The Eye Site:

News and Resources for Ophthalmology and Vision

Top headlines:

• New Helmerich Fellowship for Ophthalmologists in Developing Countries
  
  
• How Can We Improve Ophthalmic Education?
  
  
• ICO WORLD Roundtable on Education in Amsterdam
  
  
• Other Symposia at the SOE
  
  
• Presentations on Adult Learning and Effective Teaching
  
  
• World Congress on Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
  
  
• ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery
  
  
• New Curriculum for Ophthalmic Medical Assistants
  
  
• Revised Directory of ICO Fellowships
  
  
• ICO Clinical Guideline for HIV/AIDS
  
  
• Ophthalmology mourns the loss of Yasuo Tano, MD
  
  
• MEACO Congress in Bahrain
  
  
• Other supranational congresses in 2009
  
  
• What's missing in residency training?
  
  
• WHO Action Plan on Prevention of Visual Loss
  
  
• Free access to O.N.E. Network in developing countries
  
  
• 2009 Courses for Residency Program Directors
  
  
• ICO offers selected WOC presentations online
  
  
• World Ophthalmology Congress® attracts 13,000
  
  
• Highlights of the 2008 WOC
  
  
• 2010 World Congress in Berlin
  
  
• MEACO will host 2012 WOC in Abu Dhabi
  
  
• IFOS becomes the International Council of Ophthalmology
  
  
• First World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC)
  
  
• WOEC Keynote on Improving Ophthalmic Education
  
  
• David Taylor new Director of Assessments
  
  
• 2010 Assessments on April 15
  
  
• Resources to help prepare for the Assessments
  
  
• Fellowships available from 120 Centers
  
  
• 2014 WOC will be March 28 – April 4 in Tokyo
  
  
• 2016 WOC in the Americas, host to be selected in 2010
  
  
• Diabetic Eye Disease Center in Beijing
  
  
• Support for Diabetic Education
  
  
• Implementation of Curricula for ophthalmic education

Also see:

• more news
• the latest ICO Leader Letter.

(The Eye Site is the Internet home of the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO).)

New Helmerich Fellowship for Ophthalmologists in Developing Countries

Sponsored by the Retina Research Foundation in cooperation with the ICOFoundation, this new fellowship program honors the public service leadership of Mr. W.H. Helmerich III.

The Helmerich Fellowships are designed to provide advanced subspecialty training to ophthalmologists and help transmit new knowledge to their home countries. Two 12-month fellowships will be awarded each year. The awardees will receive salary for one year and air transportation support, and the host institution will receive a stipend to assist with training expenses.

Applicants should have completed ophthalmology residency training, be fluent in the language of the training location, and have a commitment to return to a position at a teaching institution or public service hospital in their home country following the fellowship, among other requirements.

The full details and complete description of the Helmerich Fellowships, along with application requirements and instructions are available for download from: www.icoph.org/pdf/helmerichfellowships.pdf. (PDF - 736 KB)

Application letters and related information should be sent to the ICO Helmerich International Fellowship Committee by e-mail at helmerich@icoph.org prior to September 1, 2009.

How Can We Improve Ophthalmic Education?

After ophthalmology residency training, what should be the next highest priority for efforts to improve ophthalmic education worldwide, and why?

Should we emphasize training of allied eye care personnel? Medical students? Subspecialists? Use of new educational technology?

How important are accreditation of training programs and certification of graduates?

International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) President Bruce Spivey, MD, and Education Director Mark Tso, MD, are asking leaders of ophthalmologic societies and educational programs to answer questions like this and contribute to a new ICO initiative on "Refocusing Ophthalmic Education."

Please submit your comments by clicking on the "Comments" link after the questions at:

www.icoph.org/refocus

Download the proposal for "Refocusing Ophthalmic Education" from:

www.icoph.org/pdf/icorefocusing.pdf.

The goal of the initiative is to engage the leaders of ophthalmologic societies and other ophthalmic educators in a process of rethinking and redefining how we teach ophthalmologists and others to provide eye care, leading to the development of more effective teaching programs and materials and, ultimately, improved eye care around the world.

ICO WORLD Roundtable on Education in Amsterdam

Those who will be attending the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) Congress in Amsterdam can give us their ideas on enhancing ophthalmic education at an ICO WORLD Roundtable from 14:30 to 16:00 on Tuesday, June 16 in Room Y at RAI Convention Center.

