General Information

Optometry’s Meeting™

119th Annual AOA Congress & 45th Annual AOSA Conference

Boston, MA

June 28th-July 3rd, 2016

Student CE Monitor

Program Information/Frequently Asked Questions

Application Deadline March 28th, 2016 8:oopm EST

The Student Continuing Education (CE) Monitor Program is an opportunity for optometry students to participate in Optometry’s MeetingTM while earning money to help pay for their trip! This program is an excellent opportunity to network with other students and doctors, sit in on quality educational courses, and play an integral part in optometry's outstanding national meeting, a joint meeting of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA). If you have never attended Optometry’s Meeting™, or if you had such a great time last year that you want to go again, this program is for you!

• Monitor Responsibilities: Student monitors are assigned to each CE course and are responsible for taking tickets, distributing handouts, stamping tickets, recording on tally sheets, and serving as timekeeper for the speaker. Students may also serve as Room Monitors and introduce the CE Speakers for each course. Additionally, certain students serve as assistants in the CE office and speaker ready room. Monitors work with the OD, Paraoptometric, and AOSA educational programs.

• Number of positions available: 80-100, depending on applicant pool size and final number needed. This will be an average of 5 CE monitors per school.

• Payment: Student monitors will be paid based on the length of shifts that they work and an hourly rate that is approximately $20 per hour*. Each monitor will also receive a free Optometry’s Meeting™ polo shirt to wear while working. In order to receive full payment, monitors must attend one of the CE Monitor Orientation sessions prior to the first day of work, must arrive at the time specified for each shift, and work for the entire duration of the shift. Monitors will sign in and out on time sheets each day. If you are late, you will lose pay!

• CE Monitor Orientation: The CE Monitor Orientation sessions are available either Wednesday,Thursday, or Friday. Each CE monitor only needs to attend one monitor orientation. This requirement must be completed one day prior to the CE monitor shifts. For example, a monitor working on Friday must attend either the Wednesday or Thursday orientation session. 

• Hotel Room Block: It is recommended that monitors stay in AOA/AOSA hotel room blocks available upon registration for Optometry’s Meeting TM. This allows monitors to be close to the action! Student monitors will be allowed to stay in any hotel of their choice as long as they arrive to CE courses promptly. Tardiness will result in reduction of compensation.

• Work Schedules: In order to allow you to make the most of your experience at Optometry’s Meeting, you must select shifts on the application that do not conflict with classes or events you want to attend (i.e. the NBEO Reviews, HOYA luncheon, etc.). Confirmation of your shifts will be by email on April 24th, 2016.

• Applications: All interested students need to fill out an online application by the deadline Tues March 28th, 2016. See your AOSA Trustee for further details. Final selection of CE monitors for each school is at the discretion of the school's Trustee. 

• Monitor Correspondence: All monitor correspondence will take place via E-mail. Thus, you must have an active and valid E-mail account that accepts emails from a gmail documents account. Any announcements and program information will be sent to assigned monitors and alternates by E-mail. All monitors and alternates should check their E-mail regularly to make sure that they receive all of the important information.

• Eligibility: First Years through graduated Fourth Years are welcome, preference is given to previous CE monitors, but all students interested are encouraged to apply. However, you must be a AOSA member

• Selection Notification: Monitors selected will be notified by email April 24th, 2016 of their selection and shift hours.

I encourage all students to get involved in organized Optometry. I received my first job post-graduation through the AOA/AOSA. This is a do-not-miss opportunity!

*Canadian students, you must have a work visa to receive reimbursement and many students do not if they are in the USA for education purposes only. See blog for further details

Dress Code for CE Monitors at Optometry's Meeting

An official AOA/AOSA polo shift will be given to you at orientation and must be worn at all times while working. You may wear any color dress pants or kahkis, skirt, or capris. Please no jeans!!! Comfortable shoes are a must!!!!!! Some shifts are very long and the conference is VERY spread out, clean looking sneakers are ok!

Wear a watch as a backup to your cell phone clock- your main objective is to keep classes and yourself on time so bring a backup each day you work!

Remember you are representing the AOSA/AOA as a paid volunteer so you must look and act professional at all times!

A quick reminder: When you are wearing the polo shirt, attendants expect you to know everything i.e. where the registration desk, nearest bathroom, and the location of the nearest free coffee- So take the time when you arrive at Optometry's Meeting to learn your way around!

OVERVIEW OF DOOR CE MONITOR RESPONSIBILITIES

CE Door Monitors are responsible for scanning badges upon entry, breaks, and end of each session.

Registration badges: Everyone entering a lecture MUST have a name badge. 

Partial Credit: Attendees cannot receive partial credit for a course.

Auditing of Courses: Courses can only be audited by those with an auditor badge. 

Leaving Courses: If a course attendee leaves the room before the completion of the course, for any reason, the monitor should scan badge. If the attendee returns within ten minutes, scan badge and re-admit. All Continuing Education courses must be attended for the duration of each course in order for credit to be awarded. Credit will not be awarded for absences extending beyond ten minutes. The course can only be audited by those with an auditor badge.

Course Closed to CE Signs: Please place the “Course Closed to CE” sign on the door poster easel once it is 10 min after the scheduled start time of the lecture.

Time Remaining Warning Signs: This will be handled by the Room Monitors. If no room monitor is available, then the Door Monitor will be responsible to handle this. Inform the course instructors of their ten minute and five minute warnings by holding up the respective sign in the rear of the room. Each course is expected to begin on time and end at ten minutes before the next scheduled course. In general, the ten-minute warning will be held up at 40 minutes after the hour and the five-minute warning at 45 minutes after the hour. All on-hour lectures begin on the hour and end promptly at ten minutes to the hour. The above mentioned warning signs are very important in keeping a lecturer on schedule. If a course begins late and has another lecture immediately following, then the late course must still end on time.

Clearing the Room: Ensure that each lecture room is completely clear of all attendees at the conclusion of each course before permitting reentry of the next class- unless otherwise instructed. The room monitors will assist with clearing the room. Kindly ask people to leave.

Handouts: Handouts will be available at the CE Handout Station near the registration desk. Please direct all course attendees here to print out their own handouts. They will only have access to the courses that they are registered for.

Listening to the Course While Working:  You are welcome to sit in on the CE lectures. However, you need to first complete your duties as a monitor. One person needs to be present outside the room at the table at all times. You can take turns or work it out among your fellow monitors, but make sure someone is always present at the table. Lab Monitors are welcome to participate in the lab, if the instructor agrees, after all attendees have been checked in. The same rule applies for breakfast and lunch breaks while CE is in session, someone should always be monitoring the table. Be fair and take turns.

Questions or Problems: Refer all attendees with questions or problems to any visible AOA staff or to CE office. Offer to call for a staff member on the walkie talkie if no staff is already close by.

Keep things neat and tidy: Please make every effort to keep your table and work space clean and tidy. Remove trash and straighten signs and handouts as needed. Please keep food to a minimum at the tables. Drinks are okay if they are kept out of sight. Ask a CE Committee member if you have any questions.