EBSQ Examinations
General Surgery

Minimal Invasive Surgery EBSQ Examinations

Examination dateTypePlaceApplication deadline
5th April 2024
MCQOnlineFeb 15, 2024, 24:00 CET
12th April 2024OralOnlineFeb 15, 2024, 24:00 CET
11th June 2024OralMaastrichtFeb 15, 2024, 24:00 CET

Applications are now open!

All candidates – including new candidates and those who postponed or failed previously – must apply through the QuizOne dedicated web-platform accessible through the buttons below. Applications by any other means are not accepted.

Please note that once the deadline date to apply is passed, no application will then be possible and acceptable by any means.

Before clicking the “Apply” button, please carefully read the EBSQ policies and Eligibility criteria and ensure that you are ready to submit all required documents.

We do not accept any document as support to applications by any other means than uploaded on the dedicated web-platform. Any document sent by any other means including by email will not be considered as part of an application.

Places are limited. Do not wait last minute to finalise your application. We will apply a first applicant, first registered policy in case we have more candidates than we have the capacity to welcome.

We kindly encourage applicants to submit their documents and payment as early as possible.
Candidates are responsible for their own application and its follow-up. Checking up regularly emails, and junk emails, is highly recommended – the UEMS Section of Surgery will not be responsible for any missed information sent via email.

Please note that the MIS EBSQ Examination takes place only in the English language.

You wish to apply to the EBSQ Examination in Minimal Invasive Surgery for the first time 

or you were assessed as not eligible in a previous attempt to participate to the exam.

You are a new candidate. Please click below:

You didn’t succeed once in a previous session of EBSQ Examination in Minimal Invasive Surgery and you want to give it another try?
Please click below:

You were assessed eligible in a previous session of EBSQ Examination in Minimal Invasive Surgery, you were not able to attend the Examination and you want to attend the 2023 session?
Please click below:

Why become a fellow and take the exam?

Passing the Exam will be an additional qualification for you, which might be of use in your country.

Additionally, the Diploma will show your expertise, if you decide to work in a European country provided that you fulfil other necessary requirements. The exam is a prestigious qualification and will be a valuable addition to your CV.

Fellowship of the European Board of Surgery is a high honour, also recognised in other areas and specialities. The UEMS MIS Diploma is a special certificate, because it has been developed in cooperation with the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) and is therefore also accredited by this renowned European Society.

Examination organisation & rules

To apply for certification as Fellow of the European Board of Surgery (FEBS) in the specialty of Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) offered by the “European Board of Surgery” and the “Division of MIS” a candidate has to undergo a two-step quality validation process:
Eligibility and Examination.

A candidate successfully passing the Eligibility and Examination will be qualified as: Fellow of the European Board of Surgery – F.E.B.S. Minimal Invasive Surgery.

The Fellowship of the UEMS is a significant high-level indication of professional competence and excellence. It basically reflects the ongoing important European standardisation, harmonisation and quality assurance process in medicine.

Eligibility requirements

Eligibility for all exams run by the divisions of the European Board of Surgery is open for candidates trained in one of the 27 European Union countries, a UEMS country (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) or an associated UEMS country or a country with UEMS observer status (check here).

Eligibility is also open to those candidates trained outside the UEMS-area provided that the Eligibility Committee is satisfied with the training and qualifications are equivalent.

The candidate must be able to communicate in the English language. Examinations in the local national language(s) may be additionally provided at the discretion of the executive.

A national CCST (Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training) is mandatory.
 
The “transferable competency” of Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) requires assessed and documented numbers for “Knowledge and Skills“. Candidates must demonstrate Skills in each of the described areas of responsibility and be able to present a complete and signed log-book.

The candidates’ individual log-books must fulfil the UEMS criteria. In the logbook patient’s initials (or hospital ad admission number), type of procedure, date of procedure and approval with signature by independent expert have to be provided for each item.

If you have any specific exam questions please mail to MIS Exam Secretariat including in your mail that your question refers to European Board for Surgery (UEMS) MIS exam. Please first check if your question is answered on this page.

Eligibility assessment

Eligibility of an application will only be reviewed by the board once all required documents are provided and the Eligibility fee has been paid. Once these conditions are met, applications are treated by “first-come, first-served” principle. Incomplete applications or unpaid fees will result in delay of evaluation of your application.
Please read the instructions carefully and submit all required documents to support your application.

