By Delia Paunescu
Assistant Editor, Vision Monday

What are your education priorities?


Jennifer Fiorenza, Public Relations, ClearVision Optical, Hauppauge, NY

I’m taking the New Product Showcase the first day, and on Saturday I’m taking the Successful Selling class. That’s it. I’m here to walk around, see what’s new, see what’s happening.















Marlene White-Jarrett, Optometric Technician, Dr. Jarrett and Associates, Toronto

I’m taking classes on Adjusting Progressive Lenses, Fitting Difficult Frames and the UV symposium. These were advised to me because I’m new in the business so I need some more info.













Anna Arnold, Marketing Coordinator, Texarkana Eye Associates, Texarkana, Texas

Internet and Social Media, Entrance varifiation and filing, Low Vision Coating and Building, Maximizing Opportunities in Your Practice, Getting in the Game and Eyeglasses Online. Marketing is my focus cause I’m the marketing director for your practice and my husband’s also in optometry. So I’m just learning as much as I can as far as the business side.












Robert Kummer, OD, Owns own practice, Los Angeles, Calif.

I’m taking a class in Diabetic Retinopathy and on Antibiotics and on Dry Eye. I think there are more people becoming diabetic today, it’s an epidemic, and I think I should be very knowledgeable on how to diagnose it and refer patients. I’m from Los Angeles and I have a Hispanic patient base - I’ve noticed that diabetes is very prevalent in the Hispanic population.













Kelly Catino, OD, Catino Eye Care Center, Wilmington, N.C.

I’m taking Strategies that Work Together to Double Your Practice, Potpourri of Friday Afternoon Clinical Case Histories, Essential Systems for Helping Patients Accept your Treatment Plan, New Paradigms in the Diagnosis and Management of Contact Lens-Related Microbial Keratitis, Pearls from the Posterior Segment, The Interior Segment – Disease and Medical Management of Contacts and To Hold and When To Fold – The Value of OCT in Co-Managing Ocular Disease. I like to keep up with the medical aspect of the industry. I also like to keep up with some of the management since we have our own practice.









Jyotsna Jain, OD, Focus Vision Care, Staten Island, N.Y.

I’m taking a few courses in pharmaceutical and clinical. I also want to take some contact lens courses to see what’s the latest technology and what new products that have come out, how to fit them and what to look forward to. I’m also taking other business management and strategy courses – how to upgrade your product line or increasing your bottom line. I take classes every year since it’s required for licensing but I also like to stay up to date. Since I’m a solo practitioner, this is the only venue for me to know what’s going on and keep up to date. Although I do see magazines, there’s sometimes no time to sit down and read everything. This way, you can pick and choose the areas you want an update on.










Ryan Bohnert, OD, Westmount Optometry, London, Ontario

This is my first time here actually. I’m taking mostly clinical courses - the Potpourri of Friday Afternoon Cases and a class on Pediatric Red Eye. I’ve never been to New York before so I’m also looking to do the touristy things.