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European Board of Ophthalmology
EBO promotes excellence in European education
Vesela Ivancheva (left), winner of the Alan Ridgway award is pictured with Prof Catherine Creuzot-Garcher, president of the EBO
HARMONISING STANDARDS
EBO exams harmonise standards and training for the benefit of ophthalmologists and patients.
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Dermot McGrath reports
record-breaking 453 candidates from 28 European countries came to Paris this year to take part in the 2014 European Board of Ophthalmology Diploma (EBOD) examinations. “I am delighted to announce that the 2014 examinations have once again attracted the highest ever number of candidates from more European countries than ever before. I want to say thanks and to pay tribute to you – the candidates and the examiners – because without you, the EBO would not exist. Thank you for your commitment to the EBO and to the European spirit which is really what this organisation is all about,” said Catherine Creuzot-Garcher, president of the EBO. Held every year in Paris, the EBOD examination is designed to assess the knowledge and clinical skills requisite to the delivery of a high standard of ophthalmic care both in hospitals and in independent clinical practices. Addressing the assembled audience, Jean-Francois Korobelnik, president of the Eurotimes | july/august 2014
French Society of Ophthalmology (SFO), said that SFO was honoured to host the EBO exams every year and he looked forward to continued collaboration in the future. “As the president of the SFO I would like to welcome you all to Paris. This year we have made changes to make some more room available for the candidates and the examiners and I am very happy that everything went smoothly and that over 90 per cent of the candidates have succeeded in passing the examination,” he said. Congratulating the candidates on their achievement, Prof Christina Grupcheva, Chair of the Education Committee of the EBO, said that the EBO was proud to have played its part in promoting a pan-European qualification that was increasingly recognised in the majority of countries in the region. “It is not always easy to share across borders with so many different languages and cultures, but the EBO has shown that it is possible to harmonise standards and training for the benefit of our profession and also our patients in our respective countries,” she said.
The annual EBO examinations bring into focus a unique European spirit of cooperation and harmony, said Prof Christina Grupcheva, Chair of the Education Committee of the European Board of Ophthalmology. “It is very difficult to harmonise so many different cultures and traditions and so many different languages, yet I believe that the EBO has shown that it is possible to work together for the benefit of European education and training in ophthalmology,” she said. Prof Grupcheva said that EBO was continually striving to ensure that its examinations were as fair and balanced as possible for the hundreds of candidates who came from all over Europe Christina Grupcheva in search of the prized “FEBO” accreditation. “We have done a lot of work in recent years in standardising the multiple choice questions (MCQs) and making them as objective as possible. We are also working on standardising the viva voce part of the exam to give everyone an equal chance of success,” she said. Prof Grupcheva also paid tribute to the examiners who give so generously of their time and expertise to ensure the exam’s success. In terms of future development, Prof Grupcheva said that EBO was currently in discussion with a number of European ophthalmic societies with a view to introducing sub-specialty examinations. “That will make the educational system and proficiency recognition in Europe more efficient and beneficial for our young colleagues,” she said. Education has a leading role to play in harmonising standards across Europe, according to Prof Grupcheva. “Harmonisation starts with the very first step in education. That is why the EBO is not only a judging institution but has many more roles in this process of delicate balancing between traditions and standards,” she said.
Jack J Kanski
The Polish-born ophthalmologist Jack J Kanski MD, MS, FRCS, FRCOphth was honoured at the EBO Diploma Award Ceremony as the recipient of the Peter Eustace Medal for his contribution to ophthalmic education in Europe.