Optometric Education

ASCOTECH

Volume 26, No. 1
Sring 2001

Welcome to the TIAA-CREF Web Center

Dominick M. Maino, O.D., M.Ed., F.A.A.O.

If you're like many faculty at major health care educational facilities, most of your retirement investment is probably in TIAA-CREF (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund). If so, you are in luck! Have you ever needed information about your retirement portfolio? Or have you wanted to know about the different investment options available through TIAA-CREF? Or do you just want various questions answered concerning your retirement requirements? Well, look no further than http://www.tiaa-cref.com/. This website has a wealth of information readily accessible right from your computer.

To take full advantage of the TIAA-CREF website, you need to obtain a PIN number. Your TIAA-CREF-assigned PIN will be mailed to you within 24 hours. After obtaining your PIN, you can then call 1 800 842-2252 *0 and create a new, self-selected PIN. To ensure that only you receive this personal information, your assigned PIN must be mailed to your most current address. TIAA-CREF will not provide it via the Internet or by telephone. Once you have your PIN number you are ready to have full access to the website and all it offers.

The TIAA-CREF homepage has links to information concerning your account, how to contact TIAA-CREF and how to notify them of a change of address. You also have access to investment counseling, information helpful to college administrators and a bookstore.

Inter/ACT

In order to access your personal account information you need a browser that supports encryption and dynamic webpage construction. Either Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher or MS Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher is recommended. The fastest modem connection possible is also suggested. You need to sign-in only once while using any secure TIAA-CREF function. After your identity is confirmed, you can submit as many inquiries, transactions, and service requests as you like without having to reenter your PIN. However, if your computer is idle for a long period of time you will need to sign on once again. You have three tries to sign on to a secure area. After that TIAA-CREF will disable your computer's ability to use the system. You must then wait an hour before you can sign on again. All transaction requests via Inter/ACT will be acknowledged both online and then followed-up with a confirmation by snail-mail (a.k.a. the US Post Office).

Service Desk

The Service Desk link is where you can inform TIAA-CREF that you've moved or to check the progress of any requests you may have made. You can also view an index of the site for easy navigation of the areas you want to explore, learn how to maximize your browser desktop for accessing and using the TIAA-CREF website, and to download various business forms in PDF format (Federal tax withholding, direct deposit, transfer payout annuity requests, beneficiary forms, etc.)

Meeting & Counseling

Since setting up a long-term financial plan can be a difficult undertaking, you can schedule a one-on-one counseling session or plan to attend inservice programs in your area by accessing the website's Meeting & Counseling link. The one-on-one sessions involve evaluating your income sources and then assessing the affect of taxes, inflation and the overall economy on your retirement goals. There is no fee for this service.

Help for Administrators

Administrators also have easy access to information that they may need as well. Once they click on the administrators' link, they can access employee accounts, determine status of their premiums/applications, perform TDA calculations, order supplies, and send encrypted messages. They can also determine eligibility, access information regarding reporting and payment methods, read up on plan compliance and access the Benefit Plan newsletter.

Bookstore

The bookstore is where you can order free information regarding insurance and long-term care, IRAs and mutual funds. You can also obtain information about annuities, retirement and planning resources, and various periodicals. Numerous booklets (Guide to TIAA-CREF accounts, A primer on insurance, Choosing income options, etc.) and forms are available for download as well (Beneficiary Designation Forms, Direct Deposit Forms, and W-4P Tax Withholding Forms).

Investment Performance

Finally, you may wish to check on the performance of your investments. This is as easy as clicking a mouse on the Financial Performance link. All the information you need to know is only this one mouse click away and is readily available so that you can make appropriate decisions regarding your retirement account.

All of us who have our investments in TIAA-CREF should visit their website to take advantage of the information noted above. Using this website to plan your retirement years will make sure those years are fiscally secure and enjoyable.

Dr. Maino is a professor in the Pediatric/Binocular Vision Service of the Illinois Eye Institute/Illinois College of Optometry (www.ico.edu) and is in private practice in Harwood Heights, Il. (www.nw.optometry.net). He may be reached via email at dmaino@eyecare.ico.edu.

