Examination Committee

European Diploma in Hand Surgery

The first FESSH Diploma Examination was held in Paris in 1996.

Applying for the FESSH Diploma Examination requires meeting strict conditions, such as submitting a log book completing all the questionnaires included. By rewieving the submitted documents, the Committee can decide if the applicant fulfills these requirements. Basic criteria is a speciality in orthopeadics or plastic surgery and a minimum of 2 years activity in one of the accreditated hand surgery centers. It is important to have a proper number of operations as operator or first assistant. Also it is expected to have a scientific activity and the recommendation of the national society for surgery of the hand.
»  Application for the exam was available only for member societies of FESSH previously
»  IFSSH members are also eligible to sit the FESSH Diploma for Hand Surgery from 2008

Candidates could use 5 major European languages by 2006, from then on the official language of the exam is English. The FESSH Diploma Examination includes a written test by completing an MCQ test and two oral sessions. One of them considers acute trauma and reconstruction, the other is sistemic diseases, tumors and congenitals.

There are 30-50 registrations of interest each year, of which 15-20 are accepted. An average of 10-20% fails, but the rest passes the exam successfully. The candidate achieving the best result is awarded by the Committee. The Best Examination Award is published in the Journal of Hand Surgery (EUR) with a picture of the awarded examinee and with a list of the others passing the exam.

The Diploma Examination takes place at the site of the annual FESSH Congress 2 days prior to the event and with the participation of 10-15 volunteering examiners invited from the countries of the examinees. It is our main intention to provide at least one examiner for each candidate speaking the same native language. When inviting examiners, we consider first of all their scientific activity. Examiners of younger age are requested to have a FESSH Diploma and a recommendation of the FESSH Delegate of their national society.

Zsolt Szabo
Examination Committee