Dr. Crystal Brimer
2026 international Dry Eye Institute retreat planned for Dublin in May
March 9, 2026
The Dry Eye Institute (DEI), founded by dry eye specialist, will host an international educational retreat for eye care professionals in Dublin, Ireland, May 20-24, 2026.
The program will bring together a small group of doctors to participate in advanced continuing education focused on dry eye disease while also enjoying curated cultural experiences throughout Dublin.
The Dry Eye Institute is known for its immersive learning format designed to help doctors implement advanced dry eye care within their practices. Unlike traditional conference-style education, DEI retreats emphasize practical clinical protocols along with the operational systems required to build successful dry eye programs.
“Dry eye disease has become one of the most significant areas of growth in eye care,” said Dr. Brimer, founder of the Dry Eye Institute and owner of Dry Eye Equation in Wilmington, North Carolina. “Our goal with DEI is to provide doctors with both the clinical strategies and the practice framework needed to successfully integrate advanced dry eye treatment into their practices.”
DRY EYE INSTITUTE RETREATS
The Institute typically hosts six retreats each year in Wilmington, North Carolina, where participants receive 20 hours of COPE-accredited continuing education along with extensive resources designed to support implementation in practice.
The Dublin retreat will expand on the core DEI curriculum, providing a refresher of the foundational program while introducing more advanced treatment strategies and emerging technologies. The program is designed to benefit both new attendees and previous DEI alumni seeking to deepen their expertise.
Each day will include four hours of continuing education, combined with curated experiences designed to foster collaboration among attending doctors. Participants may also bring a guest for an additional fee, allowing spouses or travel companions to share in the experience.
PARTNERING WITH SCOPE
The retreat is being organized in partnership with SCOPE, a Dublin-based ophthalmic company that is helping curate local experiences and supporting the program in order to reduce the cost to attendees. Tuition includes hotel accommodations, meals, educational programming and group excursions.
The program will begin Wednesday evening with a welcome event at the Guinness Storehouse and conclude Sunday morning, allowing participants additional time to explore Dublin, enjoy shopping, golf, spa experiences or sightseeing.
For doctors unable to attend the Ireland retreat, the Dry Eye Institute will host its next Wilmington program April 16–17, 2026, and the curriculum is also available through DEI On Demand, the Institute’s online learning platform.
ABOUT THE DRY EYE INSTITUTE
Founded in 2018, the Dry Eye Institute was created to help eye care professionals implement effective dry eye treatment programs within their practices through immersive education focused on both clinical care and practice integration.
More information about upcoming programs can be found here.
