Connecting Ophthalmologists from Around the World to Achieve Eye Health for Everyone
Connecting Ophthalmologists from Around the World to Achieve Eye Health for Everyone
The steps to apply for an ICO fellowship are listed in the section Apply for ICO Fellowship. Please be sure to check the eligibility requirements for the specific fellowship for which you are applying in the section on Available Fellowships. To access this information, log in to your ICO account or create your ICO Account if you do not have one.
If you are found eligible for the fellowship to which you applied for, you will select and apply to your Host using the online system. For instructions on how to do this please refer to the section Apply for ICO Fellowship: Step 4 Apply to a Host Training Center
We recommend that you select your Host from the ICO Host Directory. If your preferred Host is not listed in the directory, please contact the ICO Fellowship Team at icofellowship@icoph.org for guidance.
Refer to the specific fellowship type to learn about the fellowship’s application deadline.
It is advisable to start your application at least 2-3 months before the deadline. Please note the required documents. Some documents, like a letter from your department chair, may take some time to obtain. If your application is awarded, we strongly recommend starting the visa application process as early as possible. The ICO will provide successful applicants with a letter confirming the fellowship award. Securing their visa if necessary is up to the fellowship applications. The ICO is not in the position to facilitate any visa applications.
Unless stated otherwise, ICO fellowships are open to applicants who are permanently based and work in one of the eligible countries. These include low, lower-middle and upper-middle economies according to the World Bank Country Classification by Income Level. If your home country is not listed and you believe you or your home country presents an exceptional case, please contact the ICO Fellowship team at icofellowship@icoph.org to inquire.
Please see Fellowship Application and Report Forms or refer to the requirements for the fellowship to which you would like to apply in the section Available ICO Fellowships. Uploaded file types are limited to: jpg, pdf, and png. There is a 20MB size limit for all uploads. Zip files are not allowed.
If you are awarded a fellowship, the ICO Fellowship Team (icofellowship@icoph.org) will request a copy of your visa and verification of your health and liability insurance coverage as well as a housing confirmation The ICO Fellowship team will also request your banking information so that bank wire transfers can be correctly routed to your account.
Look up your country code on the following website: www.howtocallabroad.com/codes.html
If any information in the application has changed, contact the ICO Fellowship team (icofellowship@icoph.org) immediately. The team will discuss further steps with you. Failure to inform the ICO Fellowship team of your changed contact information will lead to exclusion from the program.
Being eligible for a fellowship means you can proceed with completing your application. If you are eligible to apply, you must then select a host through the online application system and complete the application before the published deadline.
Being awarded the fellowship would only occur after submitting the full fellowship application and required documents and the ICO approving your fellowship award
This notice means that you do not meet the basic requirements for the fellowship to which you applied. If you meet the eligibility requirements by the next application deadline, you may resubmit the eligibility check. Please contact icofellowship@icoph.org if you would like the specific details regarding your eligibility determination.
Applicants are notified by email. Please refer to the Available ICO Fellowships for the notification dates.
If your application has been evaluated and awarded, you will receive an official notice of acceptance. You will receive further instructions and guidance via email. Please be sure you start your visa application as soon as possible, well before your fellowship starting date.
If your application has been evaluated and rejected, you will receive an official notice. The ICO’s decision is confidential, final, and non-negotiable. The ICO cannot support all the qualified candidates who apply.
You should receive a confirmation email after you have submitted the Host Application form. Please wait at least two weeks for the Host to respond. You may contact the Host to follow up, but only after two weeks have passed. Use the contact information listed in the directory and send the host an email from your personal email account. If the host has still not responded after you have sent one email inquiry about the status of your request, please contact icofellowship@icoph.org. The Fellowship team will inform you if you can proceed with applying to a new Host. Do not apply to, or contact, more than one Host at the same time. Contacting two or more Hosts at once is a violation of ICO policy and may lead to exclusion from the ICO Fellowship Program.
If the Host can accommodate your request, you will receive an automated notice by email. Contact your Host to agree on a start date. Log in to your application and complete the online form. The form requires confirmation of the fellowship start date, subspecialty, and your supervisor’s name and email. You may gather the information from the ICO Fellowship Host Directory and may contact the Host for this information. Send this form to your Host for final confirmation, then submit the completed and duly signed form to the online application portal. The Host notice of acceptance form is mandatory part of your application file. Only completed applications including the duly signed fellowship Host acceptance form will be considered. You should receive a confirmation email that your application is complete and is being reviewed. If you do not receive this within a couple of days, please contact icofellowship@icoph.org.
If the Host is not able to accommodate your request, you will receive a notice of denial by email. Please contact icofellowship@icoph.org before applying to a new Host. Then log in to your application and apply to a new Host.
There are several steps to apply for your visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary country by country. Please see the instructions available on the embassy or consulate website where you intend to apply. The visa application process may take up to 2-3 months, so you should begin the visa application well in advance of your fellowship start date. If you cannot begin your fellowship because you did not apply for your visa early enough, you may have to give up your fellowship. A letter confirming the fellowship award will be sent out by the ICO to successful applicants. This letter may be required to support your visa application.
To get the most out of your experience, please be sure to acquire basic knowledge of the language of the host country prior to your start date. It is mandatory that you are reasonably fluent in the language spoken at your Host training center.
After official notice of the fellowship award, the ICO Fellowship team (icofellowship@icoph.org) will request information from you, including your bank details. Six weeks before the start date proposed in the host’s notice of acceptance, reconfirm your start date with your host and find out what paperwork may be required before your start (for example, vaccination proofs, etc.). Confirm (by emailing icofellowship@icoph.org) that you will take up your fellowship according to schedule. Please send a scanned copy of your visa, your health and liability insurance certificate and proof of your accommodation in the Host city to icofellowship@icoph.org. At this time, the ICO can wire the fellowship funds to you. Please confirm with us (by emailing icofellowship@icoph.org) when you have received the funds in your bank account.
Fellows are expected to arrange their own housing. The Host’s office may be able to provide you with a list of accommodation options or advice about where to search for this information. The ICO is not in a position to organize your accommodation in the host country.
You need to arrange your health and liability insurance personally and provide relevant documents for verification to the ICO Fellowship team before you start your fellowship.
The ICO approves of changes in schedule (e.g., postponement of the fellowship) only in exceptional and sufficiently justified cases. If you cannot begin your fellowship because you did not apply for your visa early enough, you may be excluded from the ICO Fellowship program. If you cannot take up your fellowship, you must contact the ICO (icofellowship@icoph.org) and your host immediately and provide an explanation about why you cannot take up your fellowship. The ICO will discuss further steps with you.
Application requirements are as follows:
Please refer to ICO Fellowship Application and Report Forms
Yes, you can reapply. Please contact the ICO Fellowship team at icofellowship@icoph.org for more information.
The ICO Three-Month Fellowship offers training in the following subspecialties:
According to the ICO Fellowship Policy, the ICO Fellowship is to commence after the date of issue of the ICO Fellowship Award Letter and the award is valid for a maximum period of 12 months. The ICO Fellowship award may not be used to fund ongoing or completed fellowships.
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