Vision Therapy in Berlin

I was invited to do a vision therapy workshop at the European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO) conference in Berlin, Germany. This year was the 8th year of the meeting, with previous locations being in Budapest, Prague, and Dublin to name a few. The EAOO draws an international crowd with attendees from many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. My workshop saw a great representation of this diversity.

The goal of my VT workshop was to introduce participants to six basic activities that they could incorporate into their practice. The workshop included a brief presentation with lots of time for hands-on experiences.

There were many attendees there that had received their masters from Salus University as part of our international program, so it was great to see some familiar faces. Many of the attendees spoke of the limitations optometrists have in most European countries, and how they are roughly 60+ years behind what optometrists in the US have been able to accomplish as a profession. This information was met with surprise, sadness, and pride as I considered the scope of practice I’m able to enjoy in the US, and how well Salus University prepared me. 

The conference ended with a lovely dinner on the Alexander von Humbolt boat, which took us down parts of the Spree River, the major river that runs through the city of Berlin.

I was honored to be a representative of Salus University at the EAOO, and enjoyed hearing others speak highly of their own experiences at the University. I look forward to participating in this conference again!

- Ruth Y. Shoge, OD, is an Assistant Professor at Salus University and Director of the Pediatric & Binocular Vision Services at The Eye Institute of Salus University