Programs: Ophthalmic Education and Training
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- Ophthalmic Education and Training
- ICOFoundation Support for Ophthalmic Education
- More on Programs Supported by the ICOFoundation
Ophthalmic Education and Training
Ophthalmic education and training are the fundamental building blocks of actions to preserve and restore vision worldwide.
In 2006, education and training were advanced by:
- Ophthalmology Curricula
- Resident Program Directors Courses
- Resident-Specialist Training and Eye Care Centers
Ophthalmology Curricula
Addressing the question of “What to teach?”, a multinational committee, appointed by the International Council of Ophthalmology and chaired by Dr. Mark O. M. Tso (United States) and specific task forces focused on curricula for Ophthalmology Medical Student Education, Ophthalmology Resident-Specialist Education, Ophthalmology Continuing Education, and Para-Ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education. In November 2006, the related curricula were published in Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde and posted on the Internet.
Ophthalmology Medical Student Education
With the growth of world population, increasing longevity of human life, and eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration associated with aging, eye care is increasingly important in the general scope of medical practice. Consequently, the Council and the ICOFoundation are promoting ophthalmology education for all medical students through development of a universally applicable ophthalmology curriculum for medical students.
A multinational committee of educator-scientists, formed by the Council and chaired by Dr. Richard K. Parrish II (United States), formulated a curriculum for ophthalmology medical student education. For adaptation to different systems of medical education, the “Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Ophthalmic Education of Medical Students” presents a core of essential knowledge and additional content appropriate for the geographic region and national health service system. The curriculum includes measures for objective assessment of the student’s knowledge and skills at the conclusion of the ophthalmic curriculum. This curriculum for Ophthalmology Medical Student Education is published in English in Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, November 2006, and presented on the Internet at www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurricmed.pdf.
Ophthalmology Resident-Specialist Education
To advance the education and training of ophthalmology resident-specialists, the Council established a multinational committee with Dr. Morton F. Goldberg (United States) as chair and Dr. Andrew G. Lee (United States) as co-chair.
The committee of educator-scientists developed a broadly applicable curriculum for ophthalmology resident-specialist training. The curriculum and guidelines recognize that general principles must be augmented by special training adapted to diverse cultures, population groups and regional disease prevalence. Skills, techniques and competencies must be further adapted to be compatible with cultures, health care facilities and health care systems of nations throughout the world.
Culminating nearly six years of work to determine the “need to know” for ophthalmologists throughout the world, the multilevel “Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Education of the Ophthalmic Specialist” was published in Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, November 2006, and presented on the Internet at www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurricres.pdf.
Ophthalmology Continuing Education
The ophthalmologist requires continuing enhancement of knowledge, refinement of professional skills, and training for utilization of advanced technology. Continuing professional development necessitates lifelong learning.
Dr. Zbigniew Zagorski (Poland) chairs the Council committee coordinating information regarding ophthalmology continuing education programs. This compendium presents principles of continuing medical education and topic-specific sections focused on areas such as a cornea, external diseases, refractive surgery, cataract, neuro-ophthalmology, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, vitreoretinal diseases, uveitis and glaucoma. Information is published as “Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Continuing Medical Education in Ophthalmology” in the November 2006 issue of Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde and posted on the Internet at www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurriccme-pdf.
Para-Ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education
Ophthalmic patient care services are provided within a broad range of eye and healthcare programs in urban and rural centers throughout the globe. For efficacy and efficiency, the ophthalmologist is in continuous communication with para-ophthalmic vision specialists and with physicians in related medical specialties. The needs and requirements for para-ophthalmic vision specialists vary greatly by geographic region, economic development and national health system.
Recognizing the great importance of para-ophthalmic vision specialists, Dr. Sivaguru Selvarajah (Malaysia) leads a multinational committee of ophthalmologists, para-ophthalmic personnel and consultants committed to the education of community based para-ophthalmic personnel, hospital based para-ophthalmic personnel, as well as orthoptists and ophthalmic technicians. The program developed by this team of educators is published in the Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, November 2006, and presented on the Internet at www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurricpara.pdf.
Ophthalmology Resident Program Directors Courses
The Resident Program Director is responsible for organizing the instruction, monitoring clinical experience and assessing the progress of ophthalmology residents throughout the multiyear training. To address the question “How to teach?” and aid the Program Director, courses that deal specifically with directing a residency program, methods for quality education, changing resident behavior when indicated, assessing skills and measuring competence are conducted by the Council and the ICOFoundation.
Reflecting coordination among ophthalmology organizations, the Program Directors Courses are endorsed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (United States), regional multinational ophthalmology organizations and national ophthalmology organizations in the host country.
Ophthalmology Resident Program Directors Courses:
2004
Mexico City, Mexico
June 2004
Chair: Dr. Enrique Graue Wiechers (Mexico)
Co-Chair: Dr. Karl C. Golnik (United States)
Participants: Program Directors of all 23 ophthalmology residency programs in Mexico
2006
Lima, Peru
March 2006
Chair: Dr. Jose Antonio Roca (Peru)
Co-Chair: Dr. Karl C. Golnik (United States)
Participants: Program Directors of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
The Council and ICOFoundation conducted an Ophthalmology Resident Program Directors Course in Lima, Peru on March 23–24, 2006. With Dr. Jose Antonio Roca (Peru) Chair, and Dr. Karl C. Golnik (United States), Co-Chair, the course was attended by Resident Program Directors of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. To enhance the value of the Course, the Council, ICOFoundation, Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation and the American Academy of Ophthalmology combined to distribute a copy of the Academy’s Basic and Clinical Science Course to every ophthalmology resident training program in Peru and Bolivia.
