Each year, the Academy produces a syllabus book for each Subspecialty Day program that contains presenters' talk outlines. Moderators and panelists are not required to submit an outline.
Subspecialty Day syllabi provide a valuable resource that can be used as an educational reference. Since presentation times vary from 5 - 10 minutes, presenters can use their outlines to expand on their topic beyond the time available in the actual presentation.
The following guidelines are designed to help presenters organize and format their outline so that it conforms to the Academy's syllabus style guidelines. All outlines are reviewed by a medical editor and sent to a designer to create the uniform style of the syllabus. Our goal is to have the highest quality syllabus; outlines that do not meet these guidelines will be returned for revision.
Submitting Your Completed Outline
We require an electronic version of your presentation. Email your presentation to subday@aao.org.
Length
Minimum of one page and a maximum of two pages long.
General Information: Content
Outlines should include current and clinically relevant material, especially material such as tables and illustrations that will supplement the lectures. Outlines may be in traditional outline form, or in essay form - see below. All outlines will be formatted and reviewed by an editor and the program directors.
The outline should be an original work that was not previously published in part or whole in another publication. Including your work in the syllabus does not restrict the author from publishing this material in another publication after the meeting, however it is the responsibility of the author to advise the publication that the information was included in a Subspecialty Day syllabus and in the AAO on Demand product. In addition, the Academy will maintain the right to use this information in other publications in the future.
Authors and Financial Disclosure
Type your full name and the title of your presentation as the first two lines of your outline. Names of additional authors may be listed, if these individuals have made significant contributions to the research project or the content of the presentation. Each person listed with your outline must submit a CME financial disclosure to the Academy.
Tables and Illustrations
Outlines may include graphs, tables, computer graphic images and/or photographs. These should be sent as separate files for publication. See information below.
Patient Information
Your text, images and video(s) should contain no specific patient information. Review How to Ensure Your Presentation Complies With HIPAA Law.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Restrict abbreviations to those that are widely used and understood and avoid abbreviations that have meaning only in context of your outline. Spell out all acronyms at first appearance.
Drug/Manufacturer Names
Use generic names in the text body and include the trade name of a particular drug, in parentheses, only after the first use of the generic name. In the case of equipment, include the manufacturer’s name, city, state, or country.
Traditional Outline Format
- Type everything flush left; do not insert tabs.
- Identify each element with the appropriate number or letter.
- Do not use your word processing program’s automatic list generating function (Auto Format, Bullets, Numbering or Multilevel List).
SAMPLE
Title of Presentation
Your Full Name, Degree
Name, Degree of additional author(s)
I. FDA-approved indications for verteporfin therapy
A. Predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to AMD
B. Subfoveal CNV secondary to pathologic myopia (VIP-PM Trial)
C. Subfoveal CNV secondary to ocular histoplasmosis syndrome
1. Safety and efficacy study
2. Open-label, multicenter, uncontrolled prospective case series
3. 25 patients followed for at least 1 year
4. Treated with verteporfin therapy and followed according to standard protocol from TAP investigation
5. One-year results:
a. Median visual acuity improvement from baseline: + 7 letters
Essay Format
- Type everything flush left; do not insert tabs.
- Double-spacing between paragraphs.
SAMPLE
Title of Presentation
Your Name, Degree
Name, Degree of additional author(s)
Introduction
There are well over 5 billion people on this planet and every one of us either is or will be presbyopic. Advances in refractive surgery over the past decade have brought tremendous strides in the treatment of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Our next great challenge is the surgical treatment of presbyopia. In this presentation, I would like to discuss an innovative new IOL design, which may prove to be an answer to the problems of presbyopia for many individuals.
Background Observations
All of us who perform IOL implantation have patients who feel that they do not need glasses after cataract surgery. Objective evaluation of these patients often confirms that the uncorrected distance and near acuity is quite good.
In my experience . . .
Case Presentations
Provide a brief, pertinent history and case summary including operative course, postoperative results and conclusions.
Pro/Con Debates
Provide a brief paragraph on your position without giving your argument away. References can be included.
Video Presentations
Provide a brief synopsis of your video for presentation.
Graphs, Tables, and Charts
All graphs, tables and charts should be sent as separate files for publication. Submit them either on a CD or as an e-mail attachment separate from your outline.
To ensure proper placement type “Insert Graph/Table/Chart Here” in your outline where you wish the illustration to appear. This text will be removed when your outline is edited. If you have more than one graph, table or chart, please number each and include the proper numbers in the insertion instructions (for example: “Insert Graph #2 Here”).
As a backup, you may mail a hard copy version illustrating exactly how the graphic(s) should appear in the document to the Scientific Meetings Coordinator at the Academy, address provided below.
All graphs, tables and charts should include a title or legend.
Syllabi are printed in black and white. Your graphs, tables and/or charts should not use color.
Using an Existing Graph, Table or Chart
If a table or graph is borrowed from another publication, please ensure that you have permission to reproduce it before submitting it to the Academy. List the source in a note underneath the table or graph, including the words “Reprinted by permission.”
If you plan to use a scanner to reproduce an existing graph, table or chart, please follow the resolution and size requirements outlined in the Computer Graphic Images section below.
Creating Tables
Create tables using your word processor program’s table function. Please do not create tables using tabs as the format is lost when the data is transferred.
Use adequate titles for each column heading in your table. All abbreviations must be explained in the legend.
Computer Graphic Images and Photographs
All images should be sent as separate files for publication. Submit them either on a CD or as an e-mail attachment separate from your outline.
To ensure proper placement type “Insert Image Here” in your outline where you wish the image/photograph to appear. This text will be removed when your outline is edited. If you have more than one image, please number each and include the proper numbers in the insertion instructions (for example: “Insert Image #2 Here”). Also, include or identify any text that corresponds to the image, such as title, figure notes or source notes.
As a backup, you may mail a hard copy version illustrating exactly how the graphic(s) should appear in the document to the Scientific Meetings Coordinator at the Academy. Address below.
Syllabi are printed in black and white. Your images should not use color.
Scanning/Saving Images
Most computer graphic images and photographs should be saved as a TIFF file with a preferred resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum width of 3”.
Simple tables, graphs and drawings (line art) should be scanned at a resolution of 1200 dpi or higher and saved as a Bit Map file.
Using an Existing Image or Photograph
If you are using someone else’s images, please ensure that you have permission to reproduce it before submitting it to the Academy. List the source in a note underneath the image, including the words “Reprinted by permission.”
References
All outlines should include at least 3 to 5, but not more than 10, clinically relevant references.
- List your references at the end of your document (as endnotes) instead of as footnotes.
- Do not use your word processing program’s note function to embed the notes in the text.
- Type all references flush left, without tabs.
Questions
Contact the following Academy staff:
Ann L'Estrange
Subspecialty Day Manager
American Academy of Ophthalmology
655 Beach St.
San Francisco, CA 94109-1336
United States
Phone: 415.447.0289
E-mail: alestrange@aao.org