BostonSight held its annual FitAcademy Retreat

BostonSight, a nonprofit eye healthcare organization, held its annual FitAcademy Retreat for Cornea and Contact Lens Residents and Fellows at New England College of Optometry (NECO) in Boston, September 12-13, 2025.

This year marked the seventh annual event bringing together cornea and contact lens residents and fellows from sites throughout the United States and Canada for a weekend packed with top clinical content. This year, 33 residents attended the event, which included hands-on wet lab training. Thanks to funding from BostonSight and support from sponsors, students attend FitAcademy at little to no cost.

FitAcademy for Residents remains a core component of BostonSight’s educational arm as BostonSight works to expand access to scleral lenses and the best clinical care around the world.

“We are incredibly grateful for our sponsors—NECO, Glaukos Corporation, Contamac, and Tangible Science,” said Karen G. Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, BostonSight’s Chief Innovation and Education Officer and director of the FitAcademy program. “Their support not only makes this program possible for residents at the start of their careers, but also demonstrates their strong commitment to nurturing and guiding the next generation of optometrists.”

FitAcademy is led by Dr. Carrasquillo and taught by BostonSight staff Dr. Chirag Patel, OD, FAAO, Director of Innovative Technologies; Dr. Alan Kwok, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Director of PROSE Network Clinical Relationships; and Dr. Daniel Brocks, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Cornea Specialist. The invited faculty include Clark Chang, OD, MSA, MSc, FAAO of Wills Eye Hospital; Anita Gulmiri, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Senior Medical Ambassador, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and Faculty at New England College of Optometry; Jennifer Liao, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Assistant Professor of Optometry at New England College of Optometry; Avani Dave, OD, FAAO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, and Director of Optometry and Contact Lens Service at Ross Eye Institute; Sheila Morrison, OD, MS, FAAO, FSLS, FCCSO,
Mission Eye Care Center for Dry Eye and Corneal Disease, Cornea and Contact Lens Residency Supervisor, and adjunct faculty at NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry; and Stephanie Pisano, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Optometrist & Optometry Division Director at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. FitAcademy was held at NECO’s newly constructed Clinical Training Center in Boston, MA. Each year, invitations are sent to residency sites from BostonSight. If you are a cornea and contact lens residency director and would like to be added to our invite list, please visit https://www.bostonsight.org/practitioners/education/fitacademy/