Meron Haile, MD, is a comprehensive ophthalmologist at Kaiser Permanente in Union City, California. She was born and raised in San Francisco.
My first annual meeting—New Orleans in 2017. The meeting certainly can feel overwhelming the first time around! At my first AAO, I was eager to soak everything in. Not only was I excited about the conference, but it was my first trip to New Orleans, a place I had been yearning to visit for so many years. It was bustling within the conference walls, and the energy was just as high throughout the city.
My tip for first-time visitors to San Francisco—we have hills! Many places look close to each other on a map, and walking could be the ideal option, but hills may make the journey feel longer than you thought. Expect to break a sweat and always wear comfortable walking shoes when exploring the city. Some of my favorite neighborhoods to shop, eat, and people watch include Hayes Valley, Haight Street, the Marina district, and Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights.
Why I always visit the Resource Center—free headshots. A great money- and time-saving service that I missed out on for my first several meetings was the free headshots at the Academy Resource Center [West Booth 7537]. Sometimes there is a bit of a line, but I think the line tends to be shorter later in the meeting.
My tip for reducing your step count—factor event location into your scheduling. You don’t want to miss content because you are walking to the opposite end of the convention center after each lecture. Make a note of several sessions that happen at the same time. Then, after you have a sense of where they are in relation to one another, consider choosing lectures based on proximity.
My guilty pleasure at the meeting—dancing YOs. The Global YO [Young Ophthalmologist] Reception is the social event I look forward to the most. I have incredible footage of some of the most brilliant Academy members absolutely tearing it up on the dance floor together. Those are lifelong memories for me. [The Global YO Reception will take place on Sunday, Nov. 5, 9:00 p.m.-midnight at The Grand, 520 4th St., San Francisco.]
For Dr. Haile's restaurant and cafe recommendations, read the YO Info post, Explore San Francisco During AAO 2023.
This content is excerpted from the Sunday/Monday edition of AAO 2023 News, the newspaper distributed at the convention center.
Read more news about Subspecialty Day and AAO 2023.