Aubrey and her NECO classmates were part of the 500+ group of doctors, optometry students, and affiliate leaders who participated in the annual hill day that consists of a 3-day fly-in to deliver optometry’s priorities. Priorities include: health and vision plan abuse, protecting veterans’ access to eye care, Medicare payment reform, and ensuring a safer and simpler prescription verification system.

Students who wish to participate will have the opportunity to experience plenary sessions, breakouts and briefings intended to prepare attendees to get involved in the advocacy fight for optometry’s future, and may have the opportunity (in close coordination with their affiliates) to participate in meetings with their members of Congress and staff.

Sunday Day 1: Travel and Registration

The first day was an early morning following NECO’s Eyeball, but was worth waking up early to catch a 9:30am flight to D.C. from Boston.

The quick flight lasted about 90 minutes and I was in my hotel by noon. The AOA made accommodations for everyone at J.W. Marriott–a beautiful hotel right next to the White House! With a few hours to spare before the first event–my classmates and I set out to explore some of the historic landmarks. We checked out the World War I memorial, the White House, and the Washington Monument all within a 15-minute walk of the hotel.

How I made the trip possible: I registered for a travel grant from the AOA that includes a $425 travel stipend and free hotel accommodations. However, you do have to pay for the trip upfront: AOA will reimburse you after the trip. A few weeks before the meeting they will send you a W8 or W9 to fill out for payment.

The first event of the weekend was the welcome reception with heavy appetizers and an open bar. We got a quick run down of the weekend and were able to mingle with all the attendees at the event.

After the reception, Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Zahka, President and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Society of Optometry took NECO AOA members out for dinner at Proper 21. Both of them have proven to be amazing mentors in optometry and advocacy–we are so thankful for their commitment to optometric advocacy and student involvement.

Monday Day 2: Learning About Advocacy and the Four Bills

7 am breakfast at the hotel made for another early morning and by 8 am we started our first session of the day. During this time, doctors and students split up with doctors at a Continuing Education session and students began the “Advocacy for Optometry’s Future” seminar. The seminar included a panel with key Washington Insiders and “You + Your Legislator: Empowered Conversations”. NECO student Carissa Fleming OD3, sat on a panel discussion to help give the student perspective and advice on how to advocate effectively. It was really inspiring and exciting to see my classmate on stage at a national conference. After this session the doctors joined us for the “AOA on Capitol Hill Morning Session.” This portion included a special policy session: “PBMs, VBMs, and Growing Momentum for Reform at the State and National Levels.”

Then it was on to the political luncheon where A.B. Stoddaed, Pundit and Columnist gave an update of the national and international policies. Next was the “AOA on Capitol Hill Afternoon Session.” This is when we had the opportunity to learn about the four issues we would be advocating for and educating legislators on later on Tuesday.

The four bills we learned about included:

1. Combatting Plan Abuses/Doc Access Act
2. Medicare Payment Reform
3. VA Full scope and Physician Recognition
4. Patient Safety/Closing Robocall Loophole

To learn more about these bills please visit Federal Advocacy | AOA or get in touch with anyone who attended the event–we are eager to share more information!

Earlier when we checked into the hotel on Sunday we were given a detailed, but easily digestible, magazine on the weekends events and bills. The magazine summarized the documents we would be sharing with legislators so we could get a grasp of the terminology and facts we would be advocating. Monday’s afternoon session gave a detailed breakdown of each bill, and emphasized points that should be mentioned on Tuesday.

After a short break–which I used to soak up some of the D.C. sun–we began the State Delegations Strategy Session. When I first registered for the meeting, I was asked to rank the states I’d like to advocate for, then a few weeks before arriving in D.C. I received the state and contact information for the state’s association. I am considering practicing in South Carolina, so I chose to work with this group at the State Delegations Strategy Session. I had the opportunity to meet with the South Carolina Optometric Physicians Society members: Jackie Rivers, Vaughn Perfitt OD, and Johndra Upton McNeely OD. We used this time to strategize our plan for Tuesday, and review the bills as a team.

Next was the “AOA+ Leadership Link” led by Dr. Jeni Kohn. We were randomly assigned a table with six AOA members–three students and three doctors. This was a great opportunity to meet students from different schools as well as network with doctors. We were able to have casual conversation and ask questions about their careers. The doctors offered great advice regarding residency, networking, and managing imposter syndrome.

The last event of the night was the “Alumni/School Night Reception Honoring Student Advocacy Leaders.” All attendees of the conference were invited to attend the dinner and festivities. We were encouraged to mingle with other students and meet the alumni from our schools. The night was filled with good music, open bar, a filling buffet dinner, trivia, and an awards ceremony. NECO students Carissa Fleming and Danya Weinshel won the Student Excellence Award!

Tuesday Day 3: Capitol Hill Meetings

The third day was the big day we’d been training for. AOA fed us one last time with a healthy continental breakfast. Then everyone dispersed into their groups. My South Carolina team took a ten-minute taxi ride to Capitol Hill to meet with Representative Russell Fry at 9:30 am. At my first meeting, I observed the flow of advocating the bills. Our second meeting was with the Legislative Correspondent of Senator Tim Scott. By the second meeting, I built up my confidence enough to contribute to our case. Then we had two more meetings with Legislative Aid of Representative Joe Wilson and the Senior Legislative Assistant of Representative Nancy Mace. At these meetings I shared the same perspective I had shared at the previous meeting.

Throughout the weekend, the best and most frequent advice I heard for students was to, “pick one bill you have a personal experience with and share that at every meeting.” As a student, you offer a different perspective on employment, debt, and our profession’s future–it’s important to share what you know best! The advice I would add is to wear proper shoes you can walk in for miles. Capitol Hill is huge, so it’s a lot of quickly walking long distances.

After our meetings, my time in D.C. came to an end. With a small flight delay, I used the time to see a little bit more of the area before it was back to Boston.

AOA on Capitol Hill offers a unique experience for students interested in advocacy. With this trip, I discovered a new passion for advocating for Optometry and our patients. I went into this experience with zero knowledge on the bills, and with very little understanding of the conference and schedule. I encourage future students, no matter their experience, to take this opportunity and use it to gain a sense of where optometry is going, network, and advocate for our profession.