Application documents

In order to check the eligibility of any application, we request that each applicant download and fill those documents.

  • log-book with endoscopy here
  • log-book without endoscopy here
  • the declaration needs to be signed by your hospital executive/head of department here

Find here the instruction for how to fill out the log-book:

Examination fees

The total fee for the EBSQ examination in Minimal Invasive Surgery is €1200:

  • €200 for the Eligibility Assessment
  • €1000 for the Examination

Payments must be made via Paypal directly on the QuizOne web platform dedicated to registrations.

The eligibility fee is to be paid when the applicant registers for the certification.

The examination fee should be paid once the eligibility of the applicant has been confirmed, within two weeks following confirmation of selection, to finalise the registration for the examination.

All fees paid are non-refundable. The exam fee may be transferred to another exam sitting if more than 30 days’ notice is given.

For those who have been assessed eligible, you may postpone for up to 24 months without having to pass and pay the eligibility assessment again. After 24 months you must go through the eligibility assessment again.

Failing the exam, a new attempt in the forthcoming exams is possible, the resit fee is €1000.

Cancellation policy

Cancellation/Postponement up to 30 days before the exam:
Exam fees (if paid) postponed to next sitting + an admin charge of 90 euro will be charged when candidate re-apply for the exam.

Cancellation/Postponement less than 30 days before the exam:
Exam fees are not transferred to the next exam and not refundable.  When re-applying for the exam, the candidate must pay the exam fee again + 90 euros administration fee.

Reasonable cancellations within 30 days of the exam will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Board of Examination. Supporting documentation is required.

For those who have been assessed eligible, you may postpone for up to 24 months without having to pass and pay the eligibility assessment again. After 24 months you must go through the eligibility assessment again and pay its fee. 

All fees paid are non-refundable. The exam fee may be transferred to another exam sitting if more than 30 days’ notice is given.

Re-issue of certificates

The title F.E.B.S./MIS determines, that the person It is assumed that Fellows are responsible persons and are therefore trusted to take good care of their Certificates. New Certificates will not be re-issued in case of loss.

Top Class Awards

For participants in the exam, there is an opportunity to win a grant to participate in the 31th EAES congress 2023.
The ONE best scoring exam receives the TOP CLASS AWARD which is a grant of €750.

Requirements:

  • must be an EAES member at the time of the application
  • registered for the congress
  • under 40 years old

Examination format

Part 1 of the Board Exam will be a QCM (Multiple Choice test), conducted online (date announced separately). You will be provided with the link and information on how to participate after the Eligibility check. There will be 100 MCQs with 1 best answer out of 4 or 5 provided answers (A positive or A negative type). Recommended study materials are published EAES consensus conferences on various MIS related procedures.
 
Part 2 is an OSCE (objective structured clinical examination), divided into 2 parts. First, a Zoom Conference will be conducted with each candidate (provisionally online, preferably onsite 5th July), where 3 clinical cases (MIS related) will be discussed. In time you will receive exact information. Secondly, a skills test on laparoscopy simulators will take place (planned at the Annual EAES Conference – dates announced separately).


For all details on the organisation, rules and format attached to the EBSQ examination in Minimal Invasive Surgery, please read carefully the following document.
 

Results & failures

A total of 600 points can be achieved in the EBSQ exam:

  • 300 points in the MC test (2 or 1 points per question)
  • 300 points in the OSCE circuit (50 points per station).

The threshold for passing the exam is 75%, which means at least a total of 450 points.

Appeals against the decision of the Board of Examiners are possible.

In addition, an unsuccessful candidate is entitled to another chance to take the exam that he/she failed.

The successful candidates (successful Eligibility and Examination) are awarded the title “Fellow of the European Board of Surgery – MIS” or “F.E.B.S./MIS” and are provided with the relevant Diploma normally the same day in a formal celebration.

The title F.E.B.S./MIS determines, that the person successfully proved to have validated knowledges and skills, that in most cases exceed the requirements for the national CCSTs and allow him/her to successfully cover the broad field of MIS in respective to the actual demandings according to the judging of the commission.

In the moment, the qualification F.E.B.S./MIS has no automatic legal recognition in the E.U. or in any other country. Individual recognition of qualifications by the national authorities is supported by the EBSQ committee.
Individual recognition of qualifications by the national authorities is supported by the EBSQ committee and the number of countries officially adopting the Board exam is continuously rising.

