AAO Membership - Full Membership

Membership Categories include Full-Time, Part-Time, New Graduate, Affiliate, Lifetime, and Honorary Members.

The Alberta Association of Optometrists (AAO) is your professional association.  We offer a wide range of services to members, and want to make sure these services are useful and of value to you.  Your Director of Member Benefits is Dr. Riaz Ahmed. Our goal is to serve you and meet your needs, so we must know what those needs are.  Please feel free to call the association office for ANYTHING related to your practice.  If we don’t know the answer, we will try and direct you to the appropriate source.

If you wish to apply for membership in the AAO, please contact Stacey Dominiuk at the AAO office to request the appropriate application/registration forms.

Your AAO membership includes:

• A voice in legislative affairs: The AAO is the designated body representing optometry and meets with the provincial government on your behalf for a variety of reasons.  The AAO is your voice when we meet with Alberta Health and Welfare to negotiate fees, and discuss optometric billing codes and procedures.  The AAO continues to fight on your behalf for ‘adequate’ funding for coverage of clinical conditions.  We monitor provincial legislation, attend workshops, and ensure that optometry’s needs and concerns are considered by government.  The AAO orchestrates a Political Action Plan which involves members in the process and ensures our visibility at Premiers Dinners, MLA Banquets, political fund raisers, conferences etc.
  
  
• Recommended schedule of  professional fees: The AAO prepares a comprehensive guide recommending fees for all services performed for optometric patients, which is made available to you and third party vision care administrators.
  
  
• Public information materials and aids: Information pamphlets, brochures, posters, tear sheets and stickers are produced by the AAO and made available to members. Some of this promotional material is made available for purchase, and some is distributed free of charge.  AAO members have access to two display booths, which can be used at trade and career fairs.  Provincial media campaigns are orchestrated through the association office to promote optometry and raise awareness throughout the province.  Non-members cannot purchase AAO products.
  
  
• Group plans offering special rates, and negotiated by the AAO include disability and life insurance, credit card rates, Alberta Mobility, courier services, Quikcard, telephone-on-hold messaging, and our newest addition “Maxopia.”  Maxopia offers excellent discounts to AAO members for office supplies and equipment.  AAO members don’t pay a sign up fee!  The association is constantly on the lookout for group benefit plans which would be of interest to the membership.
  
  
• Regional meetings and workshops are organized and facilitated by the association annually.  These offer continuing education credits and social interaction with fellow AAO members, and provide a forum for information exchange between the elected Council and the field practitioner.
  
  
• AAO annual general meeting, continuing education conference and optifair are organized each year and AAO members attend at a much reduced rate.  Our Optifair is one of the most successful in Canada, attracting large numbers of suppliers and doctors.
  
  
• Professional communication: AAO members receive a regular newsletter containing updates and pertinent information.  In addition, the association produces the Optomart, which is a classified ad publication, free to AAO members.  The AAO staff are trained to answer member inquiries and provide support to individual members and/or regional societies.  Both can be viewed online at www.optomtetrists.ab.ca 
  
  
• AAO vision care programs are available to members only.
  
  
• Member manuals are provided by the AAO to be used as a reference tool.  They contain information on provincial and federal third party programs, member benefits, copies of our bylaws, plus the current  recommended fee schedule.
  
  
• Online resources: Power Point presentations – covering subjects such as glaucoma, diabetes, children’s vision, etc. available online to members only!
  
  
• Membership with the Canadian Association of Optometrists is only open to members of the provincial association.