The intention of the Board in setting up these examinations is to provide for European Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery a standard that can be recognised across Europe. While we would like to see standards as high as possible, it is not the intention that the examination requires a level of excellence that is only attainable by a minority. The purpose is to recognise and award the certificate of the Board to recently appointed surgeons who attain a level of knowledge and competence that can be recognised as appropriate for independent practice throughout Europe.
The examination can be taken in:
- Thoracic Surgery
- Cardiovascular Surgery
There are two levels of knowledge that will be expected. Candidates will be expected to have a basic knowledge in all aspects of cardiovascular and thoracic anatomy and physiology, and relevant investigations, and therapeutics and to have detailed knowledge of the assessment, selection, operative management, post operative care, and all aspects of surgical care of the types of patients they, personally, are likely to encounter in practice.
The Examiners
- The Board will nominate an experienced senior surgeon as the chairman for each examination.
- For the Thoracic Examination the panel of six examiners will include five from the Thoracic Examiners List and one from the Cardiovascular Examiners List.
- For the Cardiovascular Examination the panel of six examiners will include five from the Cardiovascular Examiners List and one from the Thoracic Examiners List.
- The lists are composed so that they are representative of all aspect of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and all geographical regions within Europe.
The Candidates
Candidates applications will have been scrutinised to ensure that they are eligible to take the examination as a whole. Candidates should read the Regulations of the European Board carefully before applying to ensure that they are eligible for Board recognition.
If you have already developed a specialist interest in particular areas such as congenital heart surgery or oesophageal surgery, you may be questioned on your basic knowledge, and the examiners may expect you to be well informed.
Application for examination
The Board will set up examinations at least once a year, to coincide with meetings of EACTS, ESCVS and ESTS. All application and required documents will have to be received at the office of the European Board before 1st May of the year of examination.
The documents required are:
- A completed UEMS/EBTCS application form
- A copy of passport
- A recent photograph
- A copy of national medical diploma. Where the national medical diploma is obtained outside of the EU member states (or Switzerland and Norway), the diploma must be ratified by the appropriate official body in the country where the specialist training takes place (usually but not always the Ministry of Education).
- A copy of licence to practice medicine
- A copy of ‘national specialist diploma’ or CCST (Completeion of Specialist Training) and/or official Specialty recognition registration number issued by the appropriate official body of that Country. Where the national specialist diploma is obtained outside of the EU member states (or Switzerland and Norway), the diploma must be ratified by the appropriate official body in the country where the specialist training takes place (usually but not always the Ministry of Education).
- A short curriculum vitae
- An overview of TRAINING positions (in both general and specialist surgery) detailing the commencement, finish, location and trainer for each training period in the following format:
1. Start date / end date / location / Director / Activities
2. Start date / end date / location / Director / Activities
………
- A logbook of ALL thoracic and/or cardiovascular procedures performed, operation by operation, relating to each specified training/rotation period. This list should be subdivided by procedures performed as a first surgeon or as an assistant surgeon.
The overview of the TRAINING POSITIONS and the accompanying logbook must be confirmed and countersigned by all trainers (and co-ordinator/director of the training programme if applicable)
The time spent in the generality of surgery may include time spent in specific training periods in Pulmonolgy, Cardiology, Cat lab, ICU, interventional radiology related to the specialty etc.
- A list of publications and presentations
- List of meetings and courses attended
Note: all documents which are not in English must be accompanied by an official signed and stamped translation.
If a country decides officially that the UEMS Board Certification in Cardiovascular and/or Thoracic Surgery is part of the official final exit certification of this country, all relevant official documents are to be provided by the candidate.
Examination fee
- The fee for the examination will be €400 of which €200 is for assessment of the file.
- The file will not be processed until payment of €400 is received in full.
- If the candidate is found not to meet the eligibility criteria, €200 will be refunded.
- Should a candidate be unable to sit the examination on the appointed date, he will be offered one alternative date and the fee will be held.
- If the candidate does not take the examination and does not inform the UEMS/EBTCS Secretariat, no fee will be refunded.
- The candidate who attends the examination and fails either part of the examination will not receive a refund.
Pre-examination interview
In order for the examiners to be more completely informed about the candidate’s background, a pre-examination interview of each candidate individually will be organized by the examiners panel usually on the day before the examination. This interview will last approximately half an hour.
Candidates should bring their diplomas, certification documents and a log-book of operations performed by them in order to give the examiners detailed and controllable information. These documents must be the ORIGINALS NOT COPIES.
The Examination
The language for the examination is English. If a candidate specifically requests so at the time of application, one of the members of the examiners panel can be chosen to speak the candidate’s native tongue. This will however have to be a motivated exception.
The examination is oral and will be in three parts each of thirty minutes duration. This will be preceded by a one hour period during which the candidate will have the opportunity to study a paper from the published literature.
For each part there will be two examiners who will work as a pair, with one leading the questioning for the first fifteen minutes, handing over to the other for the second fifteen minutes. Each candidate will thus be examined by each of the panel of six examiners in no particular order.
Part 1: Literature discussion
The questioning may start with the paper provided but will move in whatever direction chosen by the examiner to evaluate the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. Its main purpose is to examine ability to interpret and apply published findings to practice, and to understand their relevance in clinical surgery.
Part 2: Clinical cases
The candidate will be provided with written material giving a brief clinical history and findings. Also available may be some reports, X-rays, CT scans, echoes, angiograms, bronchoscopy report, oesophageal investigations, etc as judged appropriate to the case. The candidate will be examined orally on this material with the focus particularly on the practical aspects, clinical judgement, knowledge of management options, and appropriate care of complications.
Part 3: Oral examinations
This part of the examination, in all cases, will conducted by an examiner from each list (thoracic and cardiovascular).
In this part of the examination the focus will be on background knowledge, appropriate appreciation of basic sciences, theory, diagnosis, case selection, and outcomes.
The examination process
The examination process will take batches of three candidates.
All three candidates in each group going through as a batch will be handed a paper from the published literature an hour before the beginning of the examination and will have an hour to study it, in a quiet room, under the supervision of an invigilator.
The candidate will then face the three pairs of examiners, in any order (see general information for candidates).
Marking
The marks for the three parts of the examination will split at a ration of 30/40/30 (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3) for the final mark. A mark of three out of ten for any of the three parts will be an absolute fail so that even if the candidate gets 60% overall (the pass mark) the examination cannot be passed on aggregate.
The examiners will keep working notes of that ground was covered and where the candidate dd well or poorly. This will be used in the examiners’ meeting where final marks will be allocated and kept as a record in case of dispute or appeal.
Examiners’ Meeting
At the end of the examination the six examiners will meet to finalise the marks. There will be an opportunity to adjust marks by negotiation but any mark of three out of ten will be irretrievable.
Final meeting
After the examiners meeting the results of the examinations will be presented to the candidates by the chairman of the examiners panel. Confirmation of the results will come by mail from the UEMS/EBTCS office.
A CANDIDATE CAN ONLY TAKE ONE SUB-SPECIALTY BOARD EXAMINATION AT A TIME.