IFOS Notes:
Is the Directory of International Ophthalmology Useful?

Dear IFOS Members,

It is a significant challenge for the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) to maintain up-to-date information on ophthalmologic societies and ophthalmology residency programs around the world.

In this issue of IFOS Notes, I ask for your help with that and whether the Directory we publish with that information is helpful to you.

1. Is the Directory of International Ophthalmology Useful?

Every year or two, the ICO publishes a Directory of International Ophthalmology, with contact information for national and international ophthalmologic societies and residency programs around the world.

Printed for us by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Directory contains all of the information in the ICO’s database of ophthalmologic societies and residencies (www.icoph.org/soc/ifos.cfm). We send the Directory to IFOS members and make it available at the World Ophthalmology Congress and other meetings.

Some questions for IFOS Members:

• Is the Directory useful to you, or is it enough to have the information available on our Web site?
  
  
• If it is useful, is it helpful for us to publish it every year, or would once every two years be adequate?

We would appreciate your feedback.

2. Please Update Your Listing in the Database

For us to make the Directory accurate, we need to obtain current information from ophthalmologic societies. Please check your listing now and update it if needed.

To check your information, go to www.icoph.org/soc/ifos.cfm. If the listing is not accurate, see www.icoph.org/soc/database.html#check for information on how to update it.

To protect the security of the database, we ask that national societies update the information on residency programs in your countries.

3.  International Symposia at the American Academy

If you will be attending the upcoming American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Las Vegas, don’t miss the opening symposium starting at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 12 in Venetian Ballroom A to C.

ICO Director for Advocacy Hugh Taylor, MD, will deliver the Jackson Memorial Lecture on “Eye Care: Dollars and Sense,” followed by a symposium on “Helping the World To See” featuring:

• Council Member and ICO Director for Research Al Sommer, MD, speaking on “Reaching our Patients: Those We Know and Those We Don't,” and

• Seva Foundation Founder Larry Brilliant, MD, on “Blindness Prevention: Challenges to Meet.”

That will be followed at 10:30 a.m. Sunday in Venetian Ballroom J by an International Forum on “The Truth about Needless Blindness.” I hope to see you there.

There will also be a symposium on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in Venetian Ballroom I on “International Vision Rehabilitation and Low Vision Care” and several other international symposia organized by meeting co-sponsor the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

4. Nominations Requested for Naumann Leadership Award

A reminder that November 15 is the deadline to submit nominations for the G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care.

The awardee will be invited to make a presentation to and participate in the ICO meeting next March in Cape Town, South Africa.

For details, see www.icoph.org/ic/naumannaward.html.

With warm regards,

Bruce Spivey, MD
ICO President

945 Green Street
San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
(1-415) 409-8410
Fax: (1-415) 409-8403
spivey@icoph.org
www.icoph.org