by Jean-Marc Léger
In the past year, the EFNS TEC has continued working with the same leadership.
The Committee consists of the following members:
Jean-Marc Léger – Chairman
Members: Thomas Berger (e-learning); Hannah Cock (ENS representative); Joke Jaarsma (EFNA); Pavel Kalvach (responsible for Spring School and DD programme); Detlef Kömpf (Secretary General; responsible for Regional Teaching Courses); Vitalie Lisnic (TC profile of participants); Erich Schmutzhard (responsible for TF Africa and relevant RTCs); Edina Varga (EAYNT); László Vécsei (Member of the Liaison committee; responsible for Fellowship; European Board Examination);
A letter to the Transition Task Force and the future EAN Board was sent suggesting keeping all educational activities. Therefore all activities listed below should become EAN Educational Activities. It will be offered to the EAN Board that the current committee will go on working during the foundation period and that until 2015 all members, who have served two terms in the EFNS committee, will be exchanged.
1. Reports sub-committees and activities
All educational activities are promoted on flyers, in Neuropenews, on the EFNS website, in special mailings, literature tables at other congresses, mailings to European neurological departments, on Facebook and twitter.
1.1. Spring School
The report of the Spring School 2013 was presented at the last MC meeting in September. Currently preparations for the 2014 Spring school in May 2014 are made. Detailed information can be found on a separate file.
Spring School 2015: 7-10 May. Topics: Neuro-oncology; Language and higher nervous activity; Neurotraumatology
1.2. CME sub-committee – see separate report
1.3. D-D programme – see separate report
1.4. E-learning sub-committee – see separate report
1.5. EFNS Fellowship
Fellowship applicants 2014:
42 (35 eligible) applications have been received.
Scientific: 33 (28 eligible)
Educational: 9 (only 7 eligible)
24 applicants came from Western countries / 11 from Eastern countries.
Result:
In 2012, the number of fellowships was reduced by the Management Committee, because of financial reasons. Due to the excellence of applications received, the MC decided to raise the number again and to give in 2014 6 scientific, selected among 28 proposals, and 3 educational fellowships, selected among 7 proposals. the 2014 Fellowship winners were published in the April issue of Neuropenews.
The proposal for 2014 is:
6 scientific fellowships of 1 year (4 for fellows from Eastern Europe and 2 for fellows from Western Europe)
3 educational fellowships of 6 months (1 from Eastern Europe and 2 from Western Europe)
Like for the other educational grants, a flyer “EAN Fellowship programme 2015” will be printed and will be distributed at congresses at which EAN will have a booth; and it will be sent to all European neurological departments. Deadline for application will be 31st December 2014.
As in the previous year, applicants have been asked, how they learned about the EFNS fellowship (more than one answer possible!): 8 – from the Head of Department; 4 – Flyer; 5 – Newsletter; 26 – Website; 7 – Congress; 2 – other/friends
The participants’ final reports are published in Neuropenews.
1.6. Regional Teaching Courses
The RTCs are announced in the “Educational activities Flyer” and on the website.
The number of applications for RTCs is increasing. It was decided that from 2012 on, only two RTCs per year will be organised. However, the TEC will propose to the TTF/future EAN Board to organise 3 RTCs per year, if enough applications are received.
In 2013 two RTCs were organised, one in Odessa, Ukraine and one in Ohrid, FYRO Macedonia. (Reports: https://www.efns.org/Past-EFNS-Regional-Teaching-Courses.307.0.html)
For 2014 two applications have been received: Baku, Azerbaijan (April 2014) and Sofia, Bulgaria (October 2014).
For 2015 one definite application (Lviv, Ukraine) has been received.
Three other cities have shown interest in organising RTCs: Tbilisi, Georgia and Podgorica, Montenegro and & Surgut, Russia
Erich Schmutzhard takes care of the agenda for the Task Force “Neurology & Sub-Saharan Africa” and related regional teaching courses (RTC) with the help of Eveline Sipido. This year’s 6th RTC in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will take place in Lusaka, Zambia and will be hosted by the University of Zambia (June 19 – 21, 2014). One RTC costs about €50K. For the 2014 RTC, financial contributions have been received from the following scientific organisations: EFNS, WFN, IBRO, MDS, WSO. The AAN is considering its financial contribution to the RTC and news on their decision is to be expected in the near future.
