The current state of the fellowship examination of the European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EBOT)

The fellowship examination of the European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EBOT) has been designed to standardize and improve the level of orthopedic training in Europe. The examination covers all main areas of orthopedic surgery including the upper limb, lower limb, spine, pediatric orthopedics, and trauma, as well as basic sciences. The examination consists of two sections. Section 1 is based on 100 multiple-choice questions, and section 2 is an oral examination. The number of participants has been steadily increasing during the last 10 years signifying its role in the development of a uniform level of training across Europe. The passing rate of the participants has ranged from 50 to 75 % during 2001 to 2013. The EBOT interim examination was introduced in 2011, and it enables the assessment of orthopedic training curriculums for benchmarking purposes and allows correcting the deficiencies of the training programs in different institutions. The EBOT diploma is highly respected across Europe. Although it is not yet considered as a prerequisite to practice orthopedics in Europe, it can be used as a means to show a sound level of knowledge in the rapidly developing field of orthopedics. Future developments of the EBOT examination include a third clinical section performed on a national level.