NextGEN ODs supporting the Clinical Summit

On June 22, the Clinical Summit: From Diagnosis to Management brought optometrists, clinical experts, and industry leaders together at Toronto’s Arcadia Earth for a day of accredited CE and professional networking — and two NextGEN OD Canada Student Ambassadors were right in the middle of the action! Event sponsors include Specsavers Canada, HOYA Vision, and CooperVision.

Elisa Haley and Shreya Jain, NextGEN OD Student Ambassadors
Left to right: Elisa Haley, Shreya Jain

Elisa Haley (UW 2028 OD Candidate) and Shreya Jain (UW 2027 OD Candidate) participated in the event as on-site ambassadors, assisting with CE registration on behalf of Clinical & Refractive Optometry (CRO) Journal, a division of VuePoint IDS.

For these future ODs, the event was more than just a work opportunity — it offered direct access to practicing optometrists, exposure to leading clinical experts, and the chance to expand their professional networks, all while being paid for their involvement!

The Clinical Summit delivered three accredited CE hours covering Myopia Management (Debbie Jones), OCT Pathology (Dr. Amit Gupta), and Cataract Surgery and Post-Op Care (Dr. Yogesh Patodia), along with an industry panel — Advancing Myopia Management: Clinical Strategies and Innovations — presented by CooperVision and HOYA Vision Care Canada.

Held in the immersive Arcadia Earth venue, which blends art and technology to inspire sustainability, the event provided a visually stunning backdrop for an inspiring day of learning and connection.

NextGEN OD Canada Student Ambassadors benefit from paid opportunities like this while gaining valuable real-world experience in Canada’s dynamic eye care community.

Interested in becoming a NextGEN Student Ambassador? [Learn more here.]

Check out our event photo gallery below — including pics of Shreya and Elisa in action!

Elia and Shreya at the CRO table

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Future Focus by NextGEN OD Canada

On March 26th, more than 220 optometry students came together for the 2025 NextGEN Future Focus event, held in person at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry (UW) and the New England College of Optometry (NECO).

With additional participants joining online from several U.S. optometry schools, the event became a dynamic hybrid experience, uniting Canadian optometry students across campuses—and across borders—for an evening of connection, insight, and inspiration.

The live panel discussion, hosted at UW and simulcast to audiences at NECO and across Zoom, was co-moderated by Dr. Andre Stanberry (UW) and student moderator Maryam Safdar (OD Candidate, UW 2027).

The panel featured a diverse lineup of experienced optometric professionals from leading organizations, including:

  • Dr. Mary-Kate Alliston
  • Dr. Karine Briand
  • Dr. Howard Dolman
  • Dr. Laurie Lesser

Together, they offered honest insights into professional life after graduation, shared career lessons, and answered student questions from UW, NECO, and Zoom attendees in real-time.

 

Following the panel, students heard from Dr. Jenny Lee, who joined live from NECO. Dr. Lee, a UW 2023 graduate and the first NextGEN OD Ambassador to host the inaugural Future Focus event in 2023, brought her journey full circle as this year’s featured keynote speaker.

Her reflections on the emotional and professional phases of optometry school—Excitement, Doubt, Growth, and Accomplishments—resonated with attendees.

Throughout the evening, students connected with key leaders and potential employers and suppliers. The events were made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including Visionary Sponsors, FYidoctorsOSI GroupEye Recommend, and Specsavers, and Horizon Sponsors,  Vogue Optical and Bausch + Lomb Canada, ROI Corporation and Clinical & Refractive Optometry Journal.

The night wrapped with a prize draw, with over $2,000 in prizes awarded to lucky participants across all venues.


Couldn’t attend live? Don’t worry—there’s more.

Western Rewind on April 3 at 9 PM EDT,(6 PM Pacific)  will recap the panel and keynote, plus add live interactive sessions and even more prizes!

➡️ Click here to register for the Western Rewind Zoom session.

 

 

More related content:

https://www.neco.edu/news/nextgen-canada-conference/


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