Co-sponsored by the SOE, the Roundtable will include presentations on:

• "Ophthalmic Education in Europe: Current Status and New Initiatives"
  Stefan Seregard, MD, SOE Secretary-General
  
  
• "Adult Learning and Modern Teaching Methods"
  Eduardo Mayorga, MD, Chair, ICO Task Force on New Technologies for Teaching and Learning
  
  
• "Implications and Options for Ophthalmic Education"
  Bruce Spivey, MD, ICO President

Download the agenda for the Amsterdam WORLD Roundtable from:

www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOWORLDSOE.pdf.

Other Symposia at the SOE

Other sessions at the SOE Congress in Amsterdam that may be of particular interest to society leaders and educators:

• VISION 2020 Global Initiative: New Opportunities in Eye Care Education, Sunday, June 14, 10:15 – 11:45
  
  
• E-learning in Ophthalmology: Technological and Pedagogical Milestones for E-learning Teachers, Monday, June 15, 10:15 – 11:45
  
  
• Young Ophthalmologists in International Ophthalmology, Monday, June 15, 16:30 – 18:00
  
  
• ICO Symposium: Enhancing Ophthalmic Education, Tuesday, June 16, 08:15 – 09:45

For more, see www.soe2009.org/glance.asp.

Presentations on Adult Learning and Effective Teaching

The first discussion of "Refocusing Ophthalmic Education" by members of the ICO Board and Advisory Committee was at the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Congress in Bahrain in March.

Several stimulating presentations from that session are now available online with audio:

Adult Learning Strategies for Improving Life Long Education Better Assessments: moving from the apprenticeship model to a competency model (Dr. Andrew Lee)
http://campustercertermino.com/ttpresenter/ico/1lee/player.html

Progress in Effective Teaching Methods: Examples of new education models and technology for teaching and assessment (Dr. Karl Golnik)
http://campustercertermino.com/ttpresenter/ico/2golnik/player.html

Summary/Discussion (Dr. Bruce Spivey).

World Congress on Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus

The First World Congress on Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus will take place in Barcelona, Spain from September 12 – 13, 2009 in conjunction with the XXVII Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS).

Registration is now available on the Congress Web site: www.wcpos.org/meeting/reginfo.asp, and program information can be found at: www.wcpos.org/meeting/programme.asp.

Up to 1,000 ophthalmologists are expected to attend this First World Congress, which will be held at the International Convention Center of Barcelona (CCIB), Rambla Prim. 1 – 17.

ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery

The International Council of Ophthalmology announces the ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery: www.icoph.org/pdf/icotrichiasis.pdf (PDF - 644 KB).

With this declaration, the ICO aims to reaffirm the importance of trichiasis surgery to treat trachoma and to encourage ophthalmologists around the world to ensure the quality of trichiasis surgery through appropriate training and supervision.

As part of the global effort to eliminate blinding trachoma by the year 2020, governments and NGOs have ramped up their trachoma activities significantly over the last few years. Many programs have trained medical officers and medical assistants to do the bulk of this surgery. Reports of variations in the outcome of this surgery continue to emerge and it is important to assure surgery is done to an appropriate standard.

The ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery was proposed by the ICO at the MEACO Congress in Bahrain in March (2009), was officially adopted by the ICO Board of Trustees, and has been endorsed by the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Board of Trustees.

The ICO International Clinical Guideline on Trachoma is available on the ICO website: icoph.org/guide/trachoma.html. The trachoma guideline can also be downloaded as a PDF file (100 KB).

New Curriculum for Ophthalmic Medical Assistants

A new International Core Curriculum For Ophthalmic Assistants is now available: www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOCurriculumOMA.pdf (PDF - 2 MB).

It focuses on five core competencies: Patient care; Medical knowledge; Professionalism, Interpersonal and Communication skills; Technical and Scientific skills; and Community and Health Services. The competencies are organized into three sections: Introduction to Ophthalmology, Basic Skills, and Advanced Skills.

The curriculum was developed by the ICO and the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO), written by Dr. William Astle, Chair of the ICO Task Force on Para-Ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education; and Lynn Anderson, Executive Director of IJCAHPO.

