AAO 2025: A practice’s experience with connecting "the why," building community for techs

With the recent launch of the Academy Technician Training Platform—as the result of a partnership with the American Academy of Ophthalmic Professionals (AAOP) and Alchemy Vision—Inder Paul Singh, MD, president of The Eye Centers of Racine and Kenosha Ltd., had the opportunity to implement the platform in his practice.^1-3 His experience offers a firsthand look at how standardized, video-based learning can improve technician education, workflow, and patient care.

Participants at the AAO 2025 annual meeting can preview the platform on October 19 at 10:30 am, located in the Academy Theater, Hall WB1, Booth 2761.²

“The idea came about basically a few years ago during COVID,” Singh explained. “A really good friend, Mitch Schultz, MD, and Flora Azucena did a cut together and had this idea to say, hey, let's try to create a platform that's easy for new people who even don't have any experience with eye care at all and see if we can get them to train to a basic level of understanding.”

The platform’s design emphasizes interactive, video-based modules that cater to a new generation of learners who prefer “quicker, smaller sound bits of information that have also a lot more interaction,” he explained. According to Singh, this structure helps practices “standardize the training program for every clinic out there” while maintaining engagement and consistency.

Before adopting the platform, Singh’s clinic faced a common challenge. “We would have a tech come in and another tech would train that tech,” he said. “And if that tech was busy, then another tech would train—and everyone was doing things differently.” The result was inconsistent knowledge and workflow. Implementing the Alchemy Vision platform provided “that basic level of standardization” so “everybody has at least a certain foundational knowledge base.”

Q&A: Inder Paul Singh, MD, explores technician empowerment via the Academy Technician Training Platform

Singh likens it to “ophthalmology school,” where technicians acquire enough background to understand the ‘why’ behind each task. He observed that when technicians grasp the rationale—why they are performing an OCT or visual field, for instance—they not only perform better but also think critically in patient care situations.

He recounted one example: a post-cataract patient with decreased vision. “The tech learned from Alchemy and realized, hey, you know what, after cataract surgery, you can get some swelling in the back of the eye. Let me order an OCT because that’s what it sounds like.” When Singh entered the room, the test was already completed. “I was about to ask, ‘Can we get an OCT?’ and she’s like, ‘I already did it.’” This initiative saved time for both provider and patient while improving diagnostic efficiency.

Beyond skill-building, Singh believes the platform fosters empowerment and engagement among staff. “When you understand the why behind everything we do, everything has meaning,” he said. “Once you have meaning, then all of a sudden you have more ambition and a sense of empowerment that you want to do the best job you can.”

He also noted the program’s community component, which allows technicians from different practices to connect and share insights—mirroring the collaborative spirit of ophthalmology meetings. “A community is so important,” Singh emphasized. “It allows technicians to learn from other technicians, other practices… and know that we’re not alone in our barriers and concerns.”

Reflecting on the broader impact, Singh summed it up: “I’m so happy that Academy is working with them, and I think it’s going to be a positive for everybody.”

REFERENCES

1. American Academy of Ophthalmology establishes new membership group to support allied health professionals. News release. American Academy of Ophthalmology. July 5, 2023. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/academy-establishes-new-allied-health-group

2. Academy Technician Training Program. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://store.aao.org/technician-training-program

3. Azucena F, Baugh M, Jozwiak B, Shultz M, Singh IP, Troendle T. Technician training for the modern practice. AAOP Webinar Recording. June 24, 2025. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.aao.org/clinical-teams/education/video/technician-training-modern-practice-webinar