CareerSymposium2021

9th Annual Career Symposium

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS 2020: Is Your Future Focused? As a young professional, there are so many options and career pathways that it can be difficult to focus in on one. In this short presentation, you will learn how to make the best of today’s event, including the opportunities to engage and learn from so many different professionals who have uniquely cultivated careers that fit their values and the life they want to live. Speakers: Gui Albieri, PhD, Quy H. Nguyen, OD Main Session The COVID-19 pandemic, along with a number of trends over the last few years, have both accelerated and changed the kinds of careers we want, and the way we practice and do business. In this main session, attendees can expect to hear about some of these major forces, including the pandemic, tele-optometry, private equity, and the rise of retail and corporate opportunities for the next generation of optometrists. Attendees should expect to get a bird’s eye view of these trends, and walk away with a better understanding of the major forces that will continue to have a big impact in their careers, as well as have more clarity in what they can do to better position themselves as current and future optometrists. Speaker: Eric Baas, OD Option 1: What I’ve Learned In 25 Years of Private Practice Owning your own practice can be one of the most rewarding accomplishments that an optometrist can experience. As with any business, there are many challenges with practice ownership which often result in painful, yet valuable lessons that sharpen business knowledge and expertise. Understanding the most critical aspects of practice ownership can help new business owners avoid costly mistakes and achieve their professional and business goals. With nearly 25 years of private practice experience, Mick Kling, OD will share the three most important lessons he learned while building one of the largest practices in San Diego, CA. Understanding and executing on these three lessons will ensure new practice owners avoid costly mistakes and accomplish extraordinary business success. Speaker: Mick Kling, OD Option 2: Managing Student Debt Student debt can be daunting! Dr. Rachael Wruble shares her story of how she and her husband each paid off upwards of $200K debt in less than four years and outline different techniques (snowball vs. avalanche) on how you can work to pay off your own debt. Her talk is both inspirational and encouraging. Speaker: Rachael Wruble, OD Session 1 (11:00 – 11:40am)