Cairo, Egypt
June 2006
Chair: Dr. Fathi El-Sahn (Egypt)
Program Chair: Dr. Akef El-Maghraby (Egypt)
Program Co-Chair: Dr. Andrew G. Lee (United States)
Participants: Program Directors of Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen and United Arab Emirates.
The Council and ICOFoundation conducted a Resident Program Directors Course in Cairo, Egypt, on June 15–16, 2006. Led by Dr. Fathi El-Sahn (Egypt), Chair; Dr. Akef El-Maghraby (Egypt), Program Chair; and Dr. Andrew G. Lee (United States), Program Co-Chair; the Course was attended by Resident Program Directors of Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen and United Arab Emirates. A follow-up meeting of the Resident Program Directors took place during the IX Congress of the Middle-East African Council of Ophthalmology in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in March 2007.
2007
Lahore, Pakistan
February 2007
Chair: Dr. M. Daud Kahn (Pakistan)
Co-Chair: Dr. Karl C. Golnik (United States)
Participants: Program Directors of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Maldives.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
July 2007
Chair: Dr. Ricardo A. Dodds (Argentina)
Co-Chairs: Dr. Anthony C. Arnold (United States)& Dr. Karl C. Golnik (United States)
Participants: Program Directors of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and regional countries.
Brasilia, Brazil
September 2007
Chair: Dr. Paula A. Mello (Brazil)
Co-Chair: Dr. Karl C. Golnik (United States)
Participants: Resident Program Directors of Brazil.
Resident-Specialist Training and Eye Care Centers
The International Council of Ophthalmology and the ICOFoundation are working in collaboration with other ophthalmic and public service organizations to develop demonstration centers for ophthalmology resident-specialist education in Nigeria and for prevention as well as management of diabetic eye disease in China.
Nigeria
Following assessment of ophthalmology Resident Training Centers in Nigeria by Council members and leaders of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria in 2004, agreements were reached on a multiyear program to develop ophthalmology resident-specialist education in conjunction with sustainable eye care systems in Nigeria. As an initial step, educational support is being provided by the Council and ICOFoundation in the form of electronic equipment for broadband Internet access to current medical texts and journals at six training centers identified by the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria.
The National Eye Institute (United States) and the World Health Organization are instituting a program to measure utilization of Internet access and to assess the impact of access to current medical information on the quality of care.
Prior to the end of 2006, equipment for broadband Internet access was installed at all six centers and broadband access to current medical education commenced at two of the six centers. With encouragement of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, all six centers expect to have regular broadband Internet access to medical information by March 2007.
The significance of broadband Internet access cannot be overestimated. With over 100 million websites in 2007 and over one billion Internet users worldwide, less than 4% of the population in Africa has access to the Internet. Six Internet access at training facilities opens the path for a wealth of current biomedical information and technology.
Ophthalmology Resident—Specialist Education and Eye Care Centers in Nigeria
Centers Receiving Broadband Educational Support:
- National Eye Centre, Kaduna, Kaduna State
- Guinness Eye Centre, Onitsha, Anambra State
- University of Jos Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State
- University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State
- University of Calabar College of Medical Sciences, Calabar, Cross River State
- University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oye State (Coordinating Centre)
Building of the University College Hospital as a multinational regional center for training of ophthalmologists is progressing with support of Vision2020, the Carl Zeiss Project and the ICOFoundation. Ophthalmologists have received specialized training, cataract surgery has increased in volume and distinct progress is being made on development of University College Hospital as a resource for Nigeria and the West African Region.
China
Responding to the global epidemic of diabetes mellitus throughout the world, the International Council of Ophthalmology and ICOFoundation are working in partnership with Peking University Eye Center and Eli Lilly and Company to establish the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center in Beijing, China.
With formal approval of Peking University, direction by Dr. Zhizhong Ma, Executive Vice President of the Peking University Eye Center, and leadership by Dr. Mark O. M. Tso (United States), the Diabetic Eye Disease Center is designed to prevent and treat diabetic eye disease by coordinated diabetic medical care and ophthalmic care, community outreach and diabetes-related education.
Recognizing the challenge of diabetic eye disease, multiyear consultation with Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology and leading diabetic eye disease centers is planned. In addition, an ICO Diabetes Education Task Force is providing recommendations.
ICOFoundation Support for Ophthalmic Education and Training
In 2006, the ICOFoundation provided support funds for the:
- Ophthalmology Medical Student Curriculum
- Ophthalmology Resident-Specialist Curriculum
- Ophthalmology Continuing Education Curriculum
- Para-ophthalmic Vision Specialist Curriculum
- Ophthalmology Program Directors Courses
- Resident-Specialist Education and Eye Care Centers
More on programs supported by the ICOFoundation:
- Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment
- Ophthalmic Fellowship Training
- Eye and Vision Care Guidelines
- Advocacy for Preservation of Vision
- Research in Ophthalmology and Vision
Next: Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment
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