Programs: Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments

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• Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments
  
  
• ICOFoundation Support for Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments
  
  
• More on Programs Supported by the ICOFoundation

Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments

The International Council of Ophthalmology conducts annual Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments in Basic Science, including Optics and Refraction, and in the Clinical Sciences to address the question “What has been learned?” by ophthalmologists in training.

The Assessments are the only worldwide medical specialty examinations and present questions prepared by a multinational committee of examiners chaired by Dr. Peter G. Watson (United Kingdom). Examinations are set at the same standard of the highest board, college and qualifying examinations in the world.

The Assessments are free of any outside influence and can be taken in the candidate’s own country. Assessment questions are translated from English into French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish and other languages corresponding to need. At the time of examination, the English version is presented along with the alternate language so that comparisons can be made by the candidate (www.icoph.org).

Successful passage of the Assessments is recognized by a certificate that is universally acknowledged to show that the holder has achieved a high standard of theoretical knowledge. In Turkey and a number of other countries, the Basic Science and Clinical Sciences Assessments are part of the national examination for ophthalmology certification.

Since the Basic Science Assessment was inaugurated in 1995 and the Clinical Sciences Assessment was initiated in 1998, more than 15,000 candidates have voluntarily applied for and taken the Assessments.

This extensive participation documents the importance of an objective and internationally identified standard of knowledge, particularly for candidates in countries without any formal written evaluation procedures and for candidates in countries that use the Assessments as a part of the formal certification process.In recent years, the annual Assessments took place on April 3, 2003, April 1, 2004, April 7, 2005 and April 6, 2006 in countries that range alphabetically from Argentina to Yugoslavia.

Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments

Basic Science and Clinical Sciences

Year	Candidates	Test Centers	Countries
2002	1017	72	51
2003	1097	75	53
2004	1197	84	59
2005	1472	83	57
2006	1537	92	61

ICOFoundation Support for Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments

With outstanding management by Dr. Peter G. Watson, the Assessments are well established and self-supporting.

In addition, the ICOFoundation provides support funds to extend the Assessments to candidates unable to compete for the certificate because of economic factors and to encourage regional initiative for use of the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessments in geographic sectors without formal written evaluations.

More on ICOFoundation programs:

• Ophthalmic Education and Training
  
  
• Ophthalmic Fellowship Training
  
  
• Eye and Vision Care Guidelines
  
  
• Advocacy for Preservation of Vision
  
  
• Research in Ophthalmology and Vision

Next: Ophthalmic Fellowship Training

Also see:

• Contribute to the ICOFoundation
  
  
• Programs Supported by the ICOFoundation