EU_Psych_NewsRound.qxp 30/6/08 02:26 Page 8
In Brief
Psychiatric Training in Europe – Results of the
European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) Survey
The standard of psychiatric training is improving intervals of between three and seven years. In 39% of institutions. There are also considerable
throughout the EU, according to a 11 out of 23 countries, sub-specialities in divergences across the EU regarding the quality of
comprehensive report by the European Board psychiatry – e.g. child and adolescent, forensic training in community psychiatry.
of Psychiatry and the European Union of and neuropsychiatry – are now fully recognised.
Medical Specialists (UEMS), published in In all but one responding countries, there existed The report complimented the highly developed
European Psychiatry. The report was based on a compulsory common ‘trunk’ across all standard in theoretical training, and claimed
22 questionnaires from 31 national psychiatric training programmes, with a mean that areas such as leadership, administration,
representatives, as well as 424 questionnaires length of 3.2 years. Of the training centres, management and economics, medical
completed by the Chief of Training and the 82.5% stipulated that their Training Director had informatics and telemedicine should be
Trainees’ Representatives at responding at least five years of experience as a psychiatrist; implemented more comprehensively into
institutions. It probed areas such as institution the highest scores were in Germany, The training curricula. ■
size and leadership, degree of sub- Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Turkey,
specialisation, training structure, breadth of while the lowest score was in Norway (43%). The Full report: Lotz-Rambaldi et al., Specialist training
mandatory theory, supervision and funding. It directors of 83.5% institutions were authorised in psychiatry in Europe – Results of the UEMS-
was decided upon by the European Board of by a national authority. survey, Eur Psychiatry, 2008;23(3):157–68.
Psychiatry in 2004, in accordance with the
declared aim of the UEMS of encouraging the The study did uncover national shortcomings.
implementation of uniform medical training Mandatory training in geriatric psychiatry for at
The European Union of
requirements throughout the EU. least six months was implemented in fewer than
Medical Specialists
10% of Danish institutes. There were also
The European Union of Medical Specialists
Adequate structured theoretical training in significant trans-national shortcomings: for
(UEMS) is the representative body for
psychopharmacology and biological treatment example, only 49% of training centres are
national associations of medical specialists
was present in 100% of institutions. In all regularly visited by an official external body. There across the EU. Active since 1958, UEMS
countries bar one, the successful completion of was wide trans-national divergence in the
aims to implement developed standards
training is officially certified from a national adoption of non-mandatory topics, with only
and policies across its 35 member nations
authority, and in 19 countries a publicly accessible 40% of institutes offering training in leadership
in the areas of post-graduate training,
professional medical development and
register of psychiatrists exists; however, and management (Norway, Denmark and The
quality assurance in specialist practice.
compulsory re-registration at regular intervals was Netherlands scored highly in this area). Medical
Through schemes such as the European
implemented in only one-third of countries, at informatics and telemedicine were offered in only
Accreditation Council for Continuing
Medical Education (EACCME), UEMS
Percentage of Institutes with Compulsory Six-month Training in Geriatric Psychiatry –
facilitates cross-border accreditation
Selected Countries
standards and acts as a resource for health
policy-makers and healthcare professionals.
In 1993, UEMS adopted the Charter on
Training of Medical Specialists in the
NORWAY
European Community (EC) – a framework
for the harmonisation of post-graduate
specialist training in the EU within each
medical speciality. The UEMS Board of
Psychiatry – established in 1992 – was
DENMARK
included within the scope of the Charter,
and this survey is the result.
UNITED KINGDOM The UEMS celebrates its 50th anniversary
NETHERLANDS
this year and recently held a conference in
Brussels to reflect on its history and
achievements. During the Meeting of the
GERMANY
Presidents and Secretaries of the UEMS
0–20% Specialist Sections and European Boards,
21–40% discussions took place regarding
41–60%
continued improvement of specialist
SWITZERLAND
AUSTRIA
61–80%
healthcare in Europe. ■
8 EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRIC REVIEW
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