EBEORL-HNS Report 2023
Ricard Simo and Cem Meco.
It has been a very busy and successful year for the EBEORL-HNS. The exams have now gone back their standard format after the pandemic, with a single MCQ written exam on-line in June and the oral exam in Vienna. The board has contracted the services of the Vienna Medical Association (VMA) to deliver the administrative duties of the exam in order to improve and facilitate all the relevant processes of registration and organisation. The board has agreed CESMA accreditation which is due in 2024. The relationship with UEMS has strengthen due to the efforts of our Chair Cem Meco and that has proven to be a significant step forward for the exam. We have continued to collaborate with the Swiss Exam ORl-HNS Board and provided the MCQ exam for the Swiss candidates. The Belgium ORL Board will hopefully confirm EBEORL HNS as final board exam in their country. And the Slovenian ORL Board has approached us to explore the possibility of the EBEORL-HNS providing the final exit exam in Slovenia. We have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with European Board of Plastic Surgery to held their first exam under EBEORL-HNS umbrella.
Exam Report:
As indicated we held an online MCQ exam 3rd June 2023 and the Oral Exam in Vienna 11th November 2023 at Vienna School of Music, which has now been the chosen venue for the last 13 years.
The exam statistics report for the Online June Exam are as follows:
- Candidates: 86
- Pass Threshold via Angoff 53%
- Candidates passed: 76
- Pass Rate: 88%
- Historical Average Pass Rate: 83%
- Candidates dismissed: 3
The exam statistics report for the November Oral Exam are as follows:
- Candidates: 112
- Candidates passed: 87
- Pass Rate: 77%
- Historical Average Pass Rate: 75%
- Candidates dismissed: 0
It is noticeable that has been a significant increase on the percentage of candidates from UEMS affiliated countries sitting the examination and the figures are as follows:
- PART II 2022:
- From UEMS countries: 44%
- From non-UEMS countries: 56%
- PART II 2023:
- FROM UEMS countries: 57%
- From non-UEMS countries: 43%
The Board has many objectives mainly to improve the standards and positive impact of the examination not only in Europe but globally. These include: to maintain standards via the Quality Assurance Review Group, to obtain CESMA Certification which will be completed in November 2024, to increase the recruitment of examiners via the CEORL-HNS, to enhance Equality and Diversity processes via the CEORL-HNS, to increase the recruitment of candidates from Europe especially Eastern Europe focussing on countries without exit exam, to improve the administrative and website via Vienna Medical Association. We very keen to continue to strengthen our relationship with UEMS and to continue to collaborate with our Swiss Exam Board partners. We also very keen for the Belgium ORL Board to confirm EBEORL HNS as final board exam, to establish a similar relationship with the Slovenian ORL Board and to finalise the MOS with European Board of Plastic Surgery to held first exam under EBEORL-HNS umbrella.