Bentley St. Peter of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, College of Optometric Medicine, won the first-ever AOA EyeQ Championship, supported by AOAExcel.
PHOENIX—Optometry’s Meeting 2026 concluded this past weekend in Phoenix after a four-day schedule packed with special events and continuing education sessions. Serving as a hub for eyecare experts and students, the annual gathering brought together the profession’s current leaders and its emerging talent to advance optometry and advocate for the field. This year’s program offered 300 hours of professional development and continuing education tailored for ODs and their staff, while an exhibit hall featuring over 150 vendors showcased the newest innovations in eyecare technology.
Optometry’s Meeting 2026 also saw record student attendance, attracting more than 3,000 students, residents, new doctors and faculty joining nearly 6,000 attendees. With more than 125 renowned experts and thought leaders in optometry contributing, this year’s CE program consisted of 198 courses, including 40 hands-on workshops and interactive demonstrations.
“Optometry’s Meeting showcases the very best of our profession and serves as a powerful reminder that optometry never stops moving forward. The energy is unmistakable as 6,000+ doctors, students, educators, advocates and industry leaders come together, united by purpose and inspired by the possibilities ahead,” Jacquie M. Bowen, OD, AOA outgoing president told VMAIL.
She added, “This past year has reinforced my belief that our profession’s greatest strength is its people—those who show up, lead boldly and never stop asking how we can provide even better care for our patients and the communities we serve. As I close my term, I am filled with gratitude for the progress we have made together and excited for all that lies ahead.”
On the advocacy side, Dr. Bowen announced at the House of Delegates meeting that the Future Practice Initiative has been expanded. The program, started in 2017, helped provide support and resources that contributed to important progress in scope modernization efforts across the country.
“One clear lesson we have learned over the past decade is that when we invest in advocacy, the profession advances,” Dr. Bowen told the House of Delegates. Going forward, the initiative will broaden its focus to support affiliate efforts not only in scope advancement—including laser authority—but also in advancing legislation that protects patients and doctors alike, Dr. Bowen said.
During his opening remarks before the AOA’s House of Delegates, AOA executive director Jon Hymes characterized Optometry’s Meeting as, “The largest intergenerational gathering ever of America’s current and future eye doctors.” He also cited optometry’s essential role in healthcare which continues to expand at an accelerating pace, in law, regulation, in media coverage and in public understanding.
“Over the past 12 months, the affiliates and the AOA, together, have put optometry’s message forward effectively and with force, achieving historic results, record-setting member engagement and growing unity of purpose across the profession,” Hymes said.
Building a Specialty Care Practice
Allise Markowski, OD, hosted a session on Friday at the exhibit hall’s Eye Talks Stage titled Building a Specialty Care Practice: Integrating Dry Eye, Binocular Vision Dysfunction, and Myopia Management into Clinical Care. The presentation focused on the strategic integration of these critical services into a clinical setting to develop a specialty care practice.
Allise Markowski, OD, hosted a session on Friday at the exhibit hall’s Eye Talks Stage titled Building a Specialty Care Practice: Integrating Dry Eye, Binocular Vision Dysfunction, and Myopia Management into Clinical Care. The presentation focused on the strategic integration of these critical services into a clinical setting to develop a specialty care practice.
Dr. Markowski, who owns CT Vision in Suffield, Conn., and is very active in the dry eye area, told the audience that “at the end of the day the goal is very simple: to give your patients the best quality of life possible. When we center our recommendations around our goals, care becomes meaningful, both for them and for us. And that’s what makes specialty care so powerful.”
She added, “Therapeutics allow you to build a practice that is medically indispensable, economically resilient, and professionally satisfying. When you design a practice around care pathways rather than exams, outcome improves, delegation becomes easier, and growth becomes sustainable,” she said.
The inaugural AOA EyeQ Championship, an updated version of the Student Bowl supported by AOAExcel, made its debut on Thursday evening. Bentley St. Peter of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, College of Optometric Medicine, won the first-ever AOA EyeQ Championship. The new and reimagined high-speed test of optometric clinical knowledge pitted champions from each of the 27 optometric schools and colleges of optometry across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. Southern California College of Optometry also won the competition’s first-ever Spirit Award for most energetic supporters. More than 2,600 optometry students gathered to support their school’s participants, with Brooke Major, OD, serving as the master of ceremonies.
The conference wrapped up on Saturday with continuing education sessions and the official installation of Teri K. Geist, OD, as the AOA’s 106th president. Click here to watch an exclusive VM video interview with Dr. Geist.
