Ss63-02 an Example of the Promotion of Updated and Harmonized Standard of Practice of Occupational Medicine Specialists in Europe: The European Exam

Abstract Introduction A continuous updating of medical specialists’ competence and practice to follow the advancements of science, as well as the promotion of an harmonized high standard of practice, are fundamental in EU countries. Accordingly, for occupational medicine specialists it is of utmost relevance to acquire, and to be able to demonstrate, an adequate and updated set of skills at a European level. Materials and Methods The Section of Occupational Medicine of the European Union of Medical Specialists (OM UEMS) has defined the appropriate level of OM specialists’ professional competence and practice in the document ‘European Training Requirements for OM (OM ETR)’. Furthermore, to assess the level of specialists’ competence, the Section organizes annually the European Postgraduate Assessment in Occupational Medicine (EPA OM). Results The OM ETR was developed in 2012, in collaboration with the European Association of Schools of Occupational Medicine (EASOM), and approved by the UEMS Council in 2013. An update is currently under development. Furthermore, from 2020 the OM UEMS organizes yearly a European Postgraduate Assessment in Occupational Medicine, that was evaluated and approved in 2020 by the Council for European Specialists Medical Assessment (CESMA), a specific advisory body of the UEMS. Conclusions OM UEMS promotes a uniform and updated high-quality competence of OM specialists in all European countries. The role of national authorities in defining the content of postgraduate training in their own country, and in qualifying specialists, cannot be replaced, but the OM ETR and the European exam can be considered valid tools for these purposes at a European level.