Academic Supervisor : Patrick De Potter

Contact person : F. Giffroy-Demeuter

Secretary's Office for the Ophtalmology Service

Tel. 02 7654 19 85

E-mail : francoise.demeuter@clin.ucl.ac.be

President : P. De Potter

Members : BOSCHI Antonella, GRIBOMONT Anne-Catherine, HOEBEKE Michel, MOREL Michèle, SNYERS Bernadette, SPIRITUS Micheline, YUKSEL Demet. One representative from the "MACCS".

The Selection Committee for candidate assistant clinician specialist doctors (MACCS, in French) is composed of the members of the teaching Committee, to which are added two guest members and two co-opted members.

This complementary master's programme aims to prepare doctors to become officially recognised holders of the specific professional title of specialist Doctor in Ophtalmology (Ministerial decree of 26.04.1982 published on 01.07.1982).

• The applicant must hold the degree title of Doctor in Medecine or be a Doctor from a member country of the European Union authorising medical practice in Belgium.
• The applicant must be in possession of a document attesting that, at the end of the selection exams, he was retained as a specialist candidate in Ophtalmology, in a Belgian medical faculty.

The juridical context and practical procedures regarding these selection tests can be obtained from the secretary's office.

Degree holders from outside the European Union are only allowed to register on the programme in the context of procuring a university certificate for partially specialised training for the duration of two years (if they are in the process of doing a specialisation in their country of origin) or for an in-depth specialised training course for the duration of one year (if they are already recognised as specialists in their own country).

The Royal Decree of 30.05.2002, relating to the planning of the medical offer for the public, published on 14.06.2002, applies to those candidates wishing to obtain the title of Specialist Doctor in Ophtalmology (those candidates are thus counted among the general practitioner candidates or specialists in the context of the numerus clausus).

Applications for admission must be addressed to the academic supervisor.

The organisation of the entrance selection tests is arranged in accordance with the calendar and the general examination rules and regulations.

The training course includes full time apprenticeships in recognised services and teaching centres. It lasts for at least four years, full-time, including at least two years of foundation studies and two years of higher studies. At least 24 months out of the total duration of the training will be dedicated to polyclinic activities. The apprenticeship project established by the university promotor must be approved by the ministerial validation committee for the speciality. These periods of practical training include being on call.

Parallel to the practical training, the candidate specialist will follow a university course organised as follows :

Two years of studies consisting of :

• Theoretical courses : In-depth questions on Ophtalmology, complements of Ophtalmology
• Seminars : Seminars on Ophtalmology
• A period of supervised hospital training : Demonstrations of Ophtalmology

Two years of studies consisting of :

• Theoretical courses : In-depth questions on Ophtalmology, Complements of Ophtalmology
• Seminars : Seminars on Ophtalmology
• A period of supervised hospital training : Demonstrations of Ophtalmology

During his period of higher studies, the candidate specialist will complete his knowledge of refined exploration techniques and prescribing and carrying out of optical corrections.

Annual evaluation.

Further to the application of the Royal Decree of 16 March, 1999, at the end of the first two years of training, the candidate will receive an attestation proving that he has successfully accomplished a specific university training course.

At the end of his four years of training, the candidate will present a thesis and a publication in a specialised review. The final evaluation will be principally based on a group exam.

Upon fulfilment of the above-described training requirements, the teaching committee will award the academic title in Ophtalmology.

This title does not replace official recognition by the ministerial validation committee. It attests the successful completion of an academic and scientific study programme in the context of a specialised training programme leading to this validation.