title: Training and oculoplastics: past, present and future.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the evolution of ophthalmic plastic surgical training since the establishment of an oculoplastic subspecialty.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic search and consultation was undertaken, involving various oculoplastic societies and selected members, to better define the previous and currently evolving training paradigms in oculoplastics. The salient events along with variances that exist in programs across the world today are analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oculoplastics emerged as a distillation of expertise from other specialties following World War 2 where a high rate of ophthalmic and oculoplastic trauma had occurred. Following this, learned individuals began aggregating on a regular basis resulting in the formation of dedicated oculoplastic forums, initially in the United States (ASOPRS) and then emerging in Europe (ESOPRS), the UK (BOPSS), South America (SOPANOC), the Far East (APSOPRS), Australia and New Zealand (ANZSOPS), the Middle East and Africa (MEAOPS) and South Africa (SASOPS). More structured and specialist training programmes which were dedicated to clinical and surgical management of adnexal disorders began to develop in parallel. This has resulted in the emergence of specialist adnexal fellowships with regional variation, differences in duration and the opportunity for further subspecialisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oculoplastic surgery has evolved as a highly specific and rapidly growing sub-specialty dedicated to eyelid, lacrimal and orbital care. Its ever increasing popularity has been mirrored by progressively more structured and recognised training programmes globally.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom. george.saleh@moorfields.nhs.uk
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Athanasiadis
authors.forename: J Richard O
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Collin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000639:trends*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D009885:Ophthalmology; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013038:Specialization; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000193:education*; D013663:Teaching / Q000639:trends