EBOT Exam

The EBOT exam is a specialist exam in trauma and orthopaedics. For more than 20 years, it has been run in different European countries with the aim improve the standard of knowledge and professional competence of surgeons.

The EBOT exam is not mandatory, since all European residents can choose to take their national examination, managed by their own Association, in their local language, where such an examination exists. A final examination in the Specialty is not universal, and this in turn generates an increase in the variation in terms of assessment from one country to another. However, the EBOT exam tests the generality of orthopaedics and trauma based on the syllabus of the European Curriculum as endorsed by both UEMS and EFORT in 2015.

The exam is open to certified specialists from Europe, trainees in their final year of training in a recognized European training scheme programme as well as non-EU citizen working in an EU country.

Please note that the EBOT Board has recently decided to offer a certificate of basic training to all those candidates having successfully completed section I, the basic, written part of the exam. Successful candidates in this first part can stand alone with this certificate or proceed to section II, the advanced, oral part. Only after successful completion of both parts, candidates will be awarded with the EBOT fellowship, FEBOT.

To get acquainted with the format of the written exam and to test your level of training, we also invite everyone to participate in the EBOT interim exam, usually organised at the end of March each year.

The EBOT (final) Exam 2021

The written section will be taken separately from the oral examination.

Section 1
The written section will be completed online and will consist of 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) in the single correct answer format. It will be held in the different examination centres in Europe or as online proctored exam (up to each candidate to decide) on 06 June 2023 between 10:00 and 13:00 CET. Applicants need to pass Section 1 to proceed to Section 2.

Section 2
The oral examination will take place on 07 & 08 October 2023. The exact location will be communicated on due course.

In collaboration with SECOT, the Spanish National Society, there is also an oral part in Spanish, for all Spanish residents (subject to authorisation by SECOT). This will take place in Madrid, Spain, on 18 & 19 November 2023.

Prior to being admitted to the oral part, all candidates will have to apply and successfully sit section I, the written section (in English), of the exam.

Application is open at www.ebotexam.org – application deadline 20 March 2023!

Requirements for EU citizens

Certified Specialists

• Citizenship of the European Union (EU), including Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom & new countries joining the European Union (EU) as well as associate members of UEMS (Turkey, Croatia and Israel). Please provide copy of passport.
• Certificate of full qualification as an orthopaedic surgeon from a national authority (EU Orthopaedic Society).
• Reference letter from the head of department you are working at stating your professional status.

Trainees in their final year of training in a recognised European Training Scheme Programme

• Two structured references:
  • One from the head of training at the hospital.
  • One from the orthopaedic surgeon responsible for your training.

Please note that the structured reference forms are available on the EBOT website and have to be uploaded in order to complete your application.

Please note that trainees will not be able to take Section 2 of the EBOT examination until they have passed their national exam and obtained a certificate of full qualification as an orthopaedic surgeon from their national authority (EU Orthopaedic Society).

Requirements for non-EU citizens working in a EU country

It is the unanimous view of the National Associations in Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery within Europe, decided by their representatives in the UEMS/EBOT section of Trauma and Orthopaedics, that surgeons who are not European citizens must be working within the EU to be eligible to sit the EBOT examination. They need to demonstrate that they are certificated specialists in their country of origin, and must present a structured reference from the Head of Department in the institution they are working within Europe.

• Certificate of registration as a specialist orthopaedic surgeon from the national registration authority in the country in which it was obtained.
• Structured reference from the head of department you are working at stating your professional status.

The European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology has started an annual assessment for all European Orthopaedic trainees that went on trial in 2011. This event was a great success because EBOT was able for the first time to gather information at European level, that was handed over to both trainees and heads of training, regarding not only the performance of the different residents but also detailed data on how they have been doing in the five different areas assessed at the final EBOT Exam – upper limb, lower limb, spine, children orthopaedics and basic sciences. For the first time, it was possible to get a glimpse on the spectrum of orthopaedic training in Europe at the appropriate time to be able to identify and correct any deficiencies that may exist.

Read more about the interim exam at www.ebotexam.org/interim.

The next EBOT Interim Exam will take place on Thursday, 30 March 2023 from 10:00 to 13:00 CET.

Registration for both hospitals and candidates is free.

Hospitals that are interested to register and to participate are asked to contact the EBOT Administrator at ebotexam@efort.org.

Candidates can register directly through the registration platform available through www.ebotexam.org/interim, provided that their hospital is already registered for the event.