We are interested in hearing your comments on this new curriculum.

You may also want to refer to the previously published Principles and Guidelines of Curriculum for Para-ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education, which has examples of curricula for community and hospital-based personnel, orthoptists and ophthalmic technicians. That curriculum is available here: icoph.org/pdf/icocurricpara.pdf. (PDF – 2.2 MB)

We encourage ophthalmologic societies and residency programs to reproduce, translate and adapt these curricula as needed to enhance ophthalmic education in all regions of the world.

Revised Directory of ICO Fellowships

A revised Directory of the hosts of ICO International Fellowships can be downloaded from www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowshipDirectory.pdf (PDF - 1.6 MB).

The Directory of Training Centers lists the name, city and country of hosts in each subspecialty area and also offers a detailed listing of what is offered from each host, along with instructions on how to select a host.

This replaces all previous lists, including hosts that were previously listed on the ICO Web site.

October 31 is the deadline to apply for the next round of Fellowships.

New ICO Clinical Guideline for HIV/AIDS

A new ICO Clinical Guideline on HIV/AIDS in the Eye is now available on the ICO Web site and can be downloaded from www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOHIVAIDS.pdf (PDF - 500 KB).

"This new clinical guideline will be a terrific addition to the current ICO Guidelines, which serve as an outstanding resource for practical clinical information for the international ophthalmic community," said Richard L. Abbott, MD, ICO Director for Guidelines.

"This new Guideline breaks ground as the first evidence-based clinical guideline published on HIV/AIDS in the eye."

"I would like to acknowledge the considerable cooperation and hard work of the authors: Nikolas J.S. London, MD; Rubens N. Belfort, Jr., MD, PhD; and Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., MD, PhD, MPH; as well as the reviewers: Gary Holland, MD; Fernando Arevalo, MD; and Carlos Pavesio, FRCS," Dr. Abbott said.

The ICO Clinical Guidelines are designed to be translated and adapted by ophthalmologic societies to help ophthalmologists assess how they are treating patients. They are intended to serve a supportive and educational role and ultimately to improve the quality of eye care for patients.

Ophthalmology mourns the loss of Yasuo Tano, MD

Yasuo Tano, MD

Professor Yasuo Tano, ICO Treasurer and a universally loved and respected leader of international ophthalmology, passed away suddenly in Osaka on January 31 at the age of 60.

"This was an unbelievable shock to us all, a tremendous loss to his family and to Japanese and international ophthalmology," said ICO President Bruce Spivey, MD.

Dr. Tano was the Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Osaka University Medical School and the Vice President of the Osaka University Hospital. In addition to serving as Treasurer of the ICO since 2006, he was President of the Club Jules Gonin, President of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, Immediate Past President of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society.

"Let us remember Yasuo through his legacy of major contributions to his retina subspecialty, to international ophthalmology and to the countless friends he made around the world," said Dr. Spivey.

For other tributes to Dr. Tano, see the February ICO Notes.

A public Memorial Farewell Assembly for Professor Tano was held on March 8 at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Osaka, with participation of leading ophthalmologists from Japan and around the world.

MEACO Congress in Bahrain

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) co-sponsored the 10th International Congress of the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO), March 26-30, in Manama, Bahrain.

MEACO’s congresses are the largest ophthalmic meetings in the Middle East and Africa region, with participation of ophthalmologists and eye care professionals from the area and all over the world.

The ICO organized symposia covering different specialties in ophthalmology and there was an informal meeting of the ICO Board and Advisory Committee.

There will be a report on the MEACO Congress in the April ICO Leader Letter.

Other supranational congresses in 2009

Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO), May 16 – 19, 2009

The 24th Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress was held in Bali, Indonesia. More than 500 international speakers joined the scientific program, with 47 international, supranational and national societies participating.

Visit www.apao2009bali.org/index03_1.shtml to register.

European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE), June 13 – 16, 2009

The 17th Congress of the European Society of Ophthalmology will take place in Amsterdam in the RAI International Exhibition and Congress Centre, close to Amsterdam’s city center. Online registration is available at www.soe2009.org/Registration.asp.

Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO)/American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), October 24 - 27, 2009

The joint Meeting of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology will be in San Francisco, California. Registration will open on June 24. See www.aao.org/meetings/annual_meeting for details.

