One of Belgium’s most renowned ophthalmologists, Jean-Jacques De Laey MD, PhD, was honoured at the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) Diploma Award

Ceremony as the second recipient of the Peter Eustace Medal for his contribution to ophthalmic education in Europe.

“Prof De Laey was a unanimous choice of the EBO Board to receive the Peter Eustace Medal for his tireless efforts on behalf of education in ophthalmology in Europe and around the world over the course of his career,” said Wagih Aclimandos FRCS, FRCOphth, FEBO, president of the EBO. “Following on from last year’s award winner, Gisèle Soubrane, Jean-Jacques De Laey is another past-president of the EBO and his belief and support for the cause of education and training in Europe has been unwavering,” he said.

Prof Aclimandos said that the Peter Eustace Medal had been established by the EBO as a token of appreciation of the tireless work of Prof Peter Eustace from Ireland who established the first EBO Diploma (EBOD) examination in Milan in 1995.

Paying tribute to Prof De Laey, Prof Aclimandos said that his contribution to European ophthalmology over many years had made him a worthy recipient of the Peter Eustace Medal.

“Prof De Laey graduated in medicine at the University of Ghent in 1966 and became an ophthalmologist in 1970. After successfully defending

his PhD in 1977, Prof De Laey served as chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in Ghent from 1979 until 2006. He has been extremely active with the International Council of Ophthalmology,” he said.

Prof De Laey’s connection to the EBO stretches back to the very beginning of the organisation, noted Prof Aclimandos. “He served as president of the EBO from 1994 to 1996, and he was also chairman of the EBO Residency Review Committee for four years. As one of the founders of the EBO and one of the first to examine for the EBOD, Prof De Laey has demonstrated his commitment to the cause of ophthalmic education over many years,” said Prof Aclimandos.

As an educator and teacher, Prof De Laey’s contribution makes him an extremely deserving recipient of the Peter Eustace Medal, said Prof Aclimandos.

Accepting the Peter Eustace Medal, Prof De Laey said it was a wonderful privilege to receive such an honour. “When I think back to when we organised the first EBO examination in Milan with Peter Eustace in 1995, we had only about 25 candidates present. Today we have over 370 candidates, which is a measure of how much has been achieved over the years. I am very pleased because I think the EBO has done a tremendous job and I am truly very honoured to have been recognised with this award,” he said.

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eBoEuropean Board of Ophthalmology

EUROTIMES | Volume 17 | Issue 7/8

Continuing the upward momentum of recent years, a record-breaking 358 candidates from 25 European countries came to Paris this year to take part in the 2012 European Board of

Ophthalmology Diploma (EBOD) examination.“We are honoured and extremely happy to announce that

the 2012 examination has once again attracted such a high number of candidates. I think this underscores the growing significance and prestige of the EBO qualification for so many of our young ophthalmologist residents and specialists,” said Wagih Aclimandos FRCS, FRCOphth, FEBO, president of the European Board of Ophthalmology (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.

Congratulating the candidates on their achievement, Prof Aclimandos said that this year’s pass rate of 89.6 per cent was consistent with previous years and reflected the rigorous study and hard work of the candidates in their quest to attain the high standards expected of Fellows of the European Board of Ophthalmology.

“The exam is always a very important highlight in the EBO calendar, because the organisation is all about attaining high levels of training and experience in ophthalmology across Europe. We are here to celebrate those that have attained that level and also to give credit to those who have contributed to them reaching that level by helping in their training and their teaching,” he said.

In this respect, Prof Aclimandos paid tribute to the 194 examiners who travelled from all over Europe to make up the panel of skilled, multilingual EBO examiners, all experts in their various fields.

“We are extremely grateful to all those examiners who give up their valuable time and make the effort to join us in Paris every year. It is a fitting example of the European spirit of quality and collaboration and we are deeply appreciative of their efforts to advance the cause of training and education in ophthalmology in Europe,” he said.

As in previous years, the EBOD examination comprises a multiple choice written exam (MCQ) as well as a four-part viva-voce exam, the latter seeing each candidate examined on the four key topics of ophthalmology by a team of examiners.

Candidates who succeed in passing the examination receive an EBO certificate and earn the right to use the title “Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology (FEBO)” after their name.

Special awards were presented this year to Canan Asli Utine Yildirim from Turkey, who received the 2012 Alan Ridgway Award for best MCQs result, and Gil Santos of Portugal for the Best Overall EBOD result.

Wagih Aclimandos – wagih.a@ntlworld.com

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A gREAT SUCCESSA record-breaking 358 candidates from 25 European countries came to Paris for the 2012 EBOD examinationsby Dermot McGrath in Paris

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jEAN-jACqUES DE LAEY HONOURED BY EBO

“we are honoured and extremely happy to announce that the 2012 examinations have once again attracted such a high number of candidates”

Wagih Aclimandos FRCS, FRCOphth, FEBO, president of the EBO

Jean-Jacques De Laey

EUROTIMES | Volume 17 | Issue 7/8

31EBO 2012 SUCCESS STORIES

A proud moment for Portuguese ophthalmologyGil Santos from Portugal was awarded the prize for Best Overall EBOD result.

