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ICO Leader Letter

May 2010, Volume 7, Number 5

1. Bis bald in Berlin for WOC 2010

I look forward to welcoming many of you to Berlin very soon for the 2010 World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC), June 5-9.

More than 9,000 registrants from 133 countries have registered for WOC 2010, and the numbers are growing.  Online registration is still available (www.m-anage.com/default.aspx?event=woc) and you will also be able to register onsite at the International Congress Center (ICC) in Berlin.

In addition to the clinical education sessions, I encourage you to attend the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium, VISION 2020, and World Forum on Prevention of Blindness sessions described below. A reminder that the ICO General Assembly will be from 14:00 to 17:00 on Saturday, June 5 in Hall 7, and leaders of ICO member societies are welcome to join us.

And please stop by the ICO Booth in the Entrance Foyer (EF06) to learn the latest about the ICO and to preview our new Web site.

–Bruce Spivey, MD, ICO President

2. WOC 2010 Opening Ceremony--An Event to Remember

For a few days Berlin will be the center of the ophthalmological world. Follow us and dive into past, present, and future during the 2010 WOC Opening Ceremony, Saturday, June 5, from 18:30–20:00. Your official invitation is here www.icoph.org/downloads/2010WOCopeningceremonyinvite.pdf.

This will be an event to remember with multi-media features in high definition and inspiring music. We will welcome representatives of International Ophthalmology, pay tribute to our ancestor Albrecht von Graefe, recognize the international award winners, and look toward WOC 2012 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

There will also be a video recognizing the midpoint of the VISION 2020 global initiative. And be sure to attend WOCtoberfest, a Bavarian-style Oktoberfest with beer, German and international food, and entertainment on Monday, June 7 from 19:30–24:00. More information on these and other social events is available at www.woc2010.org/social-program/official-social-program.html.

On behalf of the International Council of Ophthalmology, German Society of Ophthalmology, German Academy of Ophthalmology, and the WOC 2010 Executive and Program Committees, I take great pleasure in welcoming you to Berlin for the 2010 World Ophthalmology Congress.

–Gerhard Lang, MD, WOC 2010 Congress President

3. World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium

If you are involved in teaching, I hope you will participate in the ICO World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC), Monday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 8, at the ICC in Berlin.

The WOEC is designed to enhance the training and continuing education of ophthalmologists and other eye care personnel. Building on the success of our first WOEC in Hong Kong at WOC 2008, we will feature more than 50 speakers in eight symposia covering essential topics in ophthalmic education:

• Residency Program Development
• Innovative and Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning in Ophthalmology
• Teaching Ophthalmology to Medical Students
• Training Allied Eye Care Personnel
• Continuing Education
• Teaching Ophthalmic Subspecialties in Developing and Developed Countries.

The complete WOEC program is available for download at:  /downloads/2010WOECProgram.pdf.    (PDF–100 KB).

We will start off the WOEC with a keynote breakfast featuring presentations and a discussion on what else we might do to enhance ophthalmic education worldwide on Monday, June 7 from 06:30–08:15. If you are an educator interested in attending, please send an e-mail to education@icoph.org by Friday, May 28.

– Mark Tso, MD, DSc, ICO Director for Education

4. World Forum on Vision and Prevention of Blindness

I hope you will mark your calendar for the World Forum on Vision and Prevention of Blindness at WOC 2010 in Berlin.  This is the third such forum, building on the success of the 2006 and 2008 forums in Sao Paulo and Hong Kong.

This year’s forum will feature presentations from non-governmental development organizations (NGOs) and ophthalmological societies on initiatives to preserve and protect vision around the world.

The 2010 World Forum symposia are:

• Changing Realities in Eye Care: What is Needed Most to Prevent Blindness in Developing Countries?
  Saturday, June 5, 16:00–17:30, Radio Tower Lounge 2
• NGO/Private Sector Partnerships: Win/Win or Conflicting Agendas?
  Monday, June 7, 10:30–12:00, VIP Lounge 2
• Sustainable Eye Health Programs: Where Does the Government Fit In?
  Tuesday, June 8, 10:30–12:00, Radio Tower Lounge 2
• The New Realities of Non-Governmental Development in 2010 and Beyond
  Wednesday, June 9, 13:00–14:30, Hall 8

Please also join us for another very important symposium, VISION 2020: 10 Years On, 10 Years to Go, on Sunday, June 6, from 16:00–17:30 in Hall 9. See the scientific program for other VISION 2020 sessions.

– Hugh Taylor, AC, MD, ICO Treasurer

5. Adel Al Rushood to Receive G.O.H. Naumann Award

As Chairman of the G.O.H. Naumann Award Committee, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Dr. Adel Al Rushood of Saudi Arabia will be the recipient of the G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership and Global Eye Care for 2010. I will present this award to Dr. Al Rushood during the ICO Board of Trustees Meeting on June 4 in Berlin.

The Naumann Award is given annually to an ophthalmologist who has made a significant contribution to global eye care in his or her community in an effort to promote educational programs and establish service models for other societies.

Dr. Al Rushood is the founder and Secretary General of the AlBasar International Foundation, a non-profit, non-political international organization established in 1990 to work for prevention and eradication of blindness and blinding diseases in Africa and Asia. He is a member of the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology Board and is Co-Chair of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Al Rushood for his outstanding contribution to ophthalmology and the prevention of visual loss.

– Akef El-Maghraby, MD, ICO Vice President

6. New Advanced Ophthalmology Examination

This October, the ICO offers a new annual Advanced Examination for senior ophthalmologists who have passed all parts of the ICO Standard Examinations.

The Advanced Examination will test a high level of up-to-date knowledge and common sense decision-making. Passing this examination indicates the candidate has the knowledge to act as an independent consultant. Once a successful candidate has a license to practice in his or her own country, they will be entitled to use the post-nominal acronym, FICO: Fellow of the International Council of Ophthalmology.

The first Advanced Examination will be on October 21, 2010. The application process is now open and will close on July 31, 2010. For more details, see www.icoexams.org/exams/advanced. For the first two years, a candidate will be exempt from the Basic Sciences section of the ICO examination if he or she has passed an examination of similar standard recognized by the ICO.

The Standard Examination:
The next Standard Examinations in Basic and Clinical Sciences will be held April 7, 2011. The application process will open September 1, 2010 and will close January 31, 2011.

– David Taylor, FRCOphth, ICO Director for Examinations

7. More WOC 2010 News

-WOC Custom Schedule:  Are you registered for WOC 2010?  Login at https://www.m-anage.com/default.aspx?event=woc to create your own customized schedule.

-WOC 2010 Scientific Program:   The final program is available at http://www.woc2010.org/scientific-program.

-Find WOC 2010 on Facebook:  Become a fan!  http://www.facebook.com/WOC2010Berlin

8. Next ICO Meetings and World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC)

• ICO Board of Trustees: June 4, 2010, Berlin, Germany
• ICO General Assembly: June 5, 2010, Berlin, Germany
• World Ophthalmology Congress®: June 5–9, 2010, Berlin, Germany (http://www.woc2010.org)
• Other future ICO Meetings: /events

More News

For more news of the ICO and international ophthalmology and resources for ophthalmologic leaders, see the ICO’s Web site at www.icoph.org.

Request for Other News and Resources

Do you have other news of international ophthalmology or know resources (particularly on the Web) that would be valuable to ophthalmologic leaders? Please let us know at leader@icoph.org.

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