What's missing in residency training?

Ophthalmology Residency Program Directors and others involved with teaching residents are encouraged to contribute to a new forum on the ICO's World Ophthalmology Residency Development (WORD) Web site on "What's Missing in Residency Training?"

WORD Chair Eduardo Mayorga, MD, set up this forum to get a better sense of what's not being taught adequately to residents around the world.

Among the topics being discussed are:

• What subjects are not covered adequately?
• Lack of surgery training
• How do you teach non-clinical disciplines?
• Community eye health and management courses

To join the discussion, go to www.icoword.org and click on the link in the middle of the home page that says "New forum: What is missing in resident training?" If you haven't done so already, you will need to establish a user name and password, but the process is relatively easy.

As more people participate, we will introduce other topics for discussion, including how to fill the gaps in residency training.

WHO Supports Action Plan on Prevention of Visual Loss

On January 21, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended endorsement of the Draft Action Plan for the Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May.

The Draft Action Plan was prepared in collaboration with WHO Regional Offices, Member States and international partners — the result of a three-year effort to increase support for prevention of visual loss around the world. The Action Plan is available at www.icoph.org/pdf/WHOActionPlan.pdf.

During the meeting, the following Executive Board members gave statements on the Plan: UK, Peru, Niger (on behalf of the African Region), Oman, the People's Republic of China, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, USA, and Indonesia, followed by representatives of non-Board members: Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Venezuela.

In December, the ICO asked societies in countries represented on the WHO Executive Board to contact their representatives on the Board and urge them to support adoption of the Plan. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) sent a similar request to their members.

"Thanks to everyone for this concerted effort," commented ICO President Bruce E. Spivey, MD, "particularly HRH Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud, Abdulaziz AlRajhi and the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology team who were instrumental in the long process leading to the success of this vote."

Free access to O.N.E. Network in developing countries

The ICO would appreciate the help of ophthalmologic societies and educational programs letting ophthalmologists in developing countries know that they now have free access to the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Ophthalmic News and Education (O.N.E.)™ Network.

O.N.E. Network is a comprehensive educational online resource, and the Academy and ICO have collaborated to make it free in developing countries, starting in January. We jointly formed an International Advisory Panel to suggest how the O.N.E. might be adapted for international use, and the Academy has recently redesigned the O.N.E. Network to make it easier to navigate.

To arrange for access to O.N.E., ophthalmologists should go to www.aao.org/oneapplication, where there is a list of societies that have arranged access for their members. If you are not currently registered with the AAO (which is not required), and your society has not already arranged for group access, start at the drop-down menu to select your country. Click “submit” and proceed with the application.

For more specific information on the O.N.E. Network and the free access for individuals in developing countries, see the January 2009 ICO Notes.

2009 Courses for Residency Program Directors

ICO Ophthalmology Residency Program Directors Courses are working to elevate the level of ophthalmic education in residencies worldwide. After three successful courses in 2008, in Brazil, Slovenia and Ethiopia, the following courses were scheduled for this year:

• February 9 – 10 in Bogota, Columbia
  Chairs: Dr. Fernando Gomez and Dr. Peter Quiros
  
  
• May 10 – 12 in Beijing, China
  Chairs: Dr. Xiaoxin Li, Dr. Jialiang Zhao and Dr. Karl Golnik
  
  
• May 14 – 15 in Bali, Indonesia
  Chairs: Dr. Tjahjono D. Gondhowiardjo and Dr. Karl Golnik.

Previously offered in Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Pakistan, Argentina and Brazil, the Program Directors Courses are sponsored by the ICO and supported by the ICOFoundation, Allergan and others. They are organized with national and supranational ophthalmologic societies.

Topics include curriculum development, teaching in outpatient areas, surgical instruction and assessment of residents’ knowledge and skills. For example, see the program from the course for residency program directors in Ethiopia (PDF - 84 KB).

ICO offers selected WOC presentations online

Supported by a grant to the ICOFoundation from Genentech, the ICO has made 26 selected presentations from the World Ophthalmology Congress® in Hong Kong available at:

ico.scientificabstracts.org.

These presentations combine slides with audio. You will need to advance the slides manually to match the words of the speaker.

