The specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) in Europe – Part 2: training environment including the new Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery European Training Requirement (OMFS ETR)

Abstract

OMFS training in Europe has incrementally improved over the last 50 years. However, not all European nations have a formal written curriculum/syllabus, quality indicators, exit examinations, or guidelines for training programmes or trainers. In 2021 the OMFS Section of the Union of European Medical Specialists (UEMS) created an OMFS European Training Requirement (OMFS ETR) to help address these gaps and raise training standards in Europe. This paper includes key lessons from OMFS training programmes