For the 2014 RTC, an unrestricted educational grant from the Lundbeck Foundation was also obtained.
Plans for 2015: The following countries expressed the wish to host the 7th RTC (or a future RTC): Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria and Benin.
The topics to be addressed in 2015 will be chosen by the participants to the 6th RTC in Lusaka, Zambia. Further information on the chosen topics will be provided as soon as possible following the 6th RTC.
The final reports, incl. pictures, of all RTCs are published in Neuropenews and on the www.efns.org and in future on www.eaneurology.org.
1.7. Teaching course sub-committee (TCC)
J-M Léger and H. Cock are responsible for the TCs at the upcoming congresses.
TCs in Istanbul 2014: Altogether 25 TCs will be organised; they will be Saturday – Tuesday in the afternoon; 3 Practical sessions and 3 Interactive sessions will be organised.
TCs in Berlin 2015: 25 TCs were selected. Furthermore 4 Hands-on courses and 3 Interactive sessions will be organised.
TCs in Copenhagen 2016: the call for topic proposals are currently sent out.
The TEC has sent a proposal to the future EAN that a Teaching course sub-committee should be founded. This committee should consist of 1 chairperson and about 10 members, who should ideally be the chairpersons/ representatives of the most important panels. This committee should meet before the congress programme committee meets and present the finalised TC programme to the CPC.
2. European Board of Neurology Examination (EBNE)
The 2013 board examination was held during the ENS Meeting in June in Barcelona. The report on the 5th board examination was published in Neuropenews, July 2013
The number of applications is increasing every year.
From this year on, it will be held during the EFNS/ENS Joint Congress and EAN Congress, respectively.
The deadline for application for the 2014 board exam will be April 15.
Questions for the board examination are received from the EFNS Panels/ Sub-committees and also from the eBrain question bank.
3. Co-operation with other organisations
3.1. EFNA (European Federation of Neurological Associations)
At the upcoming congress in Istanbul a special session “EFNS/ENS/EFNA Awareness Session: Improving physician-patient communication” will be organised.
Joke Jaarsma, representing EFNA, is a member of the TEC.
3.2. EAYNT (European Association of Young Neurologists and Trainees)
EAYNT will be invited to join the EFNS booth in the exhibition area at the Istanbul congress. There experienced neurologists will meet with members of EAYNT.
An EAYNT session will be held on Sunday, 1 June at the Istanbul congress.
Edina Timea Varga is a member of the TEC, representing EAYNT. EAYNT is informed on EFNS educational activities on a regular basis. EFNS is helping with the promotion of EAYNT activities.
3.3. ENS
Hannah Cock was invited to become a member of the TEC. ENS and EFNS educational activities have been merged. The 2015 activities will already be announced as EAN educational activities.
4. Publications related to the TEC
* Grisold W, Mellgren SI. The 6th Examination of the European Board of Neruology in Istanbul 2014. Neuropenews January 2014 https://www.eanpages.org/?p=5265
* Györfi O, Varga E. EAYNT report of XXI World Congress of Neurology and EFNS Congress, Vienna 2013. Neuropnews November 2013. https://www.eanpages.org/?p=4818
* Struhal W et al. Three important steps to European neurology harmonization: core curriculum, visitation program, European board examination. EJoN, 20, e101-e104
* Macerollo A, Sellner J. New article on activities in the interest of junior neurologist in 2013. Neuropenews April 2013. Miscellaneous: https://www.eanpages.org/?p=3121
* Macerollo A et al. The European Association of Young Neurologists and Trainees in 2013: striking a blow for European junior neurologists. European Journal of Neurology, 20, e54-58
* Bisdorff A. European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) UEMS – New Developments. Neuropenews March 2013. Forum: https://www.eanpages.org/?p=2970
* Lenzi GL. Interview with Balthasar Schaap. Neuropenews February 2013. Interviews: https://www.eanpages.org/?p=2435
5. Budget
The budget is included within the report of the treasurer, which contains the Committee budgets.
The TEC will meet during the Joint Congress of European Neurology in Istanbul, June 2014 to discuss the plans for the future of all activities and subcommittees, especially related to the future EAN.
March 2014
Jean-Marc Léger works at the Groupe Hospitalier de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Department of Neuromuscular Pathology in Paris, France
