The European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists strives to provide expert care for animals with ophthalmic diseases via o ... ur residency trained European Specialists in Veterinary Ophthalmology, who can offer the highest quality service to the animal owner and the general public. The ECVO is the only professional body in the field of veterinary ophthalmology that is officially recognised by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) as a non-profit, non-political organisation for veterinarians specialised in ophthalmology within the EU. The primary objectives of the ECVO are to advance veterinary ophthalmology in Europe and increase the competency of those practicing in this field by establishing the guidelines of pre-approved, high quality, post-graduate training programmes known as residencies, for the training of future specialists, promoting and supervising these programmes, examining and certifying candidates enrolled in them as well as continuously validating the knowledge of those specialists who have successfully completed them. In addition, the ECVO encourages clinical and scientific research that will help advance the body of knowledge in the field of veterinary ophthalmology and the dissemination of this knowledge. ECVO members, also known as ECVO Diplomates, are Board-certified Veterinary Specialists, who have in addition to completing undergraduate veterinary school, have also completed another 3 to 5 years of study, including an internship and an approved three-year residency program. These programs focus on providing a deep understanding of ocular disease processes and treatments in all animal species and training in advanced ophthalmic surgical techniques under the supervision of specialists in the field, protecting the interests of residents, animal patients and pet owners. At the end of this intensive training, the candidate must pass rigorous examinations to become an ECVO diplomate. read more