1. General Meeting of the U.E.M.S. Section of Medical Microbiology
Council for European Specialists Medical Assessment and the road towards a European exam: Status report and cooperation with CESSMA
General Meeting of the U.E.M.S. Section of Medical Microbiology
Madrid, 20 April 2018

2. Sections and Boards Are a fundamental and specific structure
Are the backbone of the UEMS
Propose minimal training schemes for specialisation
Facilitate the harmonisation of training
About 2000 specialists active in the work in Europe

3. Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
CESMA
Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
To promote harmonisation of European Board assessments
To provide guidelines to the Boards on the conduct of assessments
To encourage the use of Board assessments as a quality mark
To offer an alternative to National assessments, where appropriate

4. Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
CESMA
Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
Yearly two meetings
One in a country that would like to have European Exams
Winter meeting in Brussels at the DME

5. Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
CESMA
Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
32 sections organizing European Exams

6. Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
CESMA
Council for the European Specialist Medical Assessment
As we plan to work towards a European Exam in Medivcal microbiology the board of the SMM suggests that we attend these meetings regularly
Next meeting in May 26th 2018 in London -Albert Mifsud will attend the meeting on behalf of the Section

7. A European exam in Medical Microbiology
Last year at the meeting in Madrid Truls Leegaard was elected chair for a Working party for a European Exam in Medical Microbiology
Volunteers for a working group: Maeve Doyle, Breida Boyle, Frank van Tiel and Albert Mifsud
First meeting of the working group in Knocktopher, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland in beginning of July 2017

8. UEMS exam discussion in Knocktopher
The group agreed that:
a common exit exam would need to be based on a common ground of practice and/or training, which is still lacking. The core curriculum still needs to be implemented.
the assessment blueprint should be closely aligned to the European Medical Microbiology Curriculum
our exam should be an exit exam, and should be including multiple choice questions and structured open questions to test the candidate ability to evaluate a clinical situation.

9. UEMS exam discussion in Knocktopher
Framework: says something about who’s eligible (medical doctor, after being authorised in own country, after recommendation from the personal trainer) – in short: what are the rules!
There are 9 modules or sections in the curriculum. Questions should be made according to the sections/modules, preferably by a group of people. This will facilitate writing, and make it easier to review. Meetings should preferably be used to review questions.

10. UEMS exam discussion in Knocktopher
The exam should:
should be open to those from outside Europe as it will bring up the number who takes the exam and increase the income which makes it easier to organise.
have a high standard so the exam will be respected and valued even if this results initially in a high fail rate.

11. Format Description Advantages Disadvantages
Knowledge exam repeated during each year of training
Similar exam format in the Netherlands.
The trainee sits the exam more than once during training
- MCQ format.
More focus is given on growth of knowledge, than on the pass/fail aspect.
It may accelerate the necessary training convergence.
Difficult to organise for examiners and trainees as trainee would sit the exam several times
May be difficult to assess all aspects of learning, Knowledge, Skills and Attitude/behaviours
MCQ at start of training and further assessment towards end of training
Similar structure to current FRCPath UK
MCQ at the start of training.
Second assessment after 3-4 years in training to assess infection control knowledge, laboratory management skills in addition to clinical knowledge and skills.
Encourages trainee to study their basic Microbiology at the start of training. This exam assesses mostly knowledge.
Second exam is designed to assess other competencies including skills and attitudes/behaviours as well as knowledge.
FRCPath exam in its current format is very expensive to run and very time consuming for examiners and candidates.
Written exam taken at end of training
Exam is made up of MCQ and/or structured....
Exam would be on a computer?
Questions designed to assess all competencies, knowledge, skills, attitudes/behaviours.
Difficult to design questions to assess all competencies, knowledge, skills, attitudes/behaviours.

12. PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR EUROPEAN EXAMINATION IN MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY (EEMM)

13. UEMS exam discussion in Knocktopher
Business case:
In order to be able to finance the work towards an exam (meetings, travel costs, etc.) a business plan has to be made.
Escmid has previously indicated that they would be willing to support such work, and the plan is to present a BC to them, but in order to do estimates of the costs have to be in place first
The use of a professional company to help run the exam and maintain the question bank

14. UEMS exam discussion in Knocktopher
Proposed Time Schedule
Autumn 2019: first test exam
Spring 2019: questions review
Autumn 2018: prepare questions
Spring 2018: UEMS-SMM approval of concept & present BC to Escmid

16. Go raibh maith agaibh
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