ABOUT US
UEMS - Section of Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology
The European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) was founded 1958 and has taken responsibility as a non-profit organisation aiming to promote the professional interests of medical specialists. The UEMS represents the interests of medical specialists, and is actively working to harmonize training and continuous medical education (CME) of its specialties and to promote the free movement of medical professionals within Europe.
Today delegates from 27 EU states and observers of non-EU countries have been appointed officially by their National Bodies to work within UEMS
UEMS operates a Secretariat in Brussels which is governed by a Board and a Council in which all National Medical Bodies are represented.
The European Union has listed the recognized medical specialties within member states in its Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 September 2005on the recognition of professional qualifications.
The Directive lists a diversity of different specialties in the EU which demand harmonization.
To deal with each specialty UEMS. Sections and Boards were founded. These became cornerstones of UEMS the and professional development in the EU. In each section two delegates represent their country. Delegates to the section elect a President of the Section, a President of the Board, a Vice President, a Secretary and Treasurer, and Conveners of Sub Sections according to specialties represented in the section.
The UEMS Section of Medical Biopathologywas founded in 1962 as Section of Laboratory Medicine which was considered an umbrella for all diagnostic- and laboratory-related specialties including Pathology.
In 1988 Pathologist Societies decided to form their own section. The Section Laboratory Medicine renamed itself to Medical Biopathology including various specialties and covering the interests of monovalent and polyvalent Biopathologists.
At present the section has formed five sub sections: General Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Immunology, Genetics, according to the professional and scientific relations within each field of specialty.
The main activities of the section, board and sub sections focus on the harmonization of post-graduate education of medical doctors in Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology - the training in its specialty, evaluation of continuing medical education (CME) programs and conducting visitations of the training centres.
In 1993 UEMS has published a charter on the training of medical specialists in the european community. Based on this Charter Core Curricula for training in polyvalent and monovalent specialty have been laid down by the sub sections describing basic competence, specialty competence and clinical competence in the different specialties of medical biopathology.
In 1999 the Section Medical Biopathology has published these Curricula in a Blue Book (ref.). In 2008 the section and its sub sections decided to rewrite all Curricula and to publish these in 2009.
Next to its activities to harmonize different curricula, the board has created a fellowship in Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology the role of which is complementary to national examinations where they exist. The European Board Examinations are regarded as a quality mark for safe independent practice at the end of the specialist training. Candidates who pass the UEMS SMB European Board Examination in Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology and who are certified specialists in an EU/UEMS member state can add "Fellow of the European Board of Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology" (F.E.B.L.M./M.B.) to the name either in General Laboratory Medicine or one of the monovalent specialties (Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Genetics, Clinical Immunology). The names of colleagues receiving "Fellowship" are listed on our website. Also to enhance the possibility of specialists in Laboratory Medicine/Medical Biopathology to work in various European countries.
A further cornerstone of UEMS is EACCME the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Organizers of medical congresses can via internet send an application for approval to EACCME. If approved by the national medical society and by the appropriate section, board and division the congress will be approved by EACCME and participants will receive CME credits accordingly.
The UEMS SLM/MB.Board has developed a visitation program through which training facility can be inspected and recognized using the "Guidelines for the Recognition of Training Centres" and "Standards for training in Laboratory Medicine" as background for the visiting specialists.