The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE Certification programme seeks to set a standard for competency and excellence in the field of transoesophageal echocardiography across Europe and beyond. It has been meticulously developed to accurately reflect and clearly define assessment goals and evaluate the necessary knowledge, skills and clinical competencies that are required for transoesophageal echocardiography practice.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE Certification programme is designed for all healthcare professionals involved in adult transoesophageal echocardiography.
The programme is set out in two parts:
Registration will open 3 months prior to exam date.
This exam can be started at any time between 11:00 and 14:00 CET, depending on slot availability.
The next EACVI/EACTA exam in TOE will take place during the 32nd EACTA Annual Congress 2017 in Berlin, Germany.
Registration will open approximately 3 months before the exam.
European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging contact@escardio.org DD/MM/YYYY
Registration will open 3 months prior to exam date.
This exam can be started at any time between 11:00 and 14:00 CET, depending on slot availability.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE written examination is open to all healthcare professionals involved in adult transoesophageal echocardiography. Sonographers and doctors of all disciplines can apply for certification in TOE.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE Certification is not a compulsory or regulatory certificate of competence or excellence. Individuals' rights to report and sign clinical studies in individual countries remain to be defined by national laws and regulations.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE examination is a multiple-choice written examination in English.
The examination consists of 125 questions, divided into two parts:
The first part is 1 hour and 30 minutes and the second part is 1 hour and 50 minutes, with a 10-minute break in between.
Questions are designed to assess the candidate's knowledge:
Questions are drawn from the entire spectrum of transoesophageal echocardiography.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE examination is usually delivered twice a year, using an online proctoring platform (CYIM/ProctorU®).
This provides candidates with the safety and convenience of an online platform while retaining the integrity and quality of an on-site supervised exam.
The online format of the EACVI/EACTAIC TOE exam is:
Please find more information here.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE exam is designed to test a wide range of transoesophageal echocardiography knowledge.
There is no single source from which all questions are developed, and candidates are encouraged to read widely.
You can also visit the EACVI educational area.
This section includes information about education-related matters such as:
You can also use the EACTAIC e-Academy offers.
To be successful, a candidate must pass both sections of the written exam (reporting and theory).
The passing scores for each section of the exam are established using referenced methodologies, that are widely used in certification. The passing score links the score required to pass the exam to the minimum level of knowledge required for transoesophageal echocardiography practice.
Following the exam, psychometric analysis of the questions is conducted and items that do not meet psychometric standards are removed from the exam. In addition, any items that have been flagged during the exam administration are reviewed and if these items are deemed to be defective for any reason they are removed from the exam.
Results are subjected to multiple levels of verification prior to being reported to candidates.
Examination results are communicated to candidates in the eight weeks after the examination.
Candidates will receive an email containing their results letter on the date of the result release. Successful candidates for the exam will also receive a certificate of completion of the written exam.
Candidate’s results are also made available through the candidate’s My ESC account.
Note:
Borderline candidates (candidates who succeeded in one section and failed the other one by one point) are considered with the greatest attention by the EACVI/EACTAIC TOE Certification Committee and the rule is very strict for these candidates. The candidate needs to have more than the average of all candidates in the section he/she passed. In that case, candidates are passed by the decision of the EACVI/EACTAIC TOE Certification Committee.
ESC/EACVI aims to deliver examinations of the highest quality and provide the best level of service for all candidates. To ensure that all candidates are assessed fairly, there is a procedure to allow candidates to appeal against their exam results.
More information is available.
For more information, please refer to the ESC online proctoring examination terms and conditions.
Once candidates have passed the exam, they can then apply for the logbook part of the programme to prove their practical experience in the TOE field. No late submissions will be accepted and, if the deadline is not respected, the candidate will have to repeat the exam in order to apply for certification.
The EACVI/EACTAIC TOE logbook part of the programme is accessible to all successful candidates to the exam.
Access to the logbook platform is granted to candidates only after having successfully passed the written exam.
