Continuing Medical Education

The Department of Ophthalmology, along with the Office of Continuing Medical Education at SUNY Downstate, is committed to providing timely educational courses for practicing physicians. Courses are directed toward the practical aspects of ophthalmic practice, but are, in addition, designed to convey an understanding of the basic scientific concepts underlying sound clinical practice. CME events include two annual Ophthalmic Symposia to update the ophthalmic community on new developments. Recent symposia topics have included: The Human Genome in Ophthalmic Disease; The Glaucomas: Controversy and Considerations; Advanced Phacoemulsification; and PRK and LASIK.

In mid-1999, the department hosted a highly successful international session in Rome and Sorrento, Italy entitled Current Concepts in Ophthalmology for the Clinical Ophthalmologist, including distinguished guest faculty from the School of Medicine of Udine, Italy, the University of Rome Medical School, and the Bietti Foundation of Rome. The conference's 40 attendees earned 17-1/2 hours of Continuing Medical Education Credit. Included among faculty was Richard C. Troutman, SUNY Downstate's Ophthalmology chairman from 1956 to 1983. Commenting on the session, Dr. Troutman noted that he was extremely impressed by the quality, dynamism and dedication of the department's current faculty, who brought to mind the spirit of the division in the early years, when its physicians were achieving important breakthroughs in ophthalmology.

In 2001, an international meeting was held in Paris and Monte Carlo in association with faculty from Paris. In 2003, the meeting was held in South Africa with tremendous attendance from distinguished faculty from all over the world in conjunction with South African ophthalmology faculty.