Websites for Educators

Dominick M. Maino, O.D., M.Ed., F.A.A.O.

Would you like your students to have ready access to information on frequently prescribed drugs without going to a PDR? Then make sure they have a Palm handheld computer or Palm compatible and go to www.epocrates.com. Epocrates is a free drug information guide developed by physicians to deliver "at the chair side" information on more than 300 commonly used drugs. You can access the drugs alphabetically by brand/generic name and search by therapeutic class (ophthalmic, allergy, etc.). Each drug database offers multiple levels of information that can be viewed while interacting with the patient. Information on adult and pediatric dosing, contraindications, drug interactions and adverse reactions are all available. Updates are easily obtained via the website.

Optometric Educators in Binocular Vision, Perception, and Development

The Optometric Educators in Binocular Vision. Perception, and Development organization has created two websites to meet the needs of its members and those we serve. Dr. Bill Rainey (IU) has created www.indiana.edu/~oebvpd/ (which is the main site). This site has information about the OEBVPD Email Mailing List. The OEBVPD mailing list is a valuable tool for all involved. They often share their many ideas and teaching innovations. You can sign up for this email mailing list by going to the website noted above. There is also information concerning Pediatric/Binocular Vision Residencies and links to supporting organizations and other appropriate websites. You will find links to a Vision Therapy Literature Reference List and the Vision and Learning Literature Reference List as well. The second website is at www.kids.optometry.net and is not only for faculty but also patients and their families. Dr. Dominick M. Maino (ICO) created this site. The kids.optometry.net site has information regarding web-enhanced pediatric/binocular vision courses, biographies and CVs of Peds/BV faculty, consumer information and a vision library that discusses oculo-visual problems.

Digital Anatomist

If you go to http://www9.biostr.washington.edu/da.html you can learn how to use the Digital Anatomist to teach anatomy to your students. The section includes 2-D and 3-D views of the brain from cadaver sections, MRI scans and computer reconstructions and is available on CD-ROM and videodisc. Additional resources for the optometric anatomist can be found at http://rpiwww.mdacc.tmc.edu/mmlearn/anatomy.html.

Whole Brain Atlas

For an incredible amount of information about the brain and brain dysfunction you and your students must go to the Whole Brain Atlas at http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html. Information about the normal brain, stroke, brain tumors and other disease processes are readily available for use in your class. This is a must URL stop for all faculty teaching any course that has a brain connection!

Internet Self Assessment in Pharmacology

This is a tremendous resource for faculty and students alike. Go to www.horsetooth.com/ISAP/ to see a comprehensive list of drugs with flashcards containing pharmacological data. Online lectures are also available.

Medical Education Online

This free electron journal/teaching resource really demonstrates the power of the World Wide Web. You will find original articles, numerous teaching resources, book reviews and information on how to submit an article. Log on to http://www.med-ed-online.org/ for more information.

Meducation

Meducation (http://www.meducation.com/) is a non-profit organization created to promote the use of software technology in healthcare education. This organization uses technology to make healthcare education more efficient and enjoyable for both faculty and students. Its main goal is to provide links to medical information available on the Internet. Stop by to see the many WWW offerings.

Online Medical Textbooks and Quizzes (http://www.emedicine.com/)

eMedicine offers four levels of physician peer-review for each textbook chapter by more than 6,000 physicians. These textbooks can be used at no charge. They provide medical definitions, anatomical illustrations, and audio and video content that are updated 24 hours a day. Many times digital images and X-rays are added to complement the text. You can also communicate online with the authors.

Dominick M. Maino, O.D., M.Ed., F.A.A.O., is a professor in the Pediatric/Binocular Vision Service of the Illinois Eye Institute/Illinois College of Optometry (www.ico.edu) and is in private practice in Harwood Heights, Il. (www.nw.optometry.net). He may be reached via email at dmaino@eyecare.ico.edu.