European Board of Interventional Radiology Obtains UEMS-CESME Recognition

May 31, 2017—The Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) recently announced that the European Board of Interventional Radiology (EBIR) has obtained Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes–Council for European Specialists Medical Assessment (UEMS-CESMA) recognition after undergoing a thorough scrutiny process in March 2017.

CESMA is an advisory body of the UEMS created in 2007 with an aim to provide recommendations and advice on the organization of European examinations for medical specialists at the European level. CESMA seeks to promotes harmonization of European board assessments, provide guidelines to the boards on the conduct of assessments, encourage recognition of board assessments as a quality mark, and offer an alternative to national assessments, where appropriate.

EBIR is organized with endorsement and under supervision of CIRSE, the European Society of Radiology (ESR, and the UEMS Interventional Radiology Division. Additional information about the EBIR examination is available on the CIRSE website.

According to CIRSE, the examination has been successfully conducted since 2010. Approximately 500 interventional radiologists have obtained this qualification, with the number steadily increasing.

CIRSE stated that the examination for EBIR qualification is built on the pillars of scientifically proven assessment techniques, high-quality material, and a dedicated steering committee. The examination has achieved its mission of being the internationally valued interventional radiology (IR) qualification.

EBIR holders will have a firm knowledge of the contents of the European Curriculum and Syllabus of Interventional Radiology, which serves as the comprehensive guideline for the examination, as well as certain skill sets and additional valuable competencies confirmed by trainers or supervisors. Additionally, the EBIR also aims to facilitate the free movement of interventional radiologists across Europe and the world as a supplement to any national qualifications.

The EBIR aims to promote current standards and to further enhance patient safety. Candidates will be familiar with assessing and managing patients before, during, and after IR procedures, identifying and minimizing complications and procedural risks, and ensuring appropriate aftercare and follow-up.

On July 10–11, the EBIR examination will be held in Port Douglas, Australia, for Interventional Radiological Society of Australasia (IRSA) members and a limited number of non-IRSA members, preceding the 2017 IRSA annual scientific meeting. The examination being held on September 16–17 during the CIRSE 2017 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark is fully booked. The next examination will be February 28 March 1 during the ESR European Congress for Radiology 2018 in Vienna, Austria.