6,000 international doctors made the trip to AAO

Attendance at the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy)-Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Joint Meeting, held in San Francisco, the largest ophthalmic educational meeting in the world was strong.

Preliminary figures for attendance at the meeting were approximately 25,000, a 17 percent increase over 2008. More than 6,000 international physicians attended the meeting, an increase of 50 percent compared to 2008. Preliminary figures for attendance at the Subspecialty Day events also showed a strong increase, totalling more than 7,100, a 37 percent rise over the previous year.

The 2009 Laureate Recognition Award, the Academy's highest honour, went to Bernard Becker, MD, for his leadership in ophthalmic research, clinical care, and education.