OF International Ophthalmology Training Program Accreditation
Accreditation is a voluntary evaluation process that organizations undergo to maintain standards of quality agreed upon by members of an accrediting body. Accreditation ensures that programs meet and conform to the expectations of the ophthalmology profession. Accreditation through the Ophthalmology Foundation will focus upon evaluating and refining programs, protecting the resident’s education, and ultimately improving patient care.
Why should my program get accredited by the Ophthalmology Foundation?
- Attainable for low resource countries to meet international standards.
- Ensure the quality of training and ophthalmologists’ competence.
- Gain valuable feedback to refine and improve your residency program.
- Ultimately improve patient care.
Developing a program of international residency program accreditation delivers upon our mission to improve global eye care and advance scientific ophthalmology, and helps us meet the needs of underserved segments.
Accreditation Subcommittee
Chair: Dr. Karl Golnik
Members:
Dr. Ashok Grover
Dr. Marko Hawlina
Dr. Van Lansingh
Dr. Wanjiku Mathenge
Dr. Janos Nemeth
Dr. Gabriela Palis
Dr. Marie Louise Roed Rasmussen
Dr. Aishwarya Sriram
Steps to Accreditation
Program accreditation is a process that requires standards of structure, process and achievement, self-assessment, and review by outside experts. The process of program accreditation typically comprises a three-step cycle.
Eligibility: For ophthalmology residency training programs with at least three years duration; must have a surgical wet lab training.
There are two levels of accreditation: Basic Non-Surgical and Advanced Surgical. Basic Non-Surgical accreditation standards represent the minimum requirements for training. The Advanced Surgical accreditation standards represent what the Ophthalmology Foundation hopes all programs aspire to. Accreditation can be awarded for 5 years and then repeated a regular intervals.
*The Accreditation Guidelines follow the organization suggested by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) below. They recommend nine primary areas each with sub-areas. Areas are defined as “broad components in the structure, process and outcome of postgraduate medical education and training” including:
- Mission and Outcomes
- Educational Program
- Assessment of Trainees
- Trainees
- Trainers
- Educational Resources
- Program Evaluation
- Governance and Administration
- Continuous Renewal
Ophthalmology Residency Training Program Testimonials:
Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in New Delhi, India
“We are grateful to OF for assessing our training program and for this prestigious accreditation. The rigorous evaluation of quality standards of our training program has been a learning experience and has helped in improving our processes and protocols to enhance the learning environment for our participants. This recognition will definitely serve to align our training programs at par with the best global standards and will benefit both our learners and the academy by enhancing the international recognition of the education academy as well as attract more and higher caliber learners.”
Awarded Advanced Surgical Accreditation in June 2024
Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología, IAP (IMO), Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
“We are proud to receive this accreditation from such a prestigious organization as OF. This accreditation helped us as an institution and myself as program director, to evaluate our program and identify the opportunity areas where we can improve (OF feedback is a great tool). We had renewed our commitment to give our best every day not only for residency training but at the end of the day for the most important people: our patients. This accreditation would not have been possible without the hard work of all the medical areas but also from administrator and every person who collaborates at IMO.”
Awarded Advanced Surgical Accreditation in July 2024.
