French academy has international goals

The new AOF may pave the way for the creation of a pan-European academy.

[Related Article: Despite dwindling ophthalmology rolls, France seeks to cap eye care services.]

The newly formed French Academy of Ophthalmology (AOF) will do more than just represent the interests of the country’s ophthalmic community before lawmakers who have targeted the specialty for budget cuts. The AOF has a broad agenda that seeks to increase the role of French ophthalmology internationally.

The AOF, formed in May during the the French Society of Ophthalmology (SFO) meeting, brings together representatives from the SFO, the French Syndicate of Ophthalmologists (an ophthalmic trade union), the French College of University Ophthalmologists and the French College of Non-university Ophthalmologists.

Though the new organization was formed primarily to better represent the interests of the nation’s ophthalmologists in Paris, organizers and members say they envision the AOF and other national European ophthalmology academies one day joining forces to form a European Academy of Ophthalmology, which would be similar in size and scope to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

While the four component bodies of the AOF will retain their individual identity, the union will allow the members to better coordinate efforts both academically and politically at the local and national levels.

“For now, the annual meeting of the AOF will only bring together the elected representatives from each of the [four] component organizations,” explained Joseph Colin, MD, a professor of ophthalmology and the head of the CHRU Morvan Ophthalmology Service in Brest.

In addition to the group’s political goals, Dr. Colin hopes the organization will promote the role of French ophthalmology worldwide, while also serving as a conduit linking French ophthalmologists with members of other European ophthalmic organizations.

The president of the SFO, Jean-Paul Adenis, MD, said a president for the AOF will be chosen in October. Dr. Adenis said official discussions were held in Paris during the SFO with representatives of the German ophthalmology society (DOG) and its president, Holger Büsse, MD, of Münster He said the talks were aimed at unification of the new French academy with a similar association of German societies with their trade union.

For Your Information:

Joseph Colin, MD, professor of ophthalmology and head of the CHRU Morvan Ophthalmology Service, can be reached at CHRU Morvan Service D’Ophtalmologie, 29200 Brest, France; +(33) 2-98-22-34-40; fax: +(33) 2-98-46-49-70.

Jean-Paul Adenis, MD, is the president of the SFO. He can be reached at OPH CHU Dupuytren, 87042 Limoges, France; +(33) 5-55-05-62-64; fax +(33) 5-55-05-62-65.