Maeve Doyle1, Breida Boyle2, Caoimhe Brennan3, Jane Holland4, Albert Mifsud5, Markus Hell6, Frank van Tiel7, Truls Michael Leegaard8. 1. Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Waterford, Ireland. Electronic address: MaeveM.Doyle@hse.ie. 2. Department of Clinical Microbiology, St James Hospital Dublin, Ireland. 3. Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital Waterford, Ireland. 4. Department of Anatomy, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland. 5. Department of Microbiology, Whipps Cross Hospital, London, UK. 6. Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, MEDILAB-Academic Teaching Laboratories, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. 7. Department of Medical Microbiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands. 8. Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway; Division of Medicine and Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The importance of defining and establishing professional standards for Clinical Microbiology (CM) in Europe has long been highlighted, starting with the development of a European curriculum. The first European Curriculum in Medical Microbiology (MM) was adopted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) council in 2017. OBJECTIVES: This paper assesses how training programmes in CM in Europe align with the European curriculum, just under 5 years after its introduction, and reviews what methods of assessment are in use to assess the CM trainees' progress during training programmes. SOURCES: Using an internet-based platform, a questionnaire was circulated to the full, associate and observer members of the UEMS MM section. Information collected related to the structure, content and delivery of CM training in the participating countries, as well as methods of assessment used to evaluate training progress. CONTENT: Twenty-one countries responded, from a total of 30 countries invited to participate. All had a structured CM training programme, with a curriculum, dedicated trainers and a record of training activities. Fifteen countries require trainees to pass an exit examination, and over 60% of countries participate in continuous workplace-based assessment. Of the participating countries, 57% meet the European Training Requirements recommendation that duration of specialist training is 60 months. Regarding core competencies, all trainees gain experience in laboratory skills and infection prevention and control, but the emphasis on clinical management and antimicrobial stewardship is more varied across countries. IMPLICATIONS: The UEMS MM curriculum has been largely adopted by 21 countries within less than 5 years of ratification, which speaks optimistically to a future of standardized quality training across Europe. The introduction of a pilot European Examination in Clinical Microbiology in 2021 is the start of a pan-European assessment of the success of the implementation of this curriculum and the first step in quality assurance for CM training in Europe.
BACKGROUND: The importance of defining and establishing professional standards for Clinical Microbiology (CM) in Europe has long been highlighted, starting with the development of a European curriculum. The first European Curriculum in Medical Microbiology (MM) was adopted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) council in 2017. OBJECTIVES: This paper assesses how training programmes in CM in Europe align with the European curriculum, just under 5 years after its introduction, and reviews what methods of assessment are in use to assess the CM trainees' progress during training programmes. SOURCES: Using an internet-based platform, a questionnaire was circulated to the full, associate and observer members of the UEMS MM section. Information collected related to the structure, content and delivery of CM training in the participating countries, as well as methods of assessment used to evaluate training progress. CONTENT: Twenty-one countries responded, from a total of 30 countries invited to participate. All had a structured CM training programme, with a curriculum, dedicated trainers and a record of training activities. Fifteen countries require trainees to pass an exit examination, and over 60% of countries participate in continuous workplace-based assessment. Of the participating countries, 57% meet the European Training Requirements recommendation that duration of specialist training is 60 months. Regarding core competencies, all trainees gain experience in laboratory skills and infection prevention and control, but the emphasis on clinical management and antimicrobial stewardship is more varied across countries. IMPLICATIONS: The UEMS MM curriculum has been largely adopted by 21 countries within less than 5 years of ratification, which speaks optimistically to a future of standardized quality training across Europe. The introduction of a pilot European Examination in Clinical Microbiology in 2021 is the start of a pan-European assessment of the success of the implementation of this curriculum and the first step in quality assurance for CM training in Europe.
Authors: Carlo L Romanò; Andreas G Tsantes; Dimitrios V Papadopoulos; Hiroyuki Tsuchiya; Thami Benzakour; Joseph Benevenia; Hernán Del Sel; Lorenzo Drago; Andreas F Mavrogenis Journal: SICOT J Date: 2022-08-15