STUDENT EXPERIENCE: ACVO CONVENTION

Submitted by Nicki Doan, Ross University

The ACVO (American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology) is a national convention held annually for all veterinary ophthalmologists and those interested in veterinary ophthalmology to attend. To be quite honest, I was very intimidated by the thought of being surrounded by very intelligent hardworking diplomats who earned their spot in this field. But there were also people like me, who had a strong passion for ophthalmology, and were interested in paving our own paths in this field as well. My goal for this conference was to learn about the new scientific research, observe what a national scientific conference is like, and build connections with those who have the same goals as I do. 

The first day consisted of scientific presentations about the tear film, cornea, uvea, and glaucoma. Presenters were at various stages of the ophthalmology totem pole - there were some presenting research as a veterinary student, all the way up to those in a tenured faculty position. I was very impressed with how much work went into these projects, and how much knowledge came out of it.

In between the general presentation sessions, we had a room full of posters that veterinary students, interns, and residents worked on during that year. These posters covered everything one could literally imagine possible in veterinary ophthalmology, such as infectious diseases, to immunology, to predisposed ocular pathologies. 

In the afternoon I attended the Career Fair, which was divided up into specialty internships, residencies, and employment. I had so much fun getting to know more about these programs and having light discussions with those clinicians. I think the most fun was meeting other rotating interns sharing the same experience as me. There’s just something empowering about sharing a similar goal, and having that support system along the way. 

Meeting other Rossies at the conference was also a highlight of the experience. We island kids share a very unique veterinary school experience, and it’s so comforting to meet others with shared memories of St. Kitts landmarks such as Port Zante, Brimstone Fortress, and Romney Manor. In addition, Rossie ophthalmologists make great role models; seeing someone with a similar background become successful showed me that I can be successful too. 

The next 2 days were quite similar to the first, with the theme of presentations and posters being a different aspect of the eye. Overall, my first scientific conference experience was phenomenal and I am empowered by all the drive and passion for veterinary ophthalmology. I left the conference feeling very inspired by my peers, and I hope to be able to make the same contributions to this field just as they had.