IFOS/ICO International Fellowship:

Training Young Ophthalmologists from Developing Countries

Fellowship news headlines:

• Revised instructions and applications for Fellowships
  
  
• New IFOS/ICO Fellowship Director and contact information
  
  
• Dr. Gabel takes over for Fellowship "father" Dr. Gloor
  
  
• April 30 and October 31 deadlines to apply
  
  
• How to find out more about the each Fellowship
  
  
• Fellowship preference for applicants who have passed ICO International Assessments

(Also see: More News of the Fellowships)

Also on this page:

• More information on Fellowships and how to apply
  
  
• Goal of Fellowships

Revised instructions and applications for Fellowships

New policies, instructions, frequently asked questions and application forms for the ICO International Fellowships are now available.

We recommend that you download the complete package as a .zip file from: www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowship.zip (892 KB). You will need to "unzip" the file.

If you have problems with the .zip file, you can download the policies, instructions and questions from www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowshipInstructions.pdf (72 KB) and the application forms from www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowshipApplications.doc (1.2 MB).

Please be sure read the policies and instructions completely before completing the application or contacting the Fellowship Office with questions.

Also available are separate downloads of:

The ICO Fellowships are awarded twice a year, and April 30 and October 31 are the deadlines to apply. The Directory of Training Centers will be revised later this year.

The three-month IFOS/ICO Fellowships were organized to help promising young ophthalmologists from developing nations improve their practical skills and broaden their perspectives of ophthalmology.

Fellows are expected to bring their acquired knowledge and skills back to their native country and participate in programs to preserve vision and prevent blindness.

For further information, download the new Fellowship instructions and forms or contact the Fellowships Office at fellowship@icoph.org.

New IFOS/ICO Fellowship Director and contact information

Veit-Peter Gabel, MD, has taken over responsibility for IFOS/ICO Fellowships from Fellowship Founder Balder Gloor, MD.

Correspondence about the Fellowships should be sent to fellowship@icoph.org.

The address is:

Dr. Gabel takes over for Fellowship "father" Dr. Gloor

Dr. Gabel was elected Fellowship Director by the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) in February 2006 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has taken over responsibility from Balder Gloor, MD, who established the Fellowship Program in 2001.

Since then, IFOS/ICO Fellowships have been awarded to more than 300 ophthalmologists. Fellowships are available from more than 60 training programs in 27 countries but the list will be revised and expanded in the future.

"We are deeply indebted to Dr. Gloor, the "father" of the IFOS/ICO Fellowship program, for his dedication, hard work and many contributions to the ICO and IFOS," said International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) President Bruce Spivey, MD.

April 30 and October 31 deadlines to apply

The IFOS/ICO Fellowships were organized to help promising young ophthalmologists, especially those from developing nations, improve their practical skills and broaden their perspectives of ophthalmology.

They are awarded twice a year, and April 30 and October 31 are the deadlines to apply.

Fellowships generally last three months, but the program is intended to be flexible to meet the needs of different countries and individuals. Under special circumstances, an IFOS/ICO Fellowship can be part of a longer fellowship. The Fellowship does not cover fees for observors.

Fellows are expected to bring the acquired knowledge and skills back to their country of origin and take part in programs to preserve and restore vision.

How to find out more about each Fellowship

The easiest way to consider the various Fellowships available is to look at the alphabetical listing by country and city in Directory 1. There are links from Directory 1 to detailed information on each program.

If you are looking for a particular host or department chair, check Directory 2, which lists the hosts for each program in alphabetical order.

Directory 3 has detailed information on each program, one per page. To look at the details on all the programs, follow the links after "Next:.." at the bottom of the detailed information on each page.

Also, in the blue box on the right of each page, there is a link back to Directory 1 and Directory 2.

Fellowship preference for applicants who have passed ICO Assessments

Applicants for IFOS/ICO International Fellowships who have passed the International Basic and Clinical Assessments will be given preference in consideration for Fellowships.

But passing the Assessments is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee of a Fellowship.

The Policies for the Fellowships have been modified to reflect this preference.

For more information on the Assessments, see that section of the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Eye Site or contact Rosemary Bell, Examination Secretary, 2 Wort’s Causeway, Cambridge CB1 8RN UK, assess@icoph.org.

Next: More News of the IFOS/ICO International Fellowship

Also see: Introduction to the Fellowship