DOHA: An examination centre of the UK-based International Council of Ophthalmology (IOC) has been set up for Qatar at Al Ahli Hospital.
ICO examinations are the only worldwide medical speciality tests. They are centralised, independent, and free of outside influence. Since 1995, more than 19,500 candidates have given ICO examinations, set at the level of the highest regional and national boards.
At the centre, ICO offers internationally accepted and standardized examinations per year to help ophthalmologists evaluate their level of knowledge and benchmark on a global scale at the same time.
Physical attendance is required for most of the examination sessions.
However, besides the examinations requiring physical attendance an online, formative assessment examination is available.
Al Ahli Hospital has conducted the first clinical assessment in April 2013 with a 100 percent candidate pass rate. Following in October are the 2013 Advanced Examination, and in 2014 Basic Science, Theoretical Optics & Refraction and Clinical Sciences.
Ophthalmologists passing ICO examinations have a proven level of knowledge, needed for state-of-the-art clinical practice.
Many countries are using ICO examinations as requirements for licensing, and entry to sub-specialisation curricula and fellowships, and others have added examinations as a requirement for their recruitment interviews.
Benefits for the community provided by Al Ahli Hospital include standardised medical examination procedures to set a standard of knowledge for physicians, and improve the reliability of services and outcomes according to the Qatar National Health Priorities list of October 2012.
© The Peninsula 2013
