Fourth and fifth edition of the EHRA Educational Review and Preparatory Course in Pacing, ICD and CRT (January/February 2008)
The fourth and fifth editions of the EHRA Educational Review and Preparatory Course in Pacing, ICD and CRT, predominantly dedicated to candidates planning to sit EHRA Accreditation Exams in Cardiac Pacing and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), were held from 31 January-2 February at the European Heart House in Nice, and 14-16 February in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, respectively.
The courses were organized by the EHRA Education Committee, chaired by Carina Blomström-Lundqvist under the direction of Giuseppe Boriani (Co-Directors Robert Hatala and Bulent Gorenek). Both courses obtained EBAC (European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology) Accreditation.
The aim of the courses was to give a comprehensive overview of all topics relevant for arrhythmia and heart failure management through implantable electrical devices. The faculty, consisting of numerous highly skilled experts, reviewed both technical and clinical issues related to PM, ICDs and CRT devices and discussed with the participants, a series of clinical cases and tracings of device troubleshooting taken from daily practice.
Overall, participants from 23 different countries (from Portugal to Iran and 
Bangladesh) attended these courses and actively participated in case discussions in what the attendees found to be an informal and convivial environment.
We look forward to seeing a large number of them sit the next set of EHRA Accreditation Exams (Nice, 20 June 2008), and wish them luck. We also invite anybody who is interested in participating in the next EHRA courses and exams to learn more by checking out our EHRA Review and Preparatory Courses Web Site.
Second Edition of the EHRA Review & Preparatory Course in Invasive Cardiac Electrophysiology (February 2008)
The second edition of the EHRA Educational Review & Preparatory Course in Invasive Cardiac Electrophysiology, held from 7th- 9th March 2008 at the European Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, demonstrated once more the increasing need for expert training in this subspecialty.
The Course, organised by the EHRA Education Committee and held under the leadership of Sabine Ernst (co-lead Janet McComb and Markku Makijarvi) was this time attended by 50 participants, coming from 18 different countries. The lectures, ranging from Basic Cellular Electrophysiology to Complex Catheter Ablation Techniques for atrial or ventricular fibrillation, obtained an excellent rating of the educational value from the participants. The top-scorer, as in the last year, were the lectures on the atrial (and ventricular) anatomy, incisional tachycardia, the channelopathies and the key note lecture by Prof Hein JJ Wellens.
The brand-new integration of a voting system and case-based discussions, as well as the excellent organisation by the European Heart House Team, made this second EHRA Educational Review & Preparatory Course in Invasive Cardiac Electrophysiology a truly outstanding educational event.
As the main goal of this course is to offer an opportunity to prepare for the forthcoming EHRA Accreditation Exam for invasive electrophysiology (Nice, June 2008), we are looking forward to seeing a large number of the participants back soon and wish them success when taking the exam!
Check out the EHRA Educational Area Web Site for information about the next planned courses.