UEMS Section of SurgeryUEMS Section of Surgery
The European Board of Transplant Immunology (EBTI) is part of the UEMS Division of Transplantation.
The EBTI has members from each European country which has members of the European Federation for Immunogenetics.
The EBTI has responsibility for the development and maintenance of a syllabus or curriculum for ‘higher’ training in Transplantation Immunology and Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (the European Specialisation in H&I (ESHI) certificate) throughout Europe.
It covers all areas of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (H&I), solid organ, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT), transfusion, disease association, and not just those that pertain to solid organ transplantation.
The EBTI works closely with the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) to oversee the training and examination process for the ESHI certificate.
The EBTI meets annually at the EFI meeting. Representatives from 20 different European countries attend meetings and discuss the training syllabus and examination. The Executive of the group is made up of a Chair, Deputy Chair, Senior Secretary, Junior Secretary and Treasurer. There is also a representative of the EFI Board on the EBTI Executive Board.
In 2015 a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Union Europeenne des Medecins Specialistes (UEMS) and the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) to create a partnership to promote the quality of medical and scientific practice in the field of Transplantation Immunology.
This is being achieved via a structured high level training scheme and examination in Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (the European Specialisation in H&I (ESHI) certificate).
There is no aspiration to replace existing qualifications in those countries that already have relevant qualifications, but the drive has been to create something suitable for the many European countries that have no specific training in Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (H&I) at this level.
The success of the ESHI certificate and the whole training process to develop the ‘next generation’ of H&I scientists, depends on the credibility of the examination and the resultant qualification. The examination process will be subject to quality control through existing systems within the UEMS.
It is envisaged that the ESHI certificate will become a recognised and necessary part of the development of scientists working in H&I as they progress into senior positions within European laboratories.
