Preservation and Restoration of Vision:
Vision for the Future, Part 2: Ophthalmic Education and Training: International Assessments for Ophthalmologists
More on Preservation of Vision:
Initiatives and Organizations:
- International Ophthalmology's Vision for the Future
- VISION 2020: The Right to Sight
- Research Agenda for Global Blindness Prevention
- WHO and Non-Governmental Development Organizations (NGOs)
- IFOS Society Preservation of Vision Initiatives
- Other Initiatives
Information and Resources:
On this page:
- What is the International Council of Ophthalmology?
- What are the topics covered in the Assessments?
- How are these Assessments conducted?
- How soon are the results received by the candidates?
- How confidential are the results?
- What is the value of these Assessments to the candidates?
- Advantages to Countries and Institutions
- Is a diploma granted?
- FEES
- APPLICATIONS
Peter G. Watson, FRCS, FRCOphth
The International Council of Ophthalmology's Assessments for Ophthalmologists have been available for seven years.
They are now beginning to have a major impact on the post-graduate education of those wishing to practice ophthalmology anywhere in the world.
For the past five years, almost 1,000 people from 48 countries have taken the Basic Science Assessment.
Those who have passed this Assessment or its equivalent are able to take the Clinical Sciences Assessment which has now been fully established.
What is the International Council of Ophthalmology?
The International Council of Ophthalmology is the executive body of the International Federation of Ophthalmic Societies.
Part of the work of the Council is to enable countries to work towards an internationally accepted standard of education of all ophthalmologists both during and after their training.
The Basic Science and Clinical Sciences Assessments are part of this process.
What are the topics covered in the Assessments?
BASIC SCIENCE
- Anatomy of the eye and the orbit
- Neuro-anatomy related to ophthalmology
- General principles of physiology related to the practice of ophthalmology including embryology
- Ocular physiology
- Pharmacology and pathology including the microbiology related to ophthalmology
- Optics and refraction
CLINICAL SCIENCES
- General medicine related to ophthalmology
- Ophthalmic pathology and intraocular tumours
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- Orbit, eyelids and lacrimal disease
- External disease and cornea
- Intraocular inflammation and uveitis
- Glaucoma
- Lens and catarac
- Retina and vitreous
How are these Assessments conducted?
The International Council of Ophthalmology's Assessments consist of multiple-choice question papers in Basic Science as related to Ophthalmology, Refraction and Optics and in the Clinical Sciences related to Ophthalmology.
The questions are set by an international panel of experts on the topics to be assessed.
The questions also reflect the international nature of ophthalmology and contain questions of importance to those working in tropical countries and areas of poverty.
The Assessments are taken at a designated centre in the candidate's own country on the same day throughout the world.
The papers are marked by computer and the results are scrutinised by the examiners. The pass mark is generated statistically. This can be done reliably because of the large number of candidates taking the test.
Furthermore, the response to each question by all the candidates examined is analysed statistically. In this way, the validity of the questions can be confirmed and the scoring adjusted accordingly.
In addition, the answers to some of the questions are compared with the results achieved in other examinations.
How soon are the results received by the candidates?
The papers are returned to the U.K. by courier. As many centres are in remote parts of this world, this takes many days.
Once the papers have been collected, they are marked by computer. When this has been completed, the results are confirmed by an examination committee.
Certificates are then issued to those who have passed, passed Part I, passed with distinction, and/or passed with credit. A full analysis of the results of each section is dispatched to the candidate. This entire process takes 6 - 8 weeks.
How confidential are the results?
Each candidate is informed as to how he/she has performed in each section of the test.
The coordinator is informed about who in his/her group has passed or failed, but not of each individual's subsection score.
Only the Chairman of the Examination Committee knows the full results. This process ensures that individual and perhaps unjustified comparisons are not made between countries, departments or individuals.
What is the value of these Assessments to the candidates?
These Assessments are deliberately of a very high standard so that anyone who has passed is known by everyone to have a very high standard of theoretical knowledge in the sciences related to ophthalmology.
This is now recognised to be the case internationally, so it is extremely helpful for those wishing to observe or continue training in countries or institutions other than those in which they were originally trained.
The Assessments give exemption from parts of certain examinations in other countries, e.g., Part A of the fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
Advantages to Countries and Institutions
These Assessments are of a high standard, internationally set, marked and monitored.
The examination is secure and can therefore be used (and is being used) to ensure a high standard of knowledge of those entering a residency programme in ophthalmology.
It can also be used to record the achievement of a high standard of theoretical knowledge during the phases of residency training.
The Basic Science Assessment is frequently taken before or early in residency training and the Clinical Sciences Assessment at the end.
These tests do not in any way test competence or technical ability in the practical aspects of ophthalmology or ophthalmic surgery.
Is a diploma granted?
A certificate is given to those who pass, but the Assessments are not intended as accrediting examinations.
Although the Assessments can be used as part of an examination, it is the responsibility of each country, university or institution to decide how they are used and how much weight to give to the acquisition of theoretical knowledge.
It is expected that the institution will carry out face to face examinations and other forms of testing before accreditation.
The requirements of accrediting bodies vary considerably from place to place so no universally applicable diploma can be awarded.
FEES
The fees are kept to an absolute minimum in order to enable those who have poor salaries to take part in the Assessments. If an individual cannot afford the fee, then a coordinator can apply for a bursary from the small amount of funds set aside for this purpose.
APPLICATIONS
Application forms and further details are available from:
THE EXAMINATION OFFICE
2 Wort's Causeway
Cambridge CB1 8RN
United Kingdom
Phone: 44 1223 244101
FAX 44 2113 244079
E-MAIL assess@icoph.org
October 21, 2000
Next: Ophthalmic Education and Training - Allied Ophthalmic Personnel Training
Also see: Table of Contents for Vision for the Future
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