“The main motivation for taking the EBO examination was to test more objectively the knowledge I gained during my residency. The examination took place a week after taking the final examination of my residency, which allowed a single effort in performing two different tasks. Compared to the EBO examination, the Portuguese examination is more subjective and therefore I felt the need to measure more accurately the effectiveness of my study.

“The structural concept of the examination is very interesting and more fair than the Portuguese examination. I think that it assesses more objectively

and comprehensively the knowledge of the candidates. However, I think that the preparation of multiple choice questions should be more careful, as some seemed to me very ambiguous and open to different interpretation.

“The overall experience was very positive because it allowed me to test my knowledge in a different context than the one to which I was accustomed. The experience also allowed the strengthening of the pride I have in my generation of ophthalmologists. This award is dedicated to all of them, especially to the Portuguese candidates who were in Paris and also to my co-workers at Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga.

“My plan now is to consolidate the knowledge that I have systematised in the past four years and apply it consistently in my clinical practice in the best interests of patients.”

A tough but fair examinationCanan Asli Utine Yildirim from Turkey was the 2012 winner of the Alan Ridgway Award for best MCQs result.

“My main motivation for taking the EBO examination was that I wanted to test my knowledge in the European league.

“I was very surprised when I saw that I had won the Alan Ridgway Award. I knew I had done well enough to pass the exam, but I certainly didn’t expect to win any prizes. The exam is well designed in that it tests the candidate’s basic knowledge as well as their clinical approach.

“The exam experience was a positive experience for me and I was very happy to represent my country, Turkey, to the best of my ability. I believe this exam should be taken by all ophthalmologists that have just finished their residency.

“In terms of my career, for the moment I will continue to work in Yeditepe University Department of Ophthalmology in Istanbul.”

High-quality diploma in ophthalmologyPanagiota Founti from Greece shared second place in the Overall EBOD classification.

“Given the many differences in residency training programmes in ophthalmology across Europe, I thought it would be useful to have a diploma that represents high-quality training in ophthalmology. What would be even more useful in the future is a curriculum-based system of training in ophthalmology that would be applied in all European countries.

“While I felt I did really well in the oral part, I was less sure about the written part of the exam, because the multiple choice questions were just so tricky. Besides, with so many candidates from so many different countries, I do not think that anyone can really expect to be in the top list. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw that I was among the top candidates.

“What I liked about the EBO examination is that it covered equally all fields of ophthalmology and that it required good understanding rather than simply good memory. I also liked the fact that there were different examiners from different countries involved. However it was stressful, simply because no matter how well you are prepared, examinations are always going to be stressful.

“I have been accepted for a year as a full-time teaching fellow at Moorfields Eye Hospital, so I am moving to London in a couple of months. Because I have been working for many years as a research fellow at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki focusing on glaucoma, I will probably pursue a clinical fellowship in glaucoma in the future.”

A reference for future employers Rok Grcar from Slovenia shared second place in the Overall EBOD classification.

“My main motivation for taking the exam were the recommendations from previous Slovenian candidates as well as the possibility to obtain the EBO diploma, which will be recognised as one of the main references for future employers.

“The exam is quite stressful and exhausting since it is a one-day exam. The written part is tricky and demands detailed knowledge. The oral examiners were all fair and demanded more overall knowledge and general principles in ophthalmology, even though it is difficult to assess one’s knowledge in just seven minutes.

“Overall, the EBO exam was a positive experience for me.”

A well recognised qualificationChristian Böni from Switzerland came second place in the Alan Ridgway Award for best MCQs result.

“The EBO exam has now replaced the Swiss national specialist examination, so all the Swiss eye doctors participate in the EBO. The EBO offers a well-recognised qualification all over Europe.

“For the MCQs an in-depth knowledge was required, with intense learning in parallel to the clinical work. The oral part was an interesting exam, where your clinical knowledge in the whole field of ophthalmology was tested.

“It was great to meet so many interesting people from all over Europe. I plan to work for another year at the Eye Clinic of the University Hospital in Zurich, followed perhaps by a fellowship abroad.”

A chance to meet new peopleGregor Bauer from Switzerland shared second place in the Overall EBOD classification.

“In Switzerland the EBO exam is obligatory for specialisation in ophthalmology. My main aim was to pass the exam, but I was well prepared and after the oral examination I had a pretty good feeling about my performance.

“The exam was fair and the overall experience was largely positive and gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of new, interesting people.

“I have just begun training for ophthalmic surgery, concentrating initially on the anterior segment, and will be looking to develop my skills in the posterior segment afterwards.”

Improving one’s knowledgeChloe Turpin from France came third place in the Alan Ridgway Award for best MCQs result.

“I was motivated to take the EBO examination because the qualification is deemed necessary for working in French hospitals as ‘chef de Clinique’.

“While the written exam was not very stressful, it was quite difficult to have the correct answer because it often did not correspond to what we see in practice. I think clinical cases are more relevant than MCQs to evaluate medical students.

“I would recommend other residents to take the examination not just because it is mandatory for some but also provides a way to improve one’s knowledge in ophthalmology.”

Panagiota Founti, Greece, with diploma

Gil Santos, Portugal, winner of Best Overall EBOD result, pictured with Wagih Aclimandos (right), EBO president, and Peter Ringens, EBO general secretary

Alan Ridgway Award winner, Canan Asli Utine Yildirim from Turkey, with Wagih Aclimandos (right), EBO president, and Peter Ringens, EBO general secretary