P ERSPECTIVE The International Council of Ophthalmology: Vision for Ophthalmic Education in an Interdependent World ANDREW G. LEE, KARL C. GOLNIK, MARK O. M. TSO, BRUCE SPIVEY, KATHLEEN MILLER, AND TINA-MARIE GAUTHIER ● PURPOSE: To describe the emerging strategic global perspective of the International Council of Ophthalmol- ogy (ICO) efforts in ophthalmic education. ● DESIGN: A global perspective describing how the devel- opment of sophisticated educational tools in tandem with information technology can revolutionize ophthalmic edu- cation worldwide. ● METHODS: Review of ICO educational tools, re- sources, and programs that are available to ophthalmic educators across the globe. ● RESULTS: With the explosive growth of the Internet, the ability to access medical information in the most isolated of locations is now possible. Through specific ICO initiatives, including the ICO curricula, the “Teaching the Teachers” program, and the launching of the new ICO Center for Ophthalmic Educators, the ICO is providing ophthalmic educators across the globe with access to standardized but customizable educational programs and tools to better train ophthalmologists and allied eye care professionals through- out the world. ● CONCLUSION: Access to educational tools and strength- ening of global learning will help providers meet the goals of VISION 2020 and beyond in eliminating avoidable blind- ness. It is the intent of the ICO that its programs for ophthalmic educators, including conferences, courses, cur- ricula, and online resources, result in better-trained oph- thalmologists and eye care professionals worldwide. (Am J Ophthalmol 2012;154:620 – 624. © 2012 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) W ITH THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF THE INTERNET 1 the world of ophthalmology is becoming ever more interconnected. The Internet has changed the way information and educational resources are obtained and disseminated, and the ability to access medical informa- tion in even the most isolated of locations is now possible. With Web-based learning resources increasingly available, the range of educational options is growing. In their article “Health professionals for a new century: Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world,” a global independent commission described health professionals as members of locally re- sponsive and globally connected teams. 2 The publication addressed the need to revise how educational services are generated to meet a changing world: “The extraordinary pace of global change is stretching the knowledge, skills and values of all health professions. That is why we call for a new round of more agile and rapid adaptation of core competencies based on transnational, multi-professional and long-term perspectives to serve the needs of individuals and populations.” The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) recognizes this global need and is committed to leading the charge to revolutionize ophthalmic education. The ICO works with ophthalmologic societies and others to en- hance ophthalmic education and improve access to the highest quality eye care in order to preserve, restore, and enhance vision for the people of the world. The ICO has a long-term commitment to ophthalmic education as a critical imperative in the worldwide fight against vision loss. These roots stretch back to the first International Congress of Ophthalmology in 1857, the lon- gest continuous international medical meeting. The ICO is the sponsor of this biannual meeting, now called the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC), which in 2012 showcased over 500 multidisciplinary educational sessions and over 2000 international speakers, engaging international educators in redefining the most effective ways to teach. In 2001, the ICO published International Ophthalmology Strategic Plan to Preserve and Restore Vision: Vision for the Future, which identified the importance of ophthalmic edu- cation in fighting blindness. 3,4 Soon thereafter, the ICO organized international fellowships to help promising young Accepted for publication May 8, 2012. From the Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurosur- gery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (A.G.L.); the Department of Ophthalmology, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas (A.G.L.); Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (A.G.L.); The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa (A.G.L.); University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (A.G.L.); University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio (K.C.G.); Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (M.O.M.T.); and International Council of Ophthalmology, San Francisco, California (B.S., K.M., T.M.G.). Inquiries to Andrew G. Lee, The Department of Ophthalmology, The Methodist Hospital, Professor of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell College of Medicine, 6565 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030; e-mail: AGLee@ tmhs.org © 2012 BY ELSEVIER INC.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 620 0002-9394/$36.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2012.05.006