Subspecialty Education

Ophthalmology has become so broad and has expanded so rapidly that it is nearly impossible to be on the cutting edge of every ophthalmic discipline. Subspecialty education is urgently needed to create a diverse pool of ophthalmologists who can handle medical issues in all areas of ophthalmology.

The ICO has the following committees that seek to enhance and improve ophthalmic subspecialty fellow training:

Committee on Curricula and Expectations for Training Programs
– Chair, Peter Quiros, MD
Sub-Committee on Subspecialty Training
– Chair, Ashok K. Grover, MD, FRCS

These committees are involved in the programs listed below. Questions about ICO education programs should be directed to: educators@icoph.org.

Committee Activities Include

ICO Subspecialty Curricula Development: The ICO is working with international subspecialty societies to define curricula for training ophthalmic subspecialists. Similar to the updated ICO Residency Curriculum, these are being developed to allow ease of adaptation in different countries and cultures.
Access finalized ICO Subspecialty Curricula including Cornea, External Diseases, and Refractive Surgery; Glaucoma; and Neuro-Ophthalmology: http://icoph.org/refocusing_education/curricula.html.
Review and comment on ICO curricula in development and finalized: http://icocurriculum.blogspot.com.

Subspecialty Fellowship Opportunities

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Fellowships Program was organized to help promising young ophthalmologists from developing countries improve their practical skills and broaden their perspectives of ophthalmology. Fellows are expected to bring the acquired knowledge and skills back to their home countries and take part in programs to preserve vision and prevent blindness.

Learn more about subspecialty fellowships.