The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Three-Month Fellowships help promising young ophthalmologists from developing countries improve their practical skills and broaden their perspectives of ophthalmology. Fellows are expected to bring the acquired knowledge and skills back to their home country and take part in programs to preserve and restore vision. 

• Award: US $6000 (maximum) to cover travel and living expenses for three months. The exact amount is subject to actual student-style living expenses in the host country. 
• Approximately 60 three-month fellowships are awarded each year. 
• For applications submitted by the March 31 deadline, the fellowship is awarded and notices are sent out in July. The earliest start date is October 1 of the same year. 
• For applications submitted by the September 30 deadline, the fellowship is awarded and notices sent out in January. The earliest start date is April 1 of the same year. 

Requirements

The International Council of Ophthalmology Fellowships requirements are as follows:

• Residency training must be completed before applying for the fellowship. 
• Specialist exam in ophthalmology must be successfully passed. 
• Applicant must be under 40 years of age at the time of applying. 
• Applicant must return to home country after the training, resume previous positions, and apply the knowledge gained during the fellowship. 
• Applicant must be reasonably fluent in the language of the fellowship training center. 
• The ICO recommends that candidates pass one or more ICO exams. We consider this in the assessment of applications. For more information, please visit the ICO Examinations website.
• Applicants from countries with ophthalmologic societies that are Members of the ICO will receive special consideration 
• Please visit the ICO Fellowships Program website for details and requirements. 

Previous International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Fellows

The previous International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) fellows, dating back to 2003, are from a range of countries, and represent a wide spectrum of specialties.