VT Works

I don’t think it’s any secret that I am enamored with Dr. Bob Sanet’s message. The man is purely a VT genius. I participated in his seminar three times between 2002 and 2007 and before arriving in San Diego this weekend, it would have been difficult for me to believe he has been able to improve it exponentially and in so many ways, but believe me when I tell you, he has. With the first weekend of the 2023 iteration now complete, my mind and heart are filled with amazement, intrigue , and gratitude. Amazement for the quality of the presentation, intrigue for the nuggets I’m hoping to implement, and gratitude – truly, an immense gratitude – for the opportunity to both attend and participate.

I could sit here for another three hours trying to explain the energy that occurs during these weekends and still fail to capture the magic in that room. I could spend that time trying, but instead, I want to share my thoughts about the firecracker that is Pilar Vergara D.O.O, FCOVD, who has taken her place as a pillar of this seminar series.

I had met Pilar only once before, mostly in passing for a short time in an airport, but have never had the pleasure of hearing her lecture. Her energy, her honesty, her skill as a practitioner and a presenter are all overshadowed only slightly by her beautiful love of life and her place in this world. She clearly enjoys sharing her knowledge with those around her, almost as much as she seems to love her fellow human beings. Hearing her advocate for the people she serves, buying into the animated but effective ways she grabs a patient’s attention, knowing all the while she carries the impact and force of the world’s most powerful firecracker when crossed – she is every bit as engaging as you might imagine. This weekend, she was kind enough to share her brilliance with the crowd, which was nothing short of amazing. Taking a place in her audience was truly a pleasure!

As the final section of this weekend’s seminar began on Sunday morning, it seemed the hour or two was going to be geared more for doctors than vision therapists, so I was happy to sit politely and listen but understood the information about to be dispersed may not apply to me. Wrong again. Although there were many powerful moments during the weekend, the most impactful for me was regarding a micro-prism demonstration – not because of what I heard, but because of what I saw. The subsequent explanation was every bit as interesting as it was cognitively challenging to my model of VT, which is EXACTLY what I needed to jumpstart a newly found excitement in the VT room. As I sit here this afternoon preparing for my week and considering the patients I want to try this technique with, my mind is still blown.

I’d like to publicly thank Dr. Bob Sanet, Dr. Paul Harris, Dr. Stelios Nickolakakis, Dr. Rob Lewis, Dr. Pilar Vergara, Linda Sanet COVT, as well as all my fellow participants in this year’s PAVE-Sanet seminar. Your dedication to improving our profession and the magic you create just by being yourselves is truly a gift to be treasured. I’m already counting the days until May 19.

Not to be lost here is my gratitude for Dr. Carole Hong (my current doctor) for both allowing me to attend and sponsoring the learning. Her sacrifice is not lost on me.

Cheers!