AAPOS Partners

Tianjin Eye Hospital

Background

TJEH LogoTianjin Eye Hospital (TJEH) is the premier center for strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology in China. A majority of Chinese specialists in this area have received training there. The pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus section at TJEH is headed by Professor Kanxing Zhao, who has pioneered the development of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus in China along the AAPOS model.

TJEH is located in the autonomous municipality of Tianjin, a port city 70 miles west of Beijing. The hospital is a tertiary care specialty hospital serving over 100,000 strabismus and pediatric patients/year and performing over 3000 strabismus surgeries/year. It is a comprehensive eye hospital with all ophthalmic subspecialties represented. It is closely affiliated with the Tianjin Medical University.

A dialogue between AAPOS and TJEH began in 2003 when Dr. Kanxing Zhao began conversations with Dr. Marilyn Miller and Dr. Robbins Tien about establishing a relationship between the two organizations for the purpose of promoting the training of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus specialists in China. In December 2011 a formal document of cooperation between AAPOS and TJEH was signed.


AAPOS-TJEH Post-Residency Education Program

Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus

AAPOS has been in long-term negotiation with Tianjin Eye Hospital (TJEH) for the purpose of assisting with an Education Program in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at that institution.

AAPOS/TJEH post-residency Education Program, is a new initiative in order to improve collaboration with TJEH. AAPOS also views this as a pilot project for future programs in other parts of the world.

Moving forward: AAPOS will work with Tianjin Eye Hospital to develop an Education Program in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus utilizing volunteer faculty teaching visits to the institution, online (and CD) educational material for Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology, telemedicine online interaction between students and volunteer faculty, observerships in the institutions of selected AAPOS members, and such other input as provided by the local Tianjin faculty.

This relationship will consist in the following:

  1. AAPOS will assist Tianjin staff in the development of their own curriculum by providing the guidelines for developing a program in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus developed by the AAPOS International Affairs Committee (IAC). This curriculum will be supplemented by the already existing strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology courses already prepared, largely by AAPOS members, and now available online on the Cybersite website and in a CD (the strabismus section has been completed and the pediatric ophthalmology section is nearing completion).

  2. AAPOS will provide visiting faculty who will do the following:
    1. Deliver formal lectures,
    2. Evaluate patients and teach in the clinics,
    3. Attend in the operating rooms and instruct in surgery,
    4. Assist and supplement local faculty in conducting the program,
    5. Communicate with students online using E-Consultation.

  3. AAPOS working with ORBIS Telemedicine, Cyber-Sight will enhance the education experience by the following:
    1. Allowing students to enroll as E-consultation partners enabling these doctors to have an extended contact with the visiting faculty. These students will be trained to present patients online to volunteer faculty, to carry out discussion about diagnosis and treatment and to access material beneficial to learning more about the condition being discussed. Students will be expected to submit, on average, one case per week.
    2. E-learning found at Cybersight will provide, but not limit, teaching material in the form of text books, case discussions and power point presentation providing a comprehensive curriculum in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. Other topics can be covered according to the needs of the local Tianjin faculty and AAPOS Visiting Faculty. These can be added to the existing courses or provide them in other forms like webinars.
    3. AAPOS visiting faculty and local professors will be provided information to monitor student’s progress in the E-learning courses.

  4. An Observership in strabismus and pediatric ophthalomolgy of at least six weeks of duration (ideally 3 months or longer), will take place at a selected AAPOS member institution who is experienced in training fellows with the endorsement of the Tianjin Faculty.

  5. At the conclusion of at least one year in the program (it can be extended up to 2 years depending on the time spent by the student in his/hers observership part of the program), students who complete all courses in the E-Learning program on Cyber-Sight, submit a predetermined number of E-Consultations (approximately 40) and who are endorsed by the Tianjin faculty and the AAPOS visiting faculty, will be formally recognized as having met the requirements for completion of an AAPOS/Tele-training supported Education Program in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

  6. A maximum of 2 students will be accepted for the first training period. The number of participants may be reviewed as the program progresses.

AAPOS Program Responsibility

AAPOS will select volunteer faculty from its membership. The volunteer faculty will be responsible for their own international travel, including visa fees.

Volunteer faculty expenses while at the Tianjin Hospital will be paid by the hosts including travel, room and board within China related to their work at Tianjin Eye Hospital. Volunteer faculty will be responsible for their incidental expenses.

Students for the observership will be selected jointly by Tianjin Eye Hospital and AAPOS faculty. The AAPOS host faculty and his/her institution will provide didactic and clinical learning opportunities for the visiting student.

The students’ observership outside China will be supported financially by the Tianjin Eye Hospital.

Current E- Learning courses will be available on the open enrolment Cyber-Sight website. Faculty will be able to monitor the students’ progress online. New course material prepared by AAPOS faculty will be available to fellows. Online interaction with faculty will be available for students with E-consultation.

The record of the student will be reviewed by an AAPOS IAC committee assisted by the Tianjin faculty. On satisfactory completion of the program, this committee will recommend that formal recognition be granted.


AAPOS-TJEH Observerships with AAPOS Preceptors

Since October 2008, two TJEH junior faculty members have done observerships with AAPOS preceptors.

  1. Yueping Li (Linda), MD, 3/5-9/5/2011 at Kellogg Eye Center with Monte Del Monte, MD et. al.

  2. Shiqiang Yang (Tim), MD, 6/11—12/11 at Cedars Sinai with Ken Wright, MD


Role of Cyber-Sight in Tianjin

ORBIS Cybersight will provide a Learning platform that will enhance regular communication between Tianjin and AAPOS visiting faculty. It also allows Tianjin students access to comprehensive learning material in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus completely free of charge. A mentor team for TJEH students has been created.

Visiting Faculty & Lectures 

AAPOS-TJEH lectures from 2008 to 2018:

Faculty & Lecture Archives


Tianjin Volunteer Tips

  • AAPOS volunteer faculty are responsible for their international airfare and visa fees (approximately $120).

  • All other expenses, i.e., food, lodging, in-country transportation, temporary licensure fees, will be paid by TJEH.

  • In the past, visiting faculty have been housed in a five star hotel near the hospital and had time set aside for shopping and sightseeing.

  • TJEH requests that visiting faculty send files of their planned powerpoint lectures to TJEH for translation into Chinese at least a month prior to their visits.

  • Visiting faculty will also have to submit to TJEH documentation of training, valid medical licensure and their CVs at least one month prior to the visit.