Suggested readings

  1. The use of 3D laparoscopic imaging systems in surgery: EAES consensus development conference 2018
    Surg Endosc2019 Oct;33(10):3251-3274. doi: 10.1007/s00464-018-06612-x. Epub 2018 Dec 4.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00464-018-06612-x
  2. European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons (EAES) consensusstatement on the use of robotics in general surgery
    Surg Endosc. 2015 Feb;29(2):253-88. doi: 10.1007/s00464-014-3916-9. Epub 2014 Nov 8.PMID: 25380708
  3. EAES Recommendations for Recovery Plan in Minimally Invasive Surgery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. 
    Surg Endosc. 2021 Jan;35(1):1-17. doi: 10.1007/s00464-020-08131-0. Epub 2020 Nov 10.PMID: 33170335
  4. Clinical practice guidelines of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) on bariatric surgery: update 2020 endorsed by IFSO-EC, EASO and ESPCOP.
    Surg Endosc. 2020 Jun;34(6):2332-2358. doi: 10.1007/s00464-020-07555-y. Epub 2020 Apr 23.PMID: 32328827
  5. EAES and SAGES 2018 consensus conference on acute diverticulitis management: evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice.
    Surg Endosc. 2019 Sep;33(9):2726-2741. doi: 10.1007/s00464-019-06882-z. Epub 2019 Jun 27
  6. Laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic neoplasms: the European association for endoscopic surgery clinical consensus conference.
    Edwin B, Sahakyan MA, Abu Hilal M, Besselink MG, Braga M, Fabre JM, Fernández-Cruz L, Gayet B, Kim SC, Khatkov IE; EAES Consensus Conference Study Group.Surg Endosc. 2017 May;31(5):2023-2041. doi: 10.1007/s00464-017-5414-3. Epub 2017 Feb 15.PMID: 28205034
  7. Diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis. EAES consensus development conference 2015.
    Surg Endosc. 2016 Nov;30(11):4668-4690. doi: 10.1007/s00464-016-5245-7. Epub 2016 Sep 22.PMID: 27660247
  8. EAES Consensus Development Conference on endoscopic repair of groin hernias
    Surg Endosc 2013 Oct;27(10):3505-19.doi: 10.1007/s00464-013-3001-9

    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00464-013-3001-9
  9. EAES rapid guideline: systematic review, meta-analysis, GRADE assessment, and evidence-informed European recommendations on appendicitis in pregnancy.
    Surg Endosc. 2022 Dec;36(12):8699-8712. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09625-9. Epub 2022 Oct 28. PMID: 36307599.
  10. EAES rapid guideline: updated systematic review, network meta-analysis, CINeMA and GRADE assessment, and evidence-informed European recommendations on the management of common bile duct stones
    Surg Endosc. 2022 Nov;36(11):7863-7876. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09662-4. Epub 2022 Oct 13. PMID: 36229556.
  11. UEG and EAES rapid guideline: Update systematic review, network meta-analysis, CINeMA and GRADE assessment, and evidence-informed European recommendations on surgical management of GERD.
    United European Gastroenterol J. 2022 Oct 5. doi: 10.1002/ueg2.12318. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36196591.
  12. UEG and EAES rapid guideline: Systematic review, meta-analysis, GRADE assessment and evidence-informed European recommendations on TaTME for rectal cancer.
    Surg Endosc. 2022 Apr;36(4):2221-2232. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09090-4. Epub 2022 Feb 25. PMID: 35212821; PMCID: PMC8921163.
  13. EAES rapid guideline: systematic review, network meta-analysis, CINeMA and GRADE ssessment, and European consensus on bariatric surgery-extension 2022.
    Surg Endosc. 2022 Mar;36(3):1709-1725. doi: 10.1007/s00464-022-09008-0. Epub 2022 Jan 20. PMID: 35059839.
  14. EAES rapid guideline: appendicitis in the elderly.
    Surg Endosc. 2021 Jul;35(7):3233-3243. doi: 10.1007/s00464-021-08524-9. Epub 2021 May 17. PMID: 33999255.
  15. EAES Manual

Please note!

This complete list of suggested readings in electronic version is available to EAES members free of charge.

Become a member now and enjoy these and many more member benefits!