Our Annual Symposium, which has continued to provide 20 CME credits through instructional courses and seminars for over 70 years, is offered at no cost to our members. Our Quarterly Dinner Meetings (held at some of the best restaurants in the city), are also free for members.

Click here to apply. If you reside in the New Orleans Metropolitan area, your application must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation from local member ophthalmologists. Once your membership is approved by our Board of Directors, you will be invoiced for your dues.

Depending on the time of year, dues are either $475, $525 or $575. You can expect to receive your annual invoice in August.

Active = metro area ophthalmologists. You will have voting privileges.
Associate = non-metro area ophthalmologists. No voting privileges.
Educational = complimentary membership for residents and fellows during their time of residency/fellowship in New Orleans.

Our quarterly dinners typically consist of a fantastic dinner, a lecture, and if appropriate, a hands-on lab.

Our hand-picked lecturers are of the best and brightest in the field of ophthalmology and cover topics that are current and important to the field. Past speakers and topics have included:

• Dr. Paul Palmberg – “The Coming Paradigm Shift in Glaucoma Management – MIGS and Beyond”
• Dr. Michael Singer – “Developments in the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema”
• Dr. L. Jay Katz – “Evaluating a Next Step Adjunctive Option”
• Dr. John Samples – “Perspectives in the Management of Elevated IOP”
• Dr. David Richardson – “Multifocal and Toric Intraocular Lens in Clinical Practice”
• Dr. Matthew S. Benz – “Efficacy and Safety of Lucentis in Diabetic Macular Edema”
• Dr. William Lahners – “Essentials for Working with Amniotic Membrane: Principals & Practice”
• Dr. Shree Kumar Kurup – “Innovations in the Treatment of CRVO and AMD”

We aim to hold one dinner during each quarter of the year, but because meeting dates depend on when speakers are available, that is not always the case. You might find that one quarter there are no meetings, and then in the next quarter, there’s a meeting at the beginning and end to make up for the missing one.

Our dinners are held at some of the best restaurants in the city that loves to eat! Past restaurants have included Le Foret, August, Emeril’s Delmonico, Calcasieu, and Ralph’s on the Park.

The Quarterly Dinner Meetings are a way for us to provide our members with general and pharmaceutical education in a more relaxed and fun environment. The meetings are also great networking opportunities for our ophthalmologists.

For more than 70 years NOAO has hosted an annual meeting that offers hours in category 1 credit towards the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award™. NOAO is jointly-accredited by the Post-Graduate Institute of Medicine to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The cost to attend the symposium is included in the price of membership to the New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology. If you are not a member, the cost is $695. Early bird registration (typically ending in December) is $595.

The topics that we cover rotate each year among the various subspecialties. Some of the topics featured at our annual symposia:

• Into the Crystal Ball: Futures in Retina, Anterior Segment, and Uveitis
• Back in Plain Sight: Advancements in Glaucoma, Cataract, and Pediatrics
• Going Global: Adventures in Retina, Oculoplastics, and Anterior Segment
• Vision Beyond 2020: Gearing Up with Advances in Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Retina, and Uveitis
• The Mind’s Eye: Updates on Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, and Retina
• Refraction: Updates on Cornea, Refractive, and Oculoplastics
• Blurred Lines: Updates on Cataract, Uveitis, and Retina
• Under Pressure: Updates on Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, and Cataract
• Reflections on the Bayou: Updates on Retina, Oculoplastics, and Anterior Segment
• Eye to the Future: Explorations in Cornea, Cataract, Pediatrics, and Retina
• Wavefront and Emerging Refractive Technologies
• At the Crossings: An update on Amblyopia, Strabismus, Cataracts, Oculoplastics and Refractive Surgery
• To the Macula and Beyond: Updates on Retina, Anterior Segment, Glaucoma, and Neuro-Ophthalmology
• Eye on the Bayou: New Concepts in Glaucoma, Cataracts, and Neuro-Ophthalmology
• Inner Visions: Updates on Refractive Surgery, Cataracts and Cosmetic Oculoplastics
• Glare, Cell & Flare: Updates on Cataract, IOL, and Uveitis
• Tear Flow/Blood Flow: Updates in Retina, Ocular Tumors & External Disease

Each year the symposium is held at one of New Orleans’ many convention locations. Which location we settle on depends on the dates that are available. Our symposium is typically held within the first three months of each year, which is a very busy time for the city. We are always able to find a location to host us, but not always during the same weekend each year.

Online registration opens in the fall, visit the 2024 Symposium page for online registration.

If you are a member of NOAO and your dues are up-to-date, you will not have to pay to enter the symposium. If you are a member, but your dues are not paid, you will have to renew your membership for $600 to receive the free admission. If you are not a member, you will have to pay a fee of $695.

Residents do not have to pay a registration fee. Please do provide a letter from your Chief of Service confirming your residency and/or fellowship.

We are pleased to offer discounted rates to technicians who work for NOAO-Member physicians (please submit a letter from the employer confirming employment). For an additional fee, technicians may attend the Symposium, visit the Exhibit Hall, and attend workshops. You must have a letter from your employer confirming your employment.

Please visit the Technicians’ Conference page for more information.

We partner with CME University to issue certificates and store certificates from previous years. It can be claimed immediately after you depart the symposium. If you need to access a certificate from 2022 or prior, please email edavie@noao.org.

You should expect to learn about the most current and important topics in your field alongside more than 300 other regional ophthalmologists. There will be exhibitors offering information about products that may help make your job easier and more efficient We also provide opportunities for networking with your fellow ophthalmologists, including the Resident Reunion Night on Thursday evening and the President’s Wine and Cheese Reception on Friday evening.

The Technicians Conference is a one-day conference that takes place on the Friday of the weekend of each year’s Symposium. It is meant to provide meaningful education to technicians and ophthalmic personnel from across the Gulf South region. The day typically consists of 9-12 lectures covering different topics spread amongst 4-6 presenters. JCAPHO Class A credits and certificates are earned and provided. Our first Technicians Conference was held in 2012, in response to the strong and consistent turnout from technicians that we’ve had every year at our Annual Symposium.

Topics covered at previous Technicians Conferences included:

• Future Trends in Health Care Technology
• Glaucoma Staging Codes
• Seven Easy Steps in Evaluating Unexplained Visual Loss
• IOL Power Calculations and A-Scan
• Humphrey Field Analyzer: A Primer
• 5 Wicked Good Neuro-Ophthalmic Pearls
• Grand Rounds – Complex Cataract/Refractive Cases

You can register online here, or register on-site at the conference.

• The symposium has a long history as one of the premier ophthalmic meetings in America (64 years)
• We attract the highest caliber of faculty members
• Strong regional attendance base (200+ members), with an additional 100-200 non-members attending.
• Jointly accredited by the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine to provide continuing medical education for physicians
• Fantastic location in the downtown area of New Orleans provides for tons of fun after the learning is over!
• We offer great benefits for your support dollars
• Intimate setting allows for quality interaction with potential clients

We offer many sponsorship opportunities, including:

• Company name and logo present in both our online and printed programs
• Signage at the symposium and throughout the hotel
• Selection of booth space from preferred exhibitor location (available only to event supporters; the booth space is not complimentary)
• Acknowledgment on NOAO website banner for one year
• Logo and or company name on all Annual Symposium advertising and public service announcements
• Branded pens distributed to attendees
• Complimentary exhibitor booth
• Complimentary reservations for four at NOAO Speaker’s dinner

To learn about the details of sponsoring our Annual Symposium please contact us online or call 504.861.2550.