This year, the ASCRS Annual Meeting has many exciting opportunities for physicians in their first 5 years of practice. Young eye surgeons should plan to attend the many sessions, events, and networking opportunities that can be found onsite in Washington, D.C. ASCRS YES members can also enjoy discounted registration rates.
The clinical content at the ASCRS Annual Meeting is unparalleled for anterior segment surgeons, said Kourtney Houser, MD, incoming chair of the ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons (YES) Clinical Committee. “Seeing the newest technology and surgical techniques presented from experts in the field is inspiring and practice building. There are also numerous opportunities for networking for future fellowships and jobs,” she said.
Source: ASCRS
The ASCRS YES Clinical Committee will again host two symposia. A lunch symposium on Saturday, April 11, “Toolkit for Job Success,” will feature panel discussions and Q&A. This is a mentorship session for YES members covering a wide range of topics, including fellowship, selecting and cultivating a practice, and working and innovating with industry. The session will be moderated by Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, MD, current chair of the ASCRS YES Clinical Committee, and Dr. Houser.
Dr. Al-Mohtaseb and Dr. Houser will also moderate “Surgical Resilience – Bouncing Back from the Unexpected Video Symposium 2026” on Saturday afternoon. This is an interactive video symposium where presenters, including current residents, will show difficult cases and complications in the OR. A panel of surgeons will be asked to provide guidance for these cases. Each case will be followed by YES Clinical Committee members’ complicated case videos, showing how they worked through similar complications.
“I’m particularly excited about our YES symposia this year,” Dr. Houser said. “We have outstanding mentors lined up to share their tips for finding a job or fellowship, working with industry, and any other topics that arise from our live questioning. These candid discussions are so valuable when figuring out your path after training and making connections.”
Another timely symposium will take place on the morning of Saturday, April 11, hosted by the ASCRS Foundation. YES members may be interested in learning more about getting involved in volunteering and humanitarian eyecare. “Volunteerism in Domestic Humanitarian Eyecare: Be the Change You Wish to See” will provide a comprehensive overview of domestic humanitarian need and various approaches in ophthalmic humanitarian care and surgery. Discussion will include data and metrics around domestic need, examples of mobilization and collaboration, and an overview of the Operation Sight domestic humanitarian cataract surgery program. Dr. Al-Mohtaseb will moderate this session, along with Susan MacDonald, MD.
YES Connect Dinners with Industry will be a feature again this year. Attendees can learn about the benefits of ASCRS membership, the ins and outs of working with industry, work-life balance, leadership skills, global health, and they will hear from the ASCRS Digital Clinical Committee. These complimentary events, featuring a cocktail hour and a seated dinner, will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
ASCRS YES will be hosting mentor meetups Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the Braindate Lounge in the Exhibit Hall with ASCRS leadership and faculty.
There will also be many YES-focused Skills Transfer Labs, which will cover topics across different subspecialties. Attendees can sign up to take a deep dive into topics like phaco, MIGS, DMEK/DSAEK, refractive surgery, DALK, the Yamane technique, and ICLs. Labs will take place on Friday, April 10, with one Yamane lab on Saturday, April 11. These will allow attendees to learn a new skill and practice their technique with experienced experts in the field on hand to offer their knowledge and advice.
Getting involved in ASCRS early with YES activities is a valuable career step, Dr. Houser said. “You can build your confidence in surgical techniques in wet labs, watch experts walk through challenging cases and new surgical techniques, and network with industry and other ophthalmologists all in one place,” she said. “We recommend and build content for the beginning eye surgeon specifically to help make their meeting experience be the most productive and valuable it can be.”
