what we hope to become.”
Reference:
- Women in Ophthalmology. www.wioonline.org. Accessed June 10, 2022.
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