Submit an Abstract
The Academy accepts case submissions, from residents only, for the Grand Rounds: Cases and Experts from Around the World symposium. The Grand Rounds symposium will be offered in person at the 2024 meeting; accepted residents are invited to present their case in person at the symposium during the Academy's annual meeting.
All submissions should be entered through the Academy's website by the deadline. Authors submitting abstracts must use an existing user account or create one. All Academy members (present and past), past program participants and those who have ever attended an AAO meeting have an existing Academy user account. Do not create a duplicate account, check first for an existing account by using the “forgot password” or “forgot email” features in the login section.
The online application will NOT work well with Firefox, Safari or older versions of Internet Explorer. For the best results, use the most recent version of Chrome. Follow the link to download Chrome for free.
The online submitter launched April 24 and will close June 26 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
International case submissions not accepted for the Grand Rounds symposium will be considered for a showcase in the Young Ophthalmologist (YO) Lounge at an in-person international reception on Friday, Oct. 18. Case presentations showcased in the YO Lounge are not considered part of the Academy’s scientific program.
NEW International case submissions not accepted for the Grand Rounds symposium will also be considered for a showcase in the Young Ophthalmologist (YO) Lounge at an in-person international reception on Friday, October 18. Case presentations showcased in the YO Lounge are not considered part of AAO’s scientific program.
Abstract Submission
Complete all sections of the online submitter by entering case information in required fields and selecting the continue button at the end of each page. Missing information in required fields/attachment will result in an incomplete case report. There is not a final “submit” button, once the required fields are completed, a PDF link will be generated, and the abstract can be passed along for review. Residents can make changes up until the deadline by returning to the online submitter and clicking on the title, no need to create a new submission. Authors should save the updated PDF once changes are made. At the deadline, Academy staff will send only the completed case submissions to be reviewed by a panel of experts.
Title
The title of the case may not exceed 120 characters. Use title case when entering your abstract (use both upper-and lowercase letters as appropriate).
No extra formatting is needed. Do not bold, underline or italicize the title.
Titles should be interesting but NOT reveal the case outcome.
Topic Selection
Please refer to the list of main subject classifications. More defined topics are included under these main classifications. Authors should choose the most dominant topic if the case crosses multiple disciplines.
Case Report
The case may not exceed 1000 characters (approximately 100 words, spaces are not counted). If the abstract is too long, it will not be possible to complete the submission process and it will not be reviewed. The online submitter application will automatically count any hidden formatting in the abstract when text is copy/pasted into the abstract body field. To avoid exceeding the character limits, paste only simple text. You do not need to include headings in abstracts that report case studies.
Presenter/Co-author(s)
The author listed first is recognized as the presenter and that author should be a current resident at the submission deadline as well as at the time of the meeting. If accepted, the resident must attend in person and present. The committee asks for a list of authors but only the presenter will be included in the program, co-authors should be included on the PowerPoint slides. Consider joining the Academy to receive all member benefits; membership is free for residents based in the U.S. or Canada, and reduced for physicians in a residency or fellowship training program located outside of the U.S.
Attaching Figures/Images
To be considered, authors are required to upload a file outlining the entire case, from presentation through diagnosis and treatment, and include as much imaging as possible. Cases that cross multiple disciplines, that present with twists and turns and end up with a specific diagnosis are desired.
The file attached to the application cannot exceed 50 MB. The preferred format is a PowerPoint presentation saved as a PDF, which should be equivalent to no more than a 10-minute presentation.
The file uploaded with the application is for review only. If the case is accepted, presenters will be asked to prepare and submit a full-resolution PowerPoint presentation prior to the symposium. Do not upload a final, meeting-ready PowerPoint presentation for the review.
View the AAO 2023 Grand Rounds session in the online Meeting Archives for what you can expect if accepted.
Application
Background Statement
Provide a succinct statement explaining why this study was undertaken or reported. You may use up to 250 characters (including spaces), approximately 40 words.
The Background Statement is an opportunity to provide additional information. Do not duplicate the abstract text.
Additional Questions
Submitters should be prepared to enter the following information into the application:
- Do any of the authors have financial interest relevant to this presentation? (YES/NO)
- Is the Presenting Author Industry Employed? (YES/NO)
- If this study involved human research, was it approved by the Institutional Review Board or equivalent body? (YES/NO/NO, NOT REQUIRED)
- Has this case been reported or presented at another meeting? YES/NO
- Will you be a resident at the time of AAO 2024? YES/NO
- What is the name of the residency program?
Withdraw Case
To withdraw the case from consideration, select Withdraw Abstract. The submitting author may withdraw a case at any time until the deadline. By choosing to withdraw, the case, the submission will not be reviewed. Once a case is withdrawn, it cannot be reinstated.