Wits Alumni Group of Ophthalmologists (WAGO)
WAGO was started by Prof Trevor Carmichael and Dr Nicky Welsh in 2008, with Dr Aubrey Makgotloe as the current chairman of WAGO. The main aim was to keep in touch with colleagues, as close bonds form during four years of registrar training, through blood, sweat and tears!
It is also of interest to many (especially those who qualified some time back!) to be kept informed about some of the activities in the department, including acknowledging those who have earned accolades and accomplished important achievements. While many changes happen in our fast moving, dynamic discipline - some things never change!
Doctors who have done their post-graduate specialist Ophthalmology training at the University of the Witwatersrand become WAGO members after passing their Part 2 College of Medicine (South Africa) exams. We now have a database of 180 ophthalmologists – with 52 colleagues living outside South Africa. Our two honorary WAGO members are Prof Maurice Luntz and Prof Neville Welsh (previous Heads of the Department of Ophthalmology at Wits).
We have two get-togethers annually – at our national OSSA (Ophthalmological Society of South Africa) congress in the first half of the year and a casual dinner in Johannesburg later in the year.
Since WAGOs’ inception, the Wits Ophthalmology Department has invited an international speaker to the OSSA Congress. This speaker participates in the plenary sessions and presents a prestigious medal lecture for which the Sam and Dora Cohen Medal is awarded. WAGO members have an alumnus meeting during the OSSA congress. The guest speaker gives two presentations – one academic and the other non- academic. More recently however, we have had local speakers present at our WAGO meetings.
WAGO speakers:
- 2008 – Bertil Damato
- 2009 – John Salmon
- 2010 – Isabelle Russell-Eggit
- 2011 – Harminder Dua
- 2012 – Bill Nunery
- 2013 – Janet Davis
- 2014 – Prof Andries Stulting (no international speaker)
- 2015 – Joyce Tombran-Tink
- 2016 – Sadeer Hannush
- 2017 – Tony dos Ramos and Kelvin Rivett (no international speaker)
- 2018 - Izak Venter and Peter Van Kets (no international speaker)
- 2019 – John Salmon
