Welcome to the ASRS!
The mission of the American Society of Retina Specialists is to provide a collegial open forum for education, to advance the understanding and treatment of vitreoretinal diseases, and to enhance the ability of its members to provide the highest quality of patient care.
Please consider joining us to gain full advantage of member benefits.
A Brief History of ASRS
Jerald A. Bovino, Roy A. Levit and Allen Z. Verne founded The Vitreous Society in 1982. The founders had a vision of an open and egalitarian society to promote the free exchange of scientific information and new ideas among vitreoretinal specialists. The first meeting of the Society was held in Palm Springs, CA in 1983 and was attended by less than 100 vitreoretinal surgeons. The Society continues in its mission to serve as a forum for the dissemination of knowledge in the field of vitreoretinal diseases and surgery and has grown to be the largest vitreoretinal specialty society in the world. Read more about our history as told by Jerald Bovino, MD.
Dramatic Growth and Depth
The American Society of Retina Specialists has over 2,400 members in over 55 countries.
The American Retina Foundation was created and initially funded by The Vitreous Society to provide another avenue to fulfill our charitable charter.
Young Physicians Section is a subsection of the ASRS made up of members who have completed their training in the last 7 years. It is dedicated to and run by the younger or more recently trained members of our specialty and provides a forum to discuss issues unique to the early years of practice.
An annual Practice Management Seminar tailored for the vitreoretinal practice administrator or the vitreoretinal specialist in practices where there is no practice administrator.
Continuing Medical Education Accreditation was applied for and obtained by ASRS in 1994. At that time, we were among the few subspecialty societies that were able to accredit their own scientific meeting and other education endeavors. It is a tribute to the Society that they have and continue to satisfy the stringent requirements of the ACCME in this regard.
ASRS Annual Scientific Meeting through the efforts of all those involved and the Society members, the annual meeting has become a thing of excitement and wonder utilizing the most advanced and innovative educational and multimedia technology.
It is a tribute to the Founders and to all those who have worked long into the night and have given up their precious free and family time to create and build a Society that embodies, realizes and encourages the evolution of its Mission.
Membership Privileges
Membership allows you to fully participate in ASRS meetings and information sharing. For example, on ASRS.com, members have access to the names of all presenters at our meetings; meeting programs with titles and authors are listed for all meetings from the first in Palm Springs in 1983 through our most recent meeting; and access to abstracts from all our meetings beginning in 1996. Members can also check progress toward receiving an Honor Award or Senior Honor Award, access the quarterly member newsletter, The Retina Times, and access the members' Preferences & Trends annual survey results.