The European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons
In 1996, the European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons (EBTCS) was founded in order to establish common standards for thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Europe. The primary goal is the recognition by the European Union of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery as a monospeciality. This Board is lead by representatives of 3 European Societies: the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery (EACTS), the European Society of Cardiovascular Surgery (ESCVS), and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS). Please find enclosed some documents on the EBTCS. You can also print both the Regulations and the Application Form directly from their site (http://www.ebtcs.org).
According to Article 19 of the Regulations, surgeons in established practice of at least five years at the time the Board was Founded, with independent responsability and meeting the other eligibility criteria, may be recognised without examinations. This option is available until 1 September 2001! I would therefore urge you all, who did not do so, to apply for fellowship under the so-called "grandfather clause".
After this date surgeons will have to undertake a formal examination in either general thoracic or cardiovascular surgery (or both) to become recognised in one of the two (or both) categories. This year's interviews and examinations will be taken during the EACTS/ESTS meeting in Lisbon, 16-19 September 2001.
Surgeons accredited by the Board will receive a diploma recognizing them as Fellow of the Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons giving them the right to put the suffix FETCS behind their name.
Further information can be obtained from the following address: The European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, P.O. Box 2023, 1990 AA Velserbroek, The Netherlands (phone +31-255 520 950; fax: +31-255 523 353; e-mail: info@ebtcs.co.uk).
Dirk Van Raemdonck, M.D.
Secretary BACTS 1998 - 2001
e-mail: dirk.vanraemdonck@uzleuven.be