Bascom Palmer Hosts Nation’s Largest Conference for Spanish-Speaking Ophthalmologists

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine celebrated its 39th Annual Inter-American Course in Clinical Ophthalmology (CURSO) at the InterContinental Hotel in Miami. Nearly 700 ophthalmologists from 35 different countries in Central and South America attended the popular four-day conference.

Nearly 700 ophthalmologists from Latin America and the Caribbean attended Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s 39th Annual Inter-American Course in Clinical Ophthalmology at the Intercontinental Miami.

CURSO is the largest meeting in the United States held for Spanish-speaking ophthalmologists. The course is presented with simultaneous English-Spanish translation and designed to provide maximum emphasis on practical approaches to clinical problems. The topics chosen for CURSO span the entire specialty of ophthalmology, with particular attention given to the latest developments in cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, eye cancers, oculoplastics, and LASIK.

Bascom Palmer professors of ophthalmology Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., Carol L. Karp, M.D., and Paul F. Palmberg, M.D., Ph.D., are CURSO’s directors. They joined leading international ophthalmologists, including numerous Bascom Palmer faculty members, in delivering a world-class program. In addition to the outstanding lectures, an ophthalmic trade show featured more than 65 commercial exhibitors showing their newest ophthalmic products and services.

“We are proud to continue Bascom Palmer’s rich tradition of medical education, as we consider it one of our highest priorities,” said Alfonso, chair of the department of ophthalmology and director of Bascom Palmer. “Doctors throughout the hemisphere look forward to this conference because of the knowledge that is shared.”

A highlight of this year’s conference was the sixth annual Francisco E. Fantes, M.D., Distinguished Lecture given by Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw, professor of glaucoma and ocular healing at University College London/Moorfields Eye Hospital. Fantes was a beloved faculty member of Bascom Palmer and long-time co-director of CURSO who passed away in 2012. Over the course of his career at Bascom Palmer, Fantes, a glaucoma specialist, taught and supervised hundreds of residents and fellows. He was a dedicated physician and educator who also trained numerous Latin American physicians so they could treat their own patients in their native countries.

Tags: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, CURSO, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami