The European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR) tests radiology knowledge, skills, and competence following training in the speciality.1
Specialist medical certification is not standardised in Europe. While in some countries there is a national examination at the end of the training programme, in others specialist certification is not mandatory or sometimes not even available.
The EDiR is recognised in many European countries. It is equivalent to the national exit training examination in Poland, Croatia and the Netherlands, the first part of the Turkish board examination, the written part of the Slovenian board examination, and the image interpretation part of the Finnish national examination.
EDiR has been recognised by the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) and the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and has significant value in many other countries, such as Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, France, Georgia, Italy, Malta, Russia, Slovakia, and Sweden, where EDiR holders can use the certificate for professional credentialing and classification purposes. There are a growing number of European hospitals that have included the EDiR in their training programmes.
The EDiR is a certification of excellence and it serves as a tool for the standardisation and accreditation of radiologists beyond European borders. It is officially endorsed by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and the European Society of Radiology (ESR).
Since its inception in 2011, the EDiR has exceeded all expectations and stands as a benchmark of excellence for medical speciality examinations in Europe. This is largely due to the examination system being fully computer-based using software developed by the European Board of Radiology (EBR), the organising body of the EDiR, meaning all sections of the examination are supported on a single platform. Nearly 5500 candidates have sat the exam to date. There has been a regular presence of Spanish candidates over the years, with the number varying between 8 and 41 and the average being 22 per year; elsewhere Spaniards account for around 5% of candidates.
Initially, the EDiR exam consisted of multiple response questions (MRQs), short cases (SCs) and an oral exam. The rise in the number of candidates and the need to provide a standardised examination system led to the oral part being replaced by a Clinically Oriented Reasoning Evaluation (CORE) section in 2016. The CORE cases are clinical cases comprising several questions and the EBR-developed software features a DICOM viewer for case analysis similar to those used at real-life radiology workstations.2,3
The preparation of each EDiR examination follows stringent protocols. The questions are supplied by members of the EDiR committees, which include subspecialists from every area of radiology. The material is submitted for professional review and the EBR office checks that the format is in line with the standards established by the Standards Committee.3
The examination tests knowledge, skills and competence in anatomy, pathophysiology, imaging procedures, safety, physics, and management in general radiology. The EDiR certifies that successful candidates have a level of knowledge and skills in line with the European Training Curriculum (ETC) of the ESR.
EDiR candidates can access a wide range of materials to prepare for the examination through the EBR website.4 It includes simulations and self-assessment packs, access to short cases, recorded sessions, and the e-book which mirrors the format of the exam.
A recent addition to the section on preparing for the EDiR through practical exams is the EDiR Training Evaluation. This new tool is aimed at current radiology trainees and heads of radiology training looking to monitor the progress and skills of their students in the different subspecialities, as a means of continually improving the training plan of each training centre.4
The examination is open to radiologists and radiology trainees who are completing their training. Candidates must be members of their national radiological society in the year of the examination and members of the ESR.
The examination is held in different countries and a calendar is available on the EBR website. Exams can also be organised for groups of candidates in hospitals and universities, providing the site and technical facilities meet the criteria established by the EBR.5
National societies and hospitals can stage exams for their radiology trainees thanks to special agreements.
The training plans require constant adaptation so that the EDiR evolves in step with the ETC. Modifications and adjustments must be made to the content to safeguard the integrity of the certificate and its commitment to radiology training. This cements the value of European certification in the pursuit of a common certification of quality.
RADIOLOGÍA and the EBR have established a framework of collaboration that includes the publication of four cases per year in the English edition of RADIOLOGÍA. The journal will publish two CORE cases, a multiple response case and a short case in order to familiarise Spanish radiology trainees with the type of questions that feature in the EDiR and encourage them to take the diploma.
Conflicts of interestNo conflicts of interest.
