“Hi Sharks, today we’re pitching protective eyeglasses…”

We are: Fatma, an international resident and global health practitioner working with the United Nations, Evelyn, an international doctor currently pursuing an MPH, and Mary, an ophthalmologist and the lead of comprehensive ophthalmology at APEC, in Mexico City.

We attended the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma (ASOT) Annual Meeting in Houston. The conference dives deep into the challenges and solutions surrounding ocular trauma, but what sets it apart is how it brings together clinical care, policy, legal considerations, and public health in one space.

We had presented at ASOT last year and learned so much that we were excited to participate again. This year, ASOT added something unexpected and truly exciting: a Hackathon. The concept was simple but ambitious. Small teams were asked to deliver a “TEDx-style” pitch tackling a problem in ocular trauma. Each team had 2–3 members, randomly assigned by the planning committee, and we would compete for a $500 grant.

Key Takeaways:

1. Work together and learn from one another.
   Our team, among the three of us, had over 15 years of combined experience working in nine countries. We each contributed according to our strengths, and the sum of our efforts exceeded what any of us could have done alone.
2. Keep it fun.
   ASOT ended over a week ago, and we are still texting and laughing about some of our banter, working late at night on our pitch deck presentation. Conferences are incredibly educational, and we always learn so much, but those human moments make me even more in love with our field and the people who make it what it is.
3. Be concrete.
   If you can’t explain your idea in one sentence, go back to the drawing board and make it more concise and straight to the point. This is something I learned working with UNDP, and re-learned it at the Hackathon. For example, instead of discussing sports injuries, make it focused on softball injuries.
4. Be prepared.
   The judges asked in-depth questions about our cited data, our implementation plan, and our assumptions. Preparation demonstrated our passion and conviction in our pitch!
5. Bring prompts.

We’re all visual creatures, and the more we can see something, the more real and achievable it feels. We got a pair of safety glasses, from Home Depot, complete with the tiny, text-heavy instruction insert that most people ignore. Holding the glasses up during our pitch helped the judges see exactly where the QR code would go and why it mattered. It made the problem (and our solution) tangible.

6. Take it further.
   The Hackathon isn’t the end—just a launchpad. ASOT encourages teams to continue their work with mentorship opportunities, committee involvement (e.g., sports injury prevention, national disaster response, ocular trauma education), and potential follow-up presentations at next year’s meeting.

The Hackathon added a refreshing layer to the annual meeting. It brought out the creativity, collaboration, and global vision that ophthalmology thrives on, and reminded me why we keep coming back.