EVENT
Vit-Buckle Society 15th Annual Meeting
DATE
April 1-3, 2027
LOCATION
Fontainebleau Miami Beach | FL
REGISTRATION
Registration and event details will be available soon
2027 Abstract Submissions & Travel Grants
Podium Presentations
WHO: Practicing Retina Specialists
DEADLINE: Monday, October 26, 2026, by 11:59 PM PDT
FUNDING: Discounted meeting registration ($400)
WHAT:
  • Scientific Study on Surgical Topic (standard abstract required – Title, Objective, Methods, Results, Conclusion, 350-word maximum)
  • My Craziest Surgical Case (Title, 250-word summary, and 2-minute (or less) video required)
  • Surgical Complication (Title, 250-word summary, and 2-minute (or less) video required)
GUIDELINES: Only one submission per practicing retina specialist is allowed.
ATTENDANCE: We hope you can stay for the duration of the meeting. Book your travel to arrive on Thursday, April 1, 2027, arriving in time for the Fellows Foray at 6:00 PM, and stay through Saturday, April 3, 2027, concluding with an all-attendee dinner from 7 – 10 PM.
Submit an Abstract
Poster Abstracts
WHO: Medical Students, Residents, Clinical Fellows, and Research Fellows
DEADLINE: Monday, October 26, 2026, by 11:59 PM PDT
FUNDING: The top accepted abstracts will receive a VBS Academic Travel Grant, which includes complimentary meeting registration for the VBS 2027 Annual meeting, reimbursement of travel expenses (up to $500), and shared lodging (four nights for fellows and three nights for residents/medical students/research fellows) at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The best presenter will be awarded a coveted VBS BUCKLE!
WHAT:
  • Standard abstracts for a scientific study (surgical or medical) will be accepted (Title, Objective, Methods, Results, Conclusion, 350-word maximum). 
  • Applicants must be the first author on the project as a trainee and be a current trainee at the time of the 15th Annual Meeting (April 2027). 
GUIDELINES:
  • Only one abstract submission per trainee is allowed.
  • Clinical fellows can also submit a video for the VBS Fellows Foray Travel Grant but ultimately can only be granted one Travel Grant.
ATTENDANCE: Travel Grant Recipients must attend the entire meeting. Fellow attendance begins Thursday, April 1, 2027, at 8:00 AM. Medical Student, Research Fellow, and Resident attendance begins on Friday, April 2, 2027, at 7:00 AM (though you are invited to attend all day on Thursday). The meeting continues through Saturday, April 3, 2027, concluding with an all-attendee dinner from 7 – 10 PM.
Submit an Abstract
Fellows Foray
WHO: Clinical Fellows
DEADLINE: Monday, October 26, 2026, by 11:59 PM PDT
FUNDING: Ten fellows will be awarded a VBS Fellows Foray Travel Grant, which includes complimentary meeting registration for the VBS 2027 Annual meeting, reimbursement of travel expenses (up to $500), and four nights of shared lodging at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. All ten travel grant winners will present their surgical videos at the Fellows Foray on April 1, 2027, in Miami, FL.
WHAT:
  • Submit a surgical video of no more than 2 minutes in length.
  • Videos should not have any program or personal identifiers, but they may include a voiceover as long as it does not identify the program or surgeons.
GUIDELINES:
  • Only one video submission per fellow is allowed.
  • Fellows can also submit an abstract for a VBS Academic Travel Grant poster presentation but ultimately can only be granted one Travel Grant.
  • Applicants must have been involved in the presented case as a retina fellow and be a retina fellow at the time of the 15th Annual Meeting (April 2027).
  • The max file size is 1 GB. Allowed file types are .mp4 and .mov.
ATTENDANCE: Fellows awarded a travel grant must attend the entire meeting, starting on Thursday, April 1, 2027, at 8:00 AM through the meeting on Saturday, April 3, 2027, concluding with an all-attendee dinner from 7 – 10 PM.
Submit a Video
FOstering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS)
WHO: Ophthalmology Residents and Medical Students interested in a career in surgical retina who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Southeast Asian (for example, Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Hmong, Filipino), and individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+.
DEADLINE: Monday, November 2, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST
FUNDING: Winners will receive complimentary meeting registration for the VBS 2027 Annual meeting, reimbursement for travel expenses (up to $500), and four nights of shared lodging at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
WHAT:
  • Applicants must be actively enrolled medical students or ophthalmology residents with verification of status and approval to attend the meeting by their medical school dean or ophthalmology residency program director.
  • Interested applicants must submit a brief CV summarizing their educational background and an audio statement no longer than 90 seconds addressing the following questions:
    • What do you hope to gain from the FOCUS program?
    • What is your vision for improving access to quality care in the field of retina?
GUIDELINES:
  • Previous FOCUS travel grant recipients who have finished their two-year travel grant are ineligible to reapply.
ATTENDANCE: FOCUS Travel Grant Recipients must attend the entire meeting, starting on Thursday, April 1, 2027, at 8:00 AM, through the meeting on Saturday, April 3, 2027, concluding with an all-attendee dinner from 7 – 10 PM.
FOCUS Info and Application