Who are the ophthalmologists of the future? How will the new generation practice? How will they interact with their professional organizations? What part will technology play in their lives and professions? A new paradigm is in place that will dramatically affect ophthalmologists' answers to these questions going forward. Given the uncertainty of our future professional lives, it is vital that we anticipate, contemplate, and formulate a plan. To begin this process, the Knapp Symposium at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Ophthalmological Society was devoted to a discussion of the ophthalmologist of the future.