About the Current Fellows Page
Renewal Dues
In order to be a member in good standing and retain the distinction of Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO), members must pay annual dues as set by the Board of Directors. The membership term in the Academy is based on a calendar year, January 1 to December 31. A member who fails to remit payment by April 30 will be deactivated on May 1. See below for further information regarding dues fees.
Reinstatement
Lapsed Fellows have the option to reinstate their Fellowship within a five-year time span by paying all back dues, a $60 reinstatement fee, and $5 interest per month of lapsed membership. After five years, the individual must complete the Candidacy for Fellowship process again should they wish to become a Fellow again.
For assistance with reinstating your membership, please email membership@aaoptom.org. Please note, upon reinstatement, Maintenance of Fellowship will be required. If you were previously required to complete Maintenance of Fellowship, your MOF date will be adjusted so you have a full 10 years to earn the 15 points required.
Annual Dues
| Annual Dues | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fellows | $385 | Includes online subscription to the Optometry and Vision Science journal. |
| Senior Fellows | $280 | In accordance with the Academy’s bylaws, Senior Fellowship is awarded to any Fellow who has reached age 65. Includes an online subscription to the Optometry and Vision Science journal. |
| Emeritus Fellows | $90 | In accordance with the Academy’s bylaws, Emeritus Fellowship is awarded to any Fellow who has been a Fellow for at least 30 years and has reached age 70. Includes an online subscription to the Optometry and Vision Science journal. |
| Emeritus Senior Fellow | $0 | Formerly named Retired Senior Fellow, the Emeritus Senior Fellow status is awarded to any Fellow who has reached the age of 65 and who has fully retired and is no longer earning any income from the optometric field. Includes an online subscription to the Optometry and Vision Science journal. Please email membership@aaoptom.org to inquire. Emeritus Senior Fellows pay full member price for annual meeting registration rates. |
| Honorary Fellow, Life Fellow, Life Emeritus Fellows | $0 | Requests for such considerations by the Board of Directors must be submitted in writing to the Academy office. Includes an online subscription to the Optometry and Vision Science journal. |
Payment
Payment may be made online after logging in with your member email and password or using the unique Payment URL that will be emailed out each Fall for the upcoming dues cycle. Once you have logged in, select the “Renew” option from your Personal Snapshot page and follow the prompts. If you have forgotten your password, follow the prompts by clicking on the “Forgot my Password” link on the log in screen. Dues payments are not refundable.
Payment may also be made by check to:
American Academy of Optometry
622 East Washington Street
Suite 300
Orlando, FL 32801
Not Certain of your Membership Status
Contact the Academy at (321) 319-4860 or by email at membership@aaoptom.org.
Maintenance of Fellowship
Maintenance of Fellowship (MOF) was approved by the membership as a bylaws amendment at the business meeting in 2009 at Orlando. All new Fellows and those reactivating Fellowship on or after November 2010 must meet the MOF requirements. All other Fellows are encouraged to participate in the MOF program as well.
Fellows of the Academy are required to renew their Fellowship status every 10 years starting after the annual Academy meeting in 2010. The program is required for any new or reactivated Fellow admitted in 2010 and subsequent years. The program is voluntary for Fellows admitted prior to 2010. Each Fellow is responsible for acquiring 15 points during a consecutive 10 year period.
Friends to Fellows Member Referral Program
In December 2018 the Academy’s Membership Committee launched a new recruitment program called “Friends to Fellows”. The program is simple in that we are offering two monetary incentives for current Fellows to refer non-member colleagues.
Incentive #1: $100 off annual meeting registration if you refer a new Candidate for Fellowship.*
The Academy will offer you $100 off annual meeting registration for Academy 2022 San Diego if you refer a new Candidate for Fellowship who applies by February 1, 2022.
Incentive #2: Complimentary registration for referring a new Candidate for Fellowship who successfully completes the Fellowship process.**
We encourage you to serve as an unofficial mentor to the Candidate(s) you refer.
Reach out to your friends and encourage them to join the Academy and become a Fellow. The committee has already drafted a Friends and Fellows letter you can send to your friends. Feel free to edit or customize. It’s that easy.
* Applicant must complete and submit the full application along with full dues payment and any applicable fees. Fellows will receive a promotional code to use at registration. It is only valid for the next year’s meeting. Not applicable for new Candidates who have graduated optometry school in the past three years. Discount may only be used once per year and doesn’t increase with the number of Candidates. Applicant must apply by February 1 for the Fellow to receive the promotional code for that year’s meeting. Candidate must submit the name of the referring Fellow at the time of his/her application.
** Complimentary registration must be used for the annual meeting immediately following the induction of the new Fellow (mentee). Complimentary registration cannot be transferred or deferred. If the Fellow qualifies for Incentive #1 and Incentive #2 in the same year, the Fellow will receive full complimentary registration for the meeting as outlined in Incentive #2 guidelines. Discount can only be used once per year and doesn’t compound with the number of Candidates. Candidate must submit the name of the referring Fellow at the time of his/her application.
Get Involved! Volunteer at the Academy
Welcome to the Academy’s Volunteer page. Here you can learn more about the important work and vital contributions of our volunteers. You also will find additional information to help you discover existing opportunities to volunteer with the Academy and its initiatives.
If you are a current volunteer, thank you for your continued dedication to the organization. The Academy would not achieve its ongoing success without the generous contributions of our volunteers’ time, talents, and expertise.
***Please note, all available volunteer opportunities for 2022-2023 are filled. Be sure to check back frequently as any available opportunities will be posted here.
If you completed the survey and were not called upon to fulfill a position, please know we still have you on the list. Should opportunities arise, you will be contacted regarding your interest in serving. Thank you for your willingness to serve the Academy.***
Interested in Becoming Involved?
The process of becoming a volunteer begins by completing our Volunteer Interest Survey. This in-depth survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete and is designed to match your skills and interest with volunteer opportunities to keep you engaged and growing within the Academy. The survey also includes a place to submit your name for consideration to serve on specific committees.
Prior to completing the survey, we encourage you to read about the Academy’s committees to familiarize yourself with time commitments, expectations, and responsibilities.
