Established in 1984, the Barkan Society (previously known as the Barkan Association) is affiliated with California Pacific Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology. The name Barkan was chosen to honor the founding Chairman of the Department, Dr. Adolph Barkan, and the group welcomes all interested ophthalmologists and especially encourages participation from alumni of the Department's training programs.

The main gatherings of the Barkan Society occur semi-annually. The first meeting each year is the Barkan Symposium and Scientific Day. This meeting is held in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is hosted by an alumnus of the training program.

The Barkan Society also hosts a social gathering at the annual American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. The time and location of this event is included in the AAO Final Program directory.