European Examination

Both examinations may be taken voluntarily, and have been prepared by an Examination Committee consisting of 8 Program Directors in Neurosurgery from various parts of Europe.

Oral assessments following completion of the EANS training course was first introduced in 1983 (Ljubljana). The concern for a more formal approach to an examination led in 1992 to the creation of The Examination Committee of the EANS, which is now responsible for the European Examination of Neurosurgery.

Primary Examination

The Primary examination is a written, multiple choice exam consisting of 150-200 questions to be answered in three hours. The questions cover neurosurgery, neuroanatomy, neuropathophysiology, neuropathology, neurology, neuroradiology, fundamental clinical skills and other disciplines deemed suitable and important. The EANS Examination Committee has prepared the examination with the assistance of a professional testing organisation, which also carries out the analysis.

The following Primary Examination will be 6^th September, 2008 1600 - 1915 in Antwerp, Belgium and Uppsala, Sweden.

Requirements to take part in the Primary Examination

• The Primary Examination is open to all residents in accredited neurosurgical programs in Europe, and to all neurosurgeons with a licence to practice neurosurgery in a European country.
  Those who are in training to become a neurosurgeon should not take the examination before their third year of training, because of the level of the examination, which is to be comparable to the level of the Primary Examination of the American Board of Neurosurgery.
• The fee, to be paid in advance, is:
  €100 for Trainees in an official European training program (with proof)
  €200 for Trainees from non-European training programs
  €200 for neurosurgeons who have completed their training
  The trainees attending the Training Courses of the EANS will have their fee included in the course fee for the fourth cycle.
• Bank: Fortis Bank Gent Address: Kouter 8 - 9000 Gent - Belgium IBAN: BE66 2900 0868 3743 BIC: GEBABEBB

Those who take the examination agree that they are bound by the Committee's rulings regarding credentials and regarding the examination scores.
Candidates who fail or pass may take the examination as often as desired for either certification or self-assessment.

The candidate must indicate on the form whether the examination is being taken for credit toward certification or for self-assessment.

Oral examination

The Oral Examination is the second and final of the European Examinations. It can only be taken in order to obtain the European Certificate in Neurosurgery.

Next examination is scheduled to take place on 13^th and 14^th June 2008, in Sankt Augustin, Germany.

The examination is a clinical problem solving and patient management test. It is not a theoretical examination, such as the primary examination.
Case histories are given, and where appropriate X-rays, scans, MRIs and other visual aids are shown to augment the presentation and development of cases.
Candidates explain verbally how they would proceed to evaluate or manage the cases and to plan and perform the proposed operations, if indicated. The examination, in the English language, consists of three parts, each lasting one hour.
3-6 cases will be discussed per hour.
Each of the three hours is conducted in an interview setting with two examiners, experienced neurosurgeons from a European country.
During these three hours the candidate will, therefore, meet six different European examiners, each of whom will give an independent score.
One hour is dedicated to an oral examination on operative neurosurgery of brain and skull.
The other hour covers operative neurosurgery of spine, cord and peripheral nerves.
In the third hour the topics to be discussed will be those that could not be adequately covered in the first two hours.

The final, combined score will be available by mail within 14 days after the examination.

A Candidate who receives a passing grade for this examination will be granted the European Certificate of Neurosurgery.

The best Candidate will be awarded with the Braakman Diploma.

The requirements to take part in the Oral Examination:

• Evidence that the primary European Examination in neurosurgery has been passed.
• Licence to practice neurosurgery in any EANS country. A copy of this licence must be forwarded for inspection.
• A logbook of operations, independently performed, during a consecutive period of 12 months after the licence has been granted.
• Advance payment of the fee payable in Euros as specified on the application form. (€ 500, Reduced to €200 if candidate is attending EANS training course at time of examination). Bank: Fortis Bank Gent Address: Kouter 8 = 9000 Gent - Belgium IBAN: BE66 2900 0868 3743 BIC: GEBABEBB

The Examination Committee makes the final decision regarding a candidate's eligibility for the Oral Examination and potential certification after considering all available information pertaining to the entire process of certification.

The European Certificate in Neurosurgery

is a document that certifies that the owner has a certain good level in theory and practice of neurosurgery but is not a licence to practice neurosurgery in any European country.

Re-examination

If a candidate fails the examination once, and wishes to repeat the examination, must send a new application form.

A minimum of one year must elapse before taking the exam for the second time; an additional year of practice data and a new logbook of operations are also required.

A re-examination fee must be paid prior to examination.

A candidate who fails the Oral Examination on two occasions must take and pass the Primary Examination again.

Application-forms for both examinations can be obtained by writing to:

Examination Committee, EANS,
60 Cobden Avenue, Southampton, SO18 1FT, UK

The Examination Committee of EANS

The responsibility for the European Examination rests with the Examination Committee of EANS.

The Chairman is Dr Kristina Cesarini, M.D., Ph.D.,
For the Primary examination contact Kristina.Cesarini@neurokir.uu.se
Kristina Cesarini, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden

For the Oral Examination contact m.messing@asklepios.com
Priv.-Doz Dr.Martina Messing-Junger, Abteilung Neurochirurgie, Asklepios Kinderklinik, Arnold-Janssed-Str. 29, D- 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany

The secretary is Prof. Guy Matge, Dept. Neurosurg., Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg 4, Rue Barblé, L-1210 Luxembourg.

The examinations are running well and are arranged every year. In the words of R Braakman, the first chairman of the Examination Committee: "These examinations were to be prepared by an examination committee consisting of twelve neurosurgeons from various European countries. The European examination was to be an examination which could be taken voluntarily and considered of two parts: a primary written multiple choice examination, and an oral examination to be taken after an interval of at least one and a half years after passing the primary examination, and after two years of practice as an officially certified neurosurgeon in his or her country. The level of the examination was intended to be comparable to the level of the examination of the American Board of Neurosurgery",
The first Primary Examination was held in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1992 and is arranged every year. The first oral examination was taken by twelve candidates in Brussels, Belgium, in July 1994 and is also arranged every year.

Edited by Dr. Kristina Cesarini, E-mail Kristina.Cesarini@neurokir.uu.se
08-03-2005