WCO Call for Courses: Optometry’s Meeting® 2025

June 25-28, 2025
Minneapolis, Minnesota

The World Council of Optometry has opened the Call for Courses for the continuing education (CE) program at Optometry’s Meeting® 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. WCO is partnering with the AOA to host the 5^th World Congress of Optometry. Although CE will be offered for all 4 days of the meeting, WCO selected CE courses will be held Thursday, June 26, and Friday, June 27, 2025.

We invite you to submit lecture courses through the online application below. All application submissions must be submitted online by Oct. 22, 2024, 11:59 p.m. CT.

Please note:  the call for poster submissions will begin on: Jan. 1, 2025

If you have questions regarding the Call for Courses, please contact enquiries@worldoptometry.org

Topics

Although WCO will consider all topics, including core topics of primary care, general and specialized contact lenses, pediatrics, binocular vision, vision rehabilitation, we would like to highlight lectures with a global perspective focusing on:

• Global public health and advocacy
• Emerging technologies and the effect on optometric patient care
• With the release of the WCO Competency, how optometric education strives to address the current five pillars outlined and how we can continue to strive for excellence in optometric education.
• The more common ocular diseases and systemic diseases with an emphasis on impact on low- and middle-income settings.
• International optometric education collaboration

Course Criteria and Requirements

Due to the volume of submissions, not all submitted courses will be accepted. All applicants will be notified of accepted courses via email by November 20, 2024. Acceptance will be based on the following criteria:

• The primary speaker must be a member of WCO.
• Courses accepted for this meeting should be original and not presented previously at Optometry’s Meeting or slated to be presented at any other meeting/conference in 2024/2025.
• All courses submitted will be 1 hour in length.

Accepted Courses

• If a course is accepted, the speaker(s) must complete a Speaker’s Confirmation Agreement by December 4, 2024.
• Final course outlines will be due by Sunday, February 9, 2025.
• Speakers must respond in a timely manner to achieve COPE and/or CPD approvals.
• Course handouts are required and must be submitted electronically by Sunday, April 20, 2025.
• Speakers cannot promote their books, consulting services, etc., during education sessions.
• Speakers must disclose any utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) within their submissions, including their outline and slide deck.

If your course is not accepted, you are welcome to submit a poster abstract. The call for posters will open Jan. 1, 2025, and close Feb. 14, 2025.

Speaker Reimbursement Policy

WCO speaker reimbursement and registration information:

• Honorarium Standard Courses—Up to $350/course (per instructor, maximum of three instructors).
• Honorarium Panels—Up to $350/hour. Will be split among all panelists (any course with four or more instructors is subject to this fee schedule)

Speakers will receive 50% off registration for Optometry's Meeting; speakers must register during Early Bird Registration time frame.

Thanks to the AOA's generosity, selected lecturers at this year's 5th World Congress of Optometry will receive an honorarium and discounted registration fees. The AOA's warm welcome and dedication to supporting WCO speakers foster the collaborative spirit of this event.

Important Dates

Course Submission

SUBMIT COURSE

**All accepted courses that meet the requirements and have been submitted on time will be considered for acceptance for COPE and CPD