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Official expects bright future for International Council of Ophthalmology
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HONG KONG — The World Ophthalmology Congress broke its previous attendance record with more than 10,000 attendees, but the International Council of Ophthalmology is about much more than organizing the WOC, an official said here.
In a wide-ranging interview with Ocular Surgery News, ICO president Bruce E. Spivey, MD, discussed the variety of projects and initiatives the organization is involved with around the world. According to Dr. Spivey, the main mission of the ICO is to elevate the level of education of ophthalmologists around the world, especially in developing countries.
Dr. Spivey said there are two main ways the ICO is working toward that goal.
"Ten years ago, we started our assessment program for ophthalmologists, which sought to set a standard of knowledge in ophthalmology worldwide," Dr. Spivey said. "We had more than 2,000 people take the exam last year."
The exam includes two multiple choice question tests on basic and clinical science and can be administered in the ophthalmologist's home country, according to literature supplied by the ICO.
"The second educational program we have is our scholarship program, which began 8 years ago, and it allows ophthalmologists from developing countries to travel to a top ophthalmology department for at least 3 months," Dr. Spivey said. "We hope that it is a learning experience, but it also enables that ophthalmologist to establish a relationship with that department."
Additionally, the ICO sponsors residency courses, which this year are in Slovenia and Ethiopia, he said. The ICO also has a training program for program directors that serves to update them on the latest and most effective training programs available. The ICO is perhaps best known for the World Ophthalmology Congresses, which were formerly held every 4 years but now are being held every 2 years. The plans for Berlin in 2010 are close to complete; Abu Dhabi was approved by the ICO Council to host the WOC in 2012 and Tokyo will host in 2014.
"In intervening years, we are co-sponsoring other supranational society meetings to bring the full weight of the ICO behind the meetings," Dr. Spivey said. In 2009 in Bahrain, the ICO is co-sponsoring the Middle Eastern-African Council of Ophthalmology meeting, and in 2011 in Sydney the ICO will co-sponsor the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.