By Wolfgang Grisold
Successful candidates, with faculty, at the European Board Examination of Neurology during the EAN meeting in Amsterdam.
The Ninth European Board Examination Neurology took place during the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress in June in Amsterdam.
During the congress, 63 participants were recorded and 58 passed the examination. The examination is not restricted to Europeans. For several years, participants from all over the world have been welcomed. For this examination, there were 39 European participants and 24 participants from Bahrein, Egypt, India, Iraq, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia.
The examination included different formats, such as multiple-choice questions, open book questions, and the oral examination with critical appraisal of a topic (CAT) and essays. For the first time, the Swedish database company Orzone was active and helped to improve the registration and payment process. It also assisted with the question database as well as the evaluation.
The written examination, which is the backbone of the examination, contained 100 multiple-choice questions and 60 open-book questions. Open-book questions allowed the candidates to search for items that correspond with a real-life situation. This parallels situations in which doctors use several aids to come to a proper diagnosis.
In advance, the candidates provided a CAT and an essay on global health. The development of CATs and essays for the candidates was assisted and monitored by the chair of the examination, Professor Jan Kuks, who checked on style, plagiarism, and topics. He also gave advice.
The topics were interesting and covered a wide range of common neurological problems, local neurological problems (such as driving with epilepsy), and ethical aspects.
The candidates presented the CAT and essay in a short oral communication to a pair of examiners. The pairs were assigned according to the native language of the candidate, if feasible. As a novelty, successful candidates from last year’s examinations took part as examiners in the oral examination, which gave it a new and dynamic note.
It is noteworthy that neurologic societies from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Turkey subsidized some of the candidates for the examination.
For next year’s examination, information is now available at uems-neuroboard.org/web/ and ean.org. Additional information and details on how to write a CAT or develop an essay can be found at uems-neuroboard.org/web/.
The WFN education committee participates in this examination as an observer. It is pleased with the development of the UEMS EBN/EAN examination because it also offers a platform for non-European countries to participate. The format is in continuous development. With the inclusion of the open-book questions, CATs, and essays, it has reached a timely format.
The goal is that more European countries will use this examination, and eventually, the UEMS/EAN examination will replace the national European board examinations.
