ICO International Fellowship:

Training Young Ophthalmologists from Developing Countries

Fellowship news headlines:

• New Directory of ICO Fellowship Hosts
  
  
• 2009 instructions and applications for Fellowships
  
  
• 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

New Directory of ICO Fellowships

A new Directory of the hosts of ICO International Fellowships can be downloaded from www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowshipDirectory.pdf. (PDF - 1.6 MB)

The Directory of Training Centers lists the name, city and country of hosts in each subspecialty area and also offers a detailed listing of what is offered from each host, along with instructions on how to select a host.

This replaces all previous lists, including hosts that were previously listed on the ICO Web site.

October 31 is the deadline to apply for the next round of Fellowships.

2009 intructions and applications

Revised 2009 policies, instructions, frequently asked questions and application forms for the ICO International Fellowships are available for download from:

www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowshipApplications.doc (1.8 MB)

You can also download just the policies, instructions and questions (without the applications) from:

www.icoph.org/pdf/ICOFellowshipPolicies.doc (1.4 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:

April 30 and October 31 deadlines to apply

The 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 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.

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

ICO Fellowship Director and contact information

Veit-Peter Gabel, MD, is the ICO Director of Fellowships and Mrs. Cordula Obermaier is the new Fellowship Administrator.

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 in February 2006 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, taking over responsibility from Balder Gloor, MD, who established the Fellowship Program in 2001.

From then through 2008, ICO Fellowships have been awarded to 347 ophthalmologists. Fellowships are available from more than 70 training centers around the world.

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

How to find out more about each Fellowship

The easiest way to consider the various Fellowships available is to look at the Directory of Training Centers, which lists the hosts available in each subspecialty area, with detailed information on each training program.

Fellowship preference for applicants who have passed ICO Assessments

Applicants for 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.

For more information on the Assessments, see that section of the ICO Eye Site or contact:

Next: More News of the ICO International Fellowship

Also see: Introduction to the Fellowship