Also available are all of the slide presentations from the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium. The welcome page for the site describes how to select and view the various presentations.

World Ophthalmology Congress® attracts 13,000

With 10,500 ophthalmologists and 2,500 exhibitors and other participants from 105 countries and territories, the 2008 World Ophthalmology Congress, June 28 – July 2 in Hong Kong, was the largest ever.

Based on feedback from registrants, it was also one of the best, even though Typhoon Feizen brushed Hong Kong as many were arriving and left behind days of rain. The Congress was praised for the breadth and depth of the scientific program, excellent organization and staffing and unforgettable social events.

Sponsored by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO), the Congress was hosted by the College of Ophthalmologist of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society and co-hosted by the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and Chinese Ophthalmological Society.

The 2008 WOC incorporated the XXXI World Ophthalmology Congress, XXII Congress of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, XIII Congress of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society and XX Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium.

Congress President Dennis Lam, MD, called it the "Olympics of ophthalmology."

Highlights of the 2008 WOC

Among the highlights of the World Ophthalmology Congress® in Hong Kong:

• More than 1100 internationally recognized speakers in 319 scientific sessions, many organized by more than 40 international, supranational, national and subspecialty ophthalmologic societies
  
  
• 200 submitted free papers and more than 3600 posters
  
  
• 34 symposia sponsored by industry with seven live surgery sessions
  
  
• A Subspecialty Day focused on cataract and refractive surgery, glaucoma, and retina
  
  
• More than 3000 registrants from Mainland China, with 70 sessions, 500 presentations and 1600 posters in the Chinese Ophthalmological Society program
  
  
• The first World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC), with more than 100 speakers on educational initiatives in 18 symposia
  
  
• The second World Forum of Non-Profit Organizations in Vision and Blindness Prevention and 19 sessions related to VISION 2020
  
  
• Dazzling social events that featured Chinese cuisine and culture, including a fluorescent dragon dance and traditional Bian Lian or "face changing" performance at the Opening Ceremonies.

2010 World Congress in Berlin

The next World Ophthalmology Congress® will be June 5 – 9, 2010, in Berlin, hosted by the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and co-hosted by the German Academy of Ophthalmology (AAD).

2010 WOC President Gerhard Lang, MD, reported to the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) in Hong Kong on plans for the Congress, which will incorporate XXXII World Ophthalmology Congress, the 108th Congress of the DOG  and AAD 2010.

2008 WOC Scientific Program Director Stephen Ryan, MD, will work with Professor Gabriele Lang, MD, on the scientific program for Berlin, with Congress General Secretary Anselm Kampik, MD, organizing the program for the AAD. The 2010 WOC will also offer subspecialty days and instruction courses.

The main social event will be a Bavarian-style Octoberfest, to be called the WOCtoberfest. For more information, see www.woc2010.de.

The World Ophthalmology Congress was previously held in Germany in Heidelberg in 1888 and Munich in 1966.

MEACO will host 2012 WOC in Abu Dhabi

At its meeting in Hong Kong, the ICO approved Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, as the site for 2012 World Ophthalmology Congress®, which will be hosted by the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO).

"We are excited to be meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2012," commented ICO President Bruce E. Spivey, MD, who visited Abu Dhabi with ICO Executive Director Bill Felch just prior to the WOC in Hong Kong. "It is an appealing location with excellent facilities and a strong commitment to support the WOC."

"This is the first time in 150 years that the World Ophthalmology Congress will be held in the Middle East African Region, and MEACO proposed Abu Dhabi as the site," said MEACO President Abdulaziz AlRajhi, MD. "MEACO will strive to fulfill the trust placed in it by the ICO and the international ophthalmic community and make this a truly historic meeting."

The 2012 WOC was originally scheduled in Chicago in conjunction with the American Academy of Ophthalmology. But the WOC developed into a major international Congress, and ICO and Academy leaders agreed in 2007 that it would be impossible for the WOC to fit within the framework of the AAO Annual Meeting or for the Academy to fit within a WOC.

The Council invited the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) to host the 2012 WOC and has now approved Abu Dhabi as the site, with the Congress most likely to be scheduled in February.

IFOS becomes the International Council of Ophthalmology

The best-attended General Assembly of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) in history was also the last, as Representatives of more than 50 IFOS member societies approved revised Statutes that change the name of the organization to the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO).

