YO News
During the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC 2012) in Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest gathering of eye specialists, a session aimed specifically for young ophthalmologists took place 20 February at 8.30am.
WOC 2012 – is hosted in the region by the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology for the first time – is providing this platform for young ophthalmologists to nurture the talent of tomorrow, with education being the main topic under scrutiny.
Dr. Abdulaziz AlRajhi, President of WOC 2012, said: “It is vital that we pay heed to properly supporting young ophthalmologists. WOC 2012 is a fantastic platform for those beginning a career in our sector to find – and be given – peer support, enhance their knowledge bank and take advantage of the networking opportunities the conference presents.
“The young ophthalmologists’ session is also testament to the hard work that ophthalmology professional bodies are putting in to develop strong support networks for the future of our profession.”
The session is a collaboration between the young ophthalmology groups from the Middle East and Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE).
Dr AlRajhi said the session will follow a ’chat show’ format and will discuss the challenges and possible solutions of continuing education in a rapidly changing world.
“Topics include how the European Board of Ophthalmology aims to harmonise education throughout Europe, how the Arab Board aims to structure training in the region, and the particular difficulties in surgical training faced by all regions,” said the President of WOC 2012.
“The increasing role of social media provides new opportunities but also potential pitfalls, and these will also be discussed. We hope to provide an engaging platform for discussion,” he added.
The AAO’s young ophthalmologist (YO) group has been established for many years, and its role within the overall structure of AAO has grown considerably.
Inspired by its success, an SOE YO and, more recently, a YO Group within MEACO have been established to address the local needs of young ophthalmologists. Each region has its own challenges for trainees, and those starting independent practice.
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!
For full details of YO activities at the recent SOE/AAO Joint Congress in Geneva 2011 please click on the link below.
Click Here
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))
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.
