The BOE is offering a new course at the annual meeting in New Orleans called Pearls, Tips & Tactics.   It will be a short paper symposium of practical & technical topics - kind of an ophthalmic imaging "show-n-tell".  I've been asked to moderate and recruit speakers.

We've done this program at a local meeting in Hershey the last 5 years and it's been very successful. We've had a great variety of practical tips, cool images, solutions to challenging imaging scenarios, etc.  The session also provides a way for novice speakers to learn how to organize a talk & present in a welcoming environment. We've had several first time speakers present in the past and they've done great!

So if you have any short topic ideas you'd like to share, feel free to contact me and I'll put you on the list. If you think you'd like to present but don't have a topic idea, again contact me & we can brainstorm some ideas. 

I have about a dozen topic ideas myself, but I'd rather see other OPSers present at this symposium!

I was hoping someone would ask - thanks Sarah! Here are some I can think of off the top of my head:

• OCT Montage
• Flatbed Scanner as a Small Object Camera
• Importance of the Fast Macular Scan
• Photomontage Shooting Strategies
• Winning Images (how to shoot & present images for exhibit or publication)
• Ocular Trauma
• Tips for Working with Children
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Transferring Large Image Files
• HDR Imaging
• You Want Me to Photograph That? (tips for positioning dificult patient at instruments)
• Copyright & the Ophthalmic Imager
• Cirrus Tips (great talk by Gary Miller about keyboard shortcuts, etc. Gary, help me out with the correct title)
• History of FA (was later presented at OPS Scientific Session)
• Anterior Segment Imaging with Retinal Instruments (later presented at the recent ASCRS symposium)

Some of these were simply collections of classic diagnostic examples or great images (DIabetic Retinopathy, Trauma, etc). A way for someone to show off some cool images with a consistent theme. We had one presenter who owns a jewelry business. She compared ophthalmic findings with different gem stones, no kidding. Bottom line is that its wide open for anything of interest to the presenter & audience

We have a group of regulars that really embrace presenting in this session: Gary Miller, Jim Strong, Heather Carmello, Beth Malpica, Mike Bono, Brian Detwiler... Hopefully some of them will be in New Orleans for the annual meeting & willing to present. But wea also want some new faces to join us & present.

Clever, eh?  ; )

Thanks Tim... it took quite a while to come up with a catchy, super creative title for that talk. I decided to go with... "Pearls, Tips, and Tactics: Zeiss Cirrus SD-OCT".

Clever, eh?  ; )

I will be sure to let you know as soon as I get any word from the powers that be!  

I think we will be able to list any speakers that confirm by the end of the month. Employers like to see their employees listed in the program. Just sayin...

Gary, would it help your cause with the powers that be to be listed in the annual meeting program (printed & online) as a presenter?

I think we will be able to list any speakers that confirm by the end of the month. Employers like to see their employees listed in the program. Just sayin...

Deadline for names to go in the program is May 15.  Because this deadline is so early, we generally just do the moderator as the speakers for talks like these tend to be confirmed later.  Perhaps Gary would like to co-moderate? 

Actually this was Barb McCalley's idea (great idea Barb!). She suggested the end of May deadline and confirmed there's room to list presenters in the program as long as they commit to speak by the end of this month.

So anyone that wants to participate as a speaker AND get your name listed in the program, be sure to contact me soon.