Posted on 19th January 2012 in YO News

EBO Experience-Maria Milia, Greece-May 2011

Passing the EBO examination was a goal I set when I started my last year of training in Ophthalmology in Greece after completing 3 years of Ophthalmology in the UK.
The EBO exam is becoming more and more popular with Greek trainees and I thought it would be a challenge and great opportunity for me. It is not obligatory in Greece at present but highly recommended.
It gave me the amazing chance to read through basic sciences applied to the eye and the most important topics in ophthalmology. Unless a trainee has the pressure of an exam coming up there are certain details which one cannot read through carefully and remember.
The written part is a bit stressful with regards to the negative marking. The 52 MCQs are reasonable but require a good preparation for this sort of test. Some questions are difficult and and there will always be certain questions a candidate will be unsure of. The main tip is not to panic, to read carefully and to allow time to concentrate and think carefully.
The second part which comprises of 4 separate stations each one with 2 examiners is the oral part. Each station has a different topic. There is no time to prepare your answers as questions are asked in the form of a clinical scenario based on images/patients tests shown on a screen. The examiners are friendly and one can choose to be examined in their own language. I chose to take the oral exam in English but if a candidate feels safer in their own language, there are options of other languages for the oral part.
The examination days ends with a nice dinner accompanied with music and results are announced on the next day followed by the Diploma Award Ceremony. The pass rate is very good so don’t stress and panic.
The organisation and administration is excellent and the two days run very smoothly for participants. The Palais de Congres is a lovely venue too.
The EBO website is a great resource for the exam along with the usual literature such as the AAO series, Kanski and books for basic sciences applied to the eye.
Paris is lovely at this time of year so after the exam is over its nice to reward yourself with a walk around this gorgeous city.
Altogether I highly recommend this exam to my colleagues across Europe regardless of whether it is compulsory for them or not. It is the best way to refresh your knowledge, revise and learn and above all a rewarding experience. Don’t miss this opportunity!

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Posted on 20th December 2011 in YO News

For full details of YO activities at the recent SOE/AAO Joint Congress in Geneva 2011 please click on the link below.
Click Here

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Posted on 13th December 2011 in YO News

Education Without Borders – the Future for Young Ophthalmologists 

This session has been developed jointly by the YO committees of MEACO, SOE and AAO.  The theme for the session is education, the issues young ophthalmologists across the globalising world are now facing, and how best to make the most of opportunities, and face challenges. 

The session will take the form of a chat-show, hosted by a MEACO representative (Eddie Legodi), and speakers will be the guests on the chat-show.  Each topic will be addressed primarily using a question and answer session.   

The session topics will be:

 ·         Setting up residency programmes in the Middle East – The Arab Board (Saleh Saif, Abu Dhabi (MEACO)) 

·         Opportunities and resources available for establishing residency programmes (Sanjay Kedhar, US (AAO)) 

·         European Board of Ophthalmology – Europe harmonising ophthalmic education (Wagih Aclimandos (EBO President), UK (SOE)) 

·         Arranging a fellowship abroad – pearls and pitfalls (Manal Taryam, (MEACO))

 ·         Surgical training – how do we set the standards? (George Saleh, UK (SOE))

 ·         Modern social media in ophthalmology (Tamara Fountain, US (AAO))

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Posted on 15th June 2011 in YO News

SOE YO Reception

The YO reception was very well attended by YOs representing all corners of Europe.  SOE and UEMS leadership also attended and mingled with the YOs.  Anthony Khawaja, chair of the SOE YO committee addressed the attendees, as did Stefan Seregard, later to be announced as new SOE president.  Also in attendance to meet and greet YOs was the incoming SOE Secretary General Thomas Fenech. Again, this event was an excellent opportunity for international connections to be made, and enthusiasm drummed up for pro-actively tackling the issues the ophthalmic profession and YOs face in the globalising world. 

We are extremely grateful to Allergan who sponsored the SOE YO events at the congress in Geneva. 

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Posted on 15th June 2011 in YO News

 SOE YO Lounge

The YO Lounge was a room exclusively for the use of YOs during the congress, to relax in comfortable surroundings, help themselves to food and refreshments, make use of the computers, and meet fellow YOs from across the globe.  This was a huge success and, at busy periods, the lounge was completely full.  We received extremely positive feedback, and we think many connections were made in the lounge during the 4 days of the congress.  Certainly, strong connections were made between SOE YOs and AAO/MEACO YOs who met in the lounge.  An exciting joint session of SOE, AAO adn MEACO YOs was conceived and developed for the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) scheduled for February 2012 in Abu Ahabi, taking the form of a chat-show!  See the upcoming events section for more details of what is planned.

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