Message from the PAOF Chair

We are very proud to announce the continuation and success of our Pan-American initiative on bringing together PAAO Young Ophthalmologists (PAAO-YO) in all the 26 affiliated national societies. Organizing this vital activity is the PAAO-YO Committee that is co-chaired by Eduardo Viteri Jr MD (Ecuador) and Lina Cernichiaro MD (Mexico). It is a very active group of young ophthalmologists and we have gathered PAAO-YO representation/delegates from all our national affiliated societies. I would like to express our sincere appreciation for your support that helps PAAO and PAOF to create opportunities for our young ophthalmologist to become the future leaders of our region!

The PAAO-YO is already where the future of Ophthalmology in the Americas will meet at our major PAAO events. They have already organized events in our PAAO Congresses, AAO and WOC since 2018.  In 2025, we will have PAAO-YO activities during our PAAO Congress in Colombia in May/June 2025.  For more information, please go to the PAAO’s website www.paao.org.

In addition, because our young ophthalmologists are so close to my heart, I have funded and we have created an award that was launched in 2019 at our Pan-American Congress in Cancun. The “J. Fernando Arévalo Young Ophthalmologist Award” recognizes a Young Ophthalmologist (YO) PAAO member who has demonstrated promise in academics and has published and presented relatively extensively for his/her age and has participated in leadership activities at national and subspecialty societies or supranational societies. The award also desires to serve to motivate other young ophthalmologists to serve in similar programs, organizations, and to follow a career in academics. 

The PAOF continues to work tirelessly and supports the PAAO membership, particularly our young/early-career members via various grants/awards, and opportunities through our Travel Awards, and scholarships. We are in the process of creating more opportunities for you as we speak. We hope that PAAO members will generously support the Foundation (https://paao.org/paof/donate/) throughout the year. No gift is small, donate what you can. The more gifts donated, the more support the Foundation can provide to PAAO programs. 

The future is great if we stick together as a Pan-American community! We are better, stronger and the goal is to meet again at our XXVII Pan-American Regional Course of Ophthalmology, March 14-18, 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico! XXXVI Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology, May 30-June 2, 2025 in Bogota, Colombia! It’s at these superb meetings where ophthalmology from all the Americas come together to meet and you cannot miss that!

Dr. Fernando Arévalo
PAOF President