Those societies are now members of the ICO, and the former Council is now the Board of Trustees of the ICO. The roles and relationships have not changed, just the names.

The roots of IFOS and the ICO date back to 1857 when 150 ophthalmologists from 24 countries convened in Brussels for the first World Ophthalmology Congress. Participants in the Congress founded the ICO in 1927 in Scheveningen, Holland, and IFOS in 1933 in Madrid, Spain.

Prior to the vote in Hong Kong, the IFOS was the official name of the organization, with the ICO serving as the executive body. But over the years the "ICO" became better known than IFOS, leading to considerable confusion and a proposal to adopt a single name.

The next General Assembly of the ICO will be on June 5, 2010 at the World Ophthalmology Congress® in Berlin.

First World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC)

On June 28 at the 2008 WOC in Hong Kong, the ICO organized the first World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium, with more than 100 speakers in 18 symposia focused on efforts to enhance the training and continuing education of ophthalmologists and other eye care personnel.

Among the topics covered:

• Competency-based Residency Education
• How To Teach Ophthalmic Subspecialties
• Training Ophthalmic Specialists in Developing Countries
• Teaching Practical Skills to Medical Students
• Establishing Training Programs for Allied Health Professionals
• What Should Not Be Done in Organizing a CME/CPD Course
• Learning from Patients How to Improve Eye Care 
• Online Education: The New Frontier

Supported by a grant from Genentech, the ICO is offering all of the presentations from the WOEC online at ico.scientificabstracts.org.

WOEC Keynote on Improving Ophthalmic Education

In a luncheon presentation for the faculty of the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC), ICO President Bruce Spivey, MD, summarized research on how adults learn and compared it to how medical students, residents and ophthalmologists are trained and the continuing education programs that are offered now.

Speaking on the "Direction & Development of Ophthalmic Education in the Coming Decade," Dr. Spivey made specific suggestions for enhancing medical student selection, medical education, residency and fellowship training and CME.

He outlined the different learning styles and encouraged educators to evaluate their own style at www.vark-learn.com.

"You – this group – are the key to creating better education, and thus, better patient care," Dr. Spivey concluded. "Let’s view this as the first of a regular meeting of ophthalmic educators to elevate the level of ophthalmic education worldwide."

The slides and audio of Dr. Spivey's presentation are available at:

ico.scientificabstracts.org/epswoc2008.cfm?id=184.

You will need to advance the slides manually to match the audio.

David Taylor New Director of Assessments

At its meeting in Hong Kong, the Council named David Taylor, FRCOphth, FRCPCH, DSc (Med), new Director of Assessments, taking over for Peter Watson, FRCS, FRCPCH, FRCOphth, who founded the Assessments in 1995.

Since then, 15,433 candidates have taken the Basic and Clinical Assessments, including more than 2000 who sat for the exams at 92 test centers in 61 countries in 2008.

In recognition of Mr. Watson’s contributions to the ICO and international ophthalmology, the ICO will name the top performer on the Assessments each year a "Watson Scholar." The Council also thanked Assessments Administrator Rosemary Bell for her many years of dedicated service.

The Council discussed allowing candidates that pass the Assessments to use a specific acronym after their name to reflect this achievement, but deferred action until a future meeting.

2010 Assessments on April 15

January 31 is the deadline to apply to take the 2010 Assessments, which are offered on April 15. For applications for the 2010 Assessments, contact the Assessments Office at:

Resources To Help Prepare for the Assessments

Now available for download from the ICO Web site are lists of books, Web sites and courses that may be particularly helpful in preparing for both the Basic and Clinical Assessments:

• Basic Science Assessment Resource List: (www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOBasicScienceResources.pdf)
  
  
• Clinical Sciences Assessment Resource List: (www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOClinicalSciencesResources.pdf).

Fellowships Available from 70 Centers

ICO Director for Fellowships Peter Gabel, MD, reports that 347 young ophthalmologists from nearly 50 developing countries have received Fellowships from the ICO since the program was started in 2000.

The International Ophthalmological Fellowship Foundation, which was established in Germany in March 2007, has raised almost $USD 70,000 for the Fellowship. Donations worth $120,000 were made through the ICOFoundation in 2007, with $173,000 in support from the ICO.

