Members of Committee
- The Chairman (currently Mr Lindsay Muir – 2022-2025)
- The Board of Examiners.
Aim of Committee
The main goal of the Examination Committee is to run the Diploma exam of the European Board of Hand Surgery (EBHS).
The Committee Chairman sits on the Council of FESSH and on the Committee of the European Board of Hand Surgery.
Committee activity
The Examination Committee’s work spreads out over the year from one diet of the examination to the next.
In the autumn months, members of the Committee write the MCQ questions. The current system is that each Committee member writes four questions on topics requested by the Chairman. These are to ensure even coverage of the syllabus required for the exam.
Our first meeting of the year is in November. The programme for this meeting is adaptable to suit our current needs. Normally, we will scrutinise the questions. Each question will be assessed by a group usually of 7 or 8 Committee members and polished and revised until the question is fair and unambiguous. The Committee members sit in three groups and each group will produce 20 questions
These questions are then marked, reassessed and re-scrutinised by a second group in order to ensure that they meet the question-writers’ aims and ambitions. This leaves us with 60 questions, which will form the exam for the following year.
In this time we also collate oral cases and bring in new clinical scenarios, working together to ensure that the quality of the images and the x-rays is satisfactory and that the level of questioning and extent of questioning is standardised as much as is possible for an exam of this nature. . In the November meeting in 2023 we also benefitted from a training session on examining from Mrs Lisa Hadfield-Law.
In November and December a subgroup of the Examination Committee scrutinise the applications. In 2023/24 we had 200 applications. Each application has to be checked against the criteria for the exam. The involved Committee members will write to candidates requesting clarification wherever necessary.
In March, the MCQ is held and the exam Chairman and again a subgroup will be on hand to ensure that the MCQ exam (now to be run by an independent professional exam company) runs smoothly.
The Examination Committee then meet to scrutinise the results and supervise the sending out of notifications to the successful candidates.
After all this background work the examiners meet for the oral examination in the days before the FESSH congress. In brief there are three oral examination stations, each one of which has two examiners. There is also a practical station.
After the exam, the examiners meet to discuss any problems and are then pleased to congratulate the successful candidates.
In addition to the above, the exam Chairman sits on the Council of FESSH and EBHS and has regular EBHS meetings. He or she is also responsible for liaising with Asszisztencia, PCO of FESSH to ensure the smooth running of the exam. The help offered by Asszisztencia is invaluable to the Chairman.
Mention should be made of the external examiner. In 2023 we had examination scrutiny from CESMA (The Council for European Specialists Medical Assessment) and our own external examiner. For 2024 we hope to have two of our own external examiners. These examiners have not previously been related to the exam to ensure as much independence as possible.
The Chairman is also responsible for overall ensuring to the best of his or her ability that the exam runs in a transparent and fair manner whilst not being overly inflexible in his or her approach. He or she is responsible for maintaining the standards of the examination and for trying every year to improve the overall quality, fairness and objectivity of the exam, taking into account educational theory and best practice insofar as is possible.
The exam Chairman or his or her deputy also attends the meetings of the UEMS (European Union of Medical Specialists).
See role descriptions of the EBHS board members
How can surgeons benefit/get involved?
Applications to become an examiner are welcomed. Announcements are also made via the National Delegates for fresh examiners.
Examiner application form
The responsibilities of the examiners are to agree to devote the time necessary to perform the duties of the post, to participate in writing questions and other material for the exam, to attend the meetings of the Exam Committee, to participate from time to time in the viva voce and practical exams, to have a broad and up to date knowledge of hand surgery and to uphold high standards of the examination. The tenure is for 4 years subject to satisfactory performance. The post is not remunerated. An honorarium is paid to cover the cost of the necessary additional night prior to the FESSH congress. Applicants should have passed the EBHS Diploma exam and have been in consultant level practice for 5 years. They should be a member of their national hand society that is in turn a member of FESSH. They should have an established interest in teaching and training. Research experience is an advantage.
The Chairman is always available for advice: examination@fessh.com
Mr Lindsay Muir
Consultant Hand Surgeon, Salford Royal
Chair of FESSH Examination Committee
Lindsay Muir is a hand surgeon in Manchester, UK. He trained with Dr Guy Foucher in Strasbourg, France, at Wrightington with Prof John Stanley and in Manchester with Mr Stewart Watson. He now in turn has the pleasure and privilege of being a trainer for the Manchester ATP fellows. His interests are in joint replacement and in systemic sclerosis. He has greatly enjoyed contributing to the development of the EBHS diploma exam, of which he is now the chairman.
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Monday-Friday 9:00-17:00