The initiative to form the ECVO developed during the WSAVA/ESVO Congress in Vienna in 1991 with the aim to advance veterinary ophthalmology in Europe. An informal meeting in Luxemburg followed this and by November of the same year the College’s Constitution and Bylaws were drafted. The ECVO was officially registered in Giessen, Germany, on November 27th 1992 with eight founding members. They held the first ECVO meeting of the board of regents in Zurich, Switzerland on March 2nd 1993. The college expanded further by inviting seven additional established professionals in the field of veterinary ophthalmology through a de facto procedure that started shortly after, and included an additional thirteen colleagues in 1995. The de facto procedure ended in 1997 and a total of 28 members formed the body of the college.
The first ECVO Board examinations took place in 1996, 1998 and 2000 in Giessen (D), Utrecht (NL) and Maisons Alfort (F), respectively. The examinations that followed were held annually in one of the European countries that had an active residency training program. Following the initial period of preliminary recognition, the College was granted full recognition by the European Board of Veterinary Specialization (EBVS) in 2003.
At the time of writing (January 2013), the college has 82 Diplomates (including 3 retired Diplomates). Twelve members are also Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO). In addition, a group of 26 people comprises residents in training and those eligible to sit the ECVO’s certifying diploma examination.
The Primary Objectives and Aims of the ECVO
Becoming an ECVO Diplomate
The ECVO’s Constitution and Bylaws
Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence in Veterinary Ophthalmology
The ECVO Research Grants
The EBVS (European Board for Veterinary Specialization)
EBVS Newsletter Winter 2014 - "Introducing a college: The ECVO"