Survival with excellence: education and the future of ophthalmology. XLII Edward Jackson memorial lecture.

Health care and medicine are in tremendous flux. Survival of the specialty of ophthalmology in a traditional sense is in question. Positive adaptation to our new environment must occur. A central focus of ophthalmology has always been its commitment to excellence in education. Residency education in ophthalmology is at a high level. Far more random and non-individualized education characterizes continuing education in ophthalmology and all of medicine. The fundamental approach is to base our future on personal accountability and excellence in providing consummate care. I have proposed a more systematic, individually oriented approach to continuing education in ophthalmology. A combined effort by the American Academy of Ophthalmology with other ophthalmic organizations and the individual ophthalmologist would provide individual assessment and educational programs based on practice setting and clinical emphasis.