There are currently more than 70 training centers around the world that accept ICO Fellows. The deadlines for applying for Fellowships are April 30 and October 31 of each year.

Revised policies, instructions, frequently asked questions and application forms for the ICO International Fellowships are now available.

Please be sure read the policies and instructions completely before completing the applications or contacting the Fellowship Office with questions.The list of training centers and application documents are currently being revised and will be posted at www.icoph.org/fellow.

2014 WOC will be March 28 – April 4 in Tokyo

In March 2007, the ICO selected the Japanese Ophthalmological Society as the host for the 2014 World Ophthalmology Congress®, in Tokyo. It has been scheduled for March 28 to April 4, during cherry blossom time.

2016 WOC in the Americas, Host To Be Selected in 2010

At its meeting in Hong Kong, the ICO approved a recommendation from its Strategic Planning Committee and Officers that the World Ophthalmology Congress®, rotate in the future among four regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East/Africa and the Americas. Previously, the Congress rotated among three regions, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa combined into one.

The 2016 WOC will be in the Americas. It will have been 10 years by then since the previous meeting in the Americas, in Sao Paulo in 2006. Proposals for sites for the 2016 WOC will be due early in 2010, for consideration by the ICO Board when it meets in Berlin in June 2010.

The 2018 WOC will be in Europe, and ICO Board will consider proposals for that Congress when it meets in 2012 in Abu Dhabi.

See the new Policy on Future World Ophthalmology Congresses adopted in Hong Kong.

Diabetic Eye Disease Center in Beijing

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and Peking University Eye Center launched the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease in 2007 in Beijing, China.

The Diabetic Eye Disease Center is dedicated to decreasing avoidable visual impairment and blindness due to diabetes through early detection of diabetes, medical control and prevention measures. The Center will provide diabetic eye care to patients and help train local professionals, particularly in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation contributed US $150,000 to the ICO Foundation for the establishment of a model diabetic eye disease center in partnership with the ICO. The ICO selected the Peking University Eye Center to host the Center from among a number of candidates.

"With the prevalence of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy destined to increase, formation of the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center is a major breakthrough in establishing medically coordinated, accessible and sustainable eye care," said Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, president of the ICO Foundation.

There are an estimated 246 million adults with diabetes worldwide, and that number is projected to increase to 380 million by 2025. In China, 30 million people have diabetes, 12 percent of the world total.

The risk of blindness is 25 times higher among people with diabetes, but experts suggest that nearly 90 percent of diabetes related blindness can be prevented by applying currently available medical and eye care.

For more information, see the news release on the launch of the Diabetic Eye Disease Center.

Support for Diabetic Education

At the launch ceremony for the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center (above), Sidney Taurel, Lilly chairman and chief executive officer, announced an additional grant of $US 35,000 from Lilly to the ICO Foundation for a related Global Diabetes Education Program.

The ICO Diabetes Education Program will help develop diabetic retinopathy prevention and treatment as well as education materials in local languages for diabetes patients, nurses and ophthalmologists.

At the same time, Lilly is launching a nationwide diabetes education campaign in China. The campaign will invite 900 diabetes experts from 30 key cities in China to give lectures on diabetes knowledge and education through 30 radio channels. The goal is to promote diabetes awareness and knowledge and to improve the diagnosis and treatment level of diabetes throughout China.gs will prove to be a groundbreaking event for ophthalmology and eye care in Africa."

Focus on Implementation of Curricula

ICO Education Director Mark Tso, MD, reports that there has been an enthusiastic reaction to publication and distribution of four ICO curricula:

• Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Education of the Ophthalmic Specialist (PDF - 2.4 MB)
  
  
• Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Ophthalmic Education of Medical Students (PDF - 2.1 MB)
  
  
• Principles and Guidelines of Curriculum for Para-ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education (PDF - 2.2 MB)
  
  
• Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Continuing Medical Education in Ophthalmology (PDF - 2.1 MB).

The Education Committee has formed seven international Task Forces that will focus on stimulating implementation of these curricula and enhancing ophthalmic education in other ways. National ophthalmologic societies are encouraged to translate the curricula as needed and adapt them for use in their countries.

Next: More News.

Also see:

• Other recent news.
• the latest ICO Leader Letter.