Postgraduate education will be provided to European ophthalmologists at Ankara University employing simulators used in pilot trainings.
Prof. Dr. Emin Özmert, an associate at the Department of Ophthalmology, Ankara University School of Medicine, informed that Ankara University Vehbi Koç Eye Hospital has been accredited by the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology (ESASO), Lugano, Switzerland, one of the leading schools in Europe on ophthalmology, to provide postgraduate education.
Dr. Özmert explained that the school offers postgraduate education in 6 modules to a limited number of students grouped in classes of 25-30, and the certificates the students receive are valid in many European universities including the University of Lausanne.
Dr. Özmert indicated that the certificate is a facilitator for ophthalmologists in many ways: “We will teach module 6 on retina surgery on 24-28 September for the first time in Turkey at our university’s Vehbi Koç Eye Hospital.
Within the framework of the programme, 4 globally renowned professors, one from the United States and 3 from Europe, will lecture. Turkish professors will also teach at the programme, including myself and our Head of Deparment Prof. Dr. Figen Batıoğlu as well as Prof. Dr. Güngör Sobacı from GATA and Prof. Dr. Ziya Kapran from Maltepe University.”
Özmert informed that ophthalmologists from Portugal, Switzerland, Egypt, Pakistan, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Brazil and Turkey will participate in the programme.
REVOLUTION IN OPHTHALMIC SURGICAL TRAINING
Dr. Özmert explained that within the course of the programme, the ophthalmologists will first receive a simulation training:
“The physicians will be trained in flying simulators just like those used in pilot trainings. They will have a virtual surgery experience. This is a revolution in ophthalmic surgery in Turkey. The simulation training will progress through several courses in certain difficulty levels. The trainees will be graded in the simulator and expected to receive an adequate score to pass a level. The scores will increase as the trainees establish a certain ability and when there are no complications. Normally, junior surgeons are trained in operating rooms under our supervision, but at the beginning not all of them have the same capabilities, whereas this simulator enables it.''
Dr. Özmert explained that there are only 140 of such simulators worldwide and Ankara University owns the most advanced version. The training of European ophthalmologists will be followed by certain programmes to be provided for their Turkish counterparts.
Following the simulation training, surgical procedures will be conducted on animal eyes, Dr. Özmert explained. In addition, surgeries to be performed by the lecturers will be broadcast live in 3D format at the conference hall to be established for this aim, thereby introducing the trainees into an actual surgery atmosphere.
TRAINING EUROPEAN DOCTORS IN TURKEY
Dr. Özmert explained that ESASO already has 4 postgraduate education centers located at Columbia University, U.S.A., Spain and Belgium, while Ankara University Vehbi Koç Eye Hospital will become the fifth.
Dr. Özmert explained that leading universites in the U.S. and Europe no longer grant postgraduate degrees to those who have not received this education, thus ophthalmologists wishing to have postgraduate degrees in retina vitreus diseases will be coming to Turkey for this aim as correspondence in this regard has been going on. Dr. Özmert further stated that they have been integrated into Europe as a clinic and a university: “The simulator was purchased with the contribution of Vehbi Koç Foundation which also supports the meeting. This is now the best clinic in Turkey in its field and one of the leading ones in Europe, capable of doing everything that is being done in the world and more. It is a great success that ESASO is now providing education here. We are competing on a global scale.”