EACVI has established a reciprocity agreement with the below society:
Individuals with a valid BSE TOE certification have only to pass the corresponding EACVI exam and do not have to submit a logbook in order to be fully EACVI certified.
After having passed the TOE exam, the candidate needs to use the "contact us" to claim for the mutual recognition. The candidate has to provide a copy of his/her national individual certification diploma/certificate (the national individual certification needs to be valid when claiming mutual recognition).
Candidates are required to provide evidence of their clinical experience.
Candidates must provide the following documents:
Note:
Important:
Reports are judged on completeness and accuracy, meaning the reports should match the uploaded images, and there should be no errors of interpretation or omission.
Not complying with the below regulations will result in the logbook being returned to the candidate for modification and as such, delay the grading process.
Candidates are not asked to submit the full reports, although they may be requested by the EACVI/EACTAIC TOE graders and EACVI/EACTAIC TOE certification committee. Thus, candidates are asked to keep this information available.
There are no specific requirements to be a supervisor for the TOE logbook. The supervisor does not need to be EACVI or EACTAIC TOE certified, and the candidate doesn’t need to upload any documentation regarding the supervisor’s qualifications. The supervisor should be the person supervising the candidate’s work, possibly the person that taught the candidate how to perform the procedures and should be experienced in the field. The supervisor needs to provide a letter of support and also sign off on the logbook, certifying the accuracy of the application content and that the candidate had done all the procedures listed in the logbook.
As soon as the logbook is compliant with the requirements, the application is sent for grading to members of the EACVI/EACTAIC TOE Certification Committee. Graders may require additional information from the candidate in order to provide their grading.
Results are sent by email within 3 months of submitting the e-Logbook. Please note that some delay in the grading can occur due to the high volume of applications received throughout the year.
Candidates who fail to the logbook part may raise an appeal.
More information is available.
There is a one-year window to complete the logbook part of the programme. In exceptional circumstances, candidates may request an extension to submit their application.
To ensure the process remains fair and robust, extensions will generally only be given in the following circumstances: parental leave, less than full-time work or illness of the candidate.
Extension requests must be accompanied by a signed letter from your supervisor briefly explaining the situation and stating the duration of the extension required. Requests cannot be considered without this letter. The request must be submitted before the deadline.
Please note that extension requests are not guaranteed and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the certification committee.
Use the Contact Us form to submit such requests and further information.
Candidates will be granted certification in TOE once they have completed the two parts of the programme (exam and logbook). The certification is valid for 5 years after which the candidate must apply for recertification to keep the certification valid.
Please refer to the recertification requirements for more detailed information.
Candidates must apply for recertification from six months before to six months after the current certification expiration date.
During this time, candidates who are eligible for the recertification will receive automatic reminders to apply for recertification. These reminders are sent on their My ESC email address.
All candidates will be reminded as the deadline approaches, but it is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the recertification is submitted on time. No late submissions will be accepted and, if the deadline is not respected, the candidate will have to repeat the certification process (exam + logbook) to recertify.
If all requirements of recertification are met, a certificate will be issued which will be valid for a further 5-year period.
There is a one-year window to apply for recertification (from six months before to six months after the current certification expiration date). In exceptional circumstances, candidates may request an extension to submit their application.
To ensure the process remains fair and robust, extensions will generally only be given in the following circumstances: parental leave, less than full-time work or illness of the candidate.
Extension requests must be accompanied by a signed letter from the candidate's supervisor briefly explaining the situation and stating the duration of the extension required. Requests cannot be considered without this letter. The request must be submitted before the deadline.
Please note that extension requests are not guaranteed and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the certification committee.
Use the “Contact Us” to submit such requests and further information.
Candidates will be granted certification in TOE once they have completed the two parts of the programme (exam and logbook). The certification is valid for 5 years after which the candidate must apply for recertification to keep the certification valid.
The EACVI is pleased to provide the list of TOE Certified individuals .
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