ASRS 2017 Saturday (Day 2): Transitions to Clinical Practice Course

Greetings from Boston!

The 4^th Transitions to Clinical Practice course at ASRS 2017 was a fun and informative meeting geared toward newly minted retina specialists and fellows in training who are about to step into the real world. An outstanding panel of faculty discussed pertinent questions and impart invaluable pearls of wisdom for specialists in their first years of practice.

Dr. Lisa C. Olmos de Koo, MD, MBA from the University of Washington kicked off our evening with a lively discussion of new clinical data in AMD and its application to everyday practice. Highlights include the role of genetic testing in dry AMD patients despite current American Academy of Ophthalmology recommendations against screening. We discussed the availability of accessible tools such as an online ‘risk-calculator’ (http://caseyamdcalc.ohsu.edu/) and the ForeseeHome device for inquisitive and motivated patients desiring a more active role in their dry AMD management. Dr. Judy E. Kim from Medical College of Wisconsin followed with rapid-fire diabetic retinopathy case studies that incorporated application of results from DRCR Network studies Protocols T and S and introduction of Protocols V and AC. The panel discussed nuances of applying these findings and the audience were polled and contributed to a lively discussion. Lastly, the panel emphasized the importance of enforcing intensive medical control for well-rounded patient care as well as meeting PQRS and MIPS requirements.

Switching to more practical matters, Drs. Gaurav K. Shah, MD (The Retina Institute, St. Louis, MO) and Dean Elliot, MD (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA) shared salient advice in the challenging and daunting process of initial job searching to landing a solid contract. Candidly, the panelists all agreed that ethical practice in patient care and billing are principles that cannot be overlooked. Anecdotal experiences were also shared by the faculty, illustrating negotiable aspects of a new job such as allocation of time for clinical research (if desired) as well as prioritizing other life pursuits that will ultimately lead to job satisfaction. Dr. SriniVas Sadda (Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA) was teleconferencing in from Lima, Peru, and provided pearls for the attendees throughout the evening.

Many thanks to the participating faculty for their time and enthusiasm; we speak for the many graduating fellows when we say that forums such as Transitions are a wonderful resource to have at the launching point of our careers. Of note, happy birthday to Dr. Olmos de Koos, who celebrated her birthday this evening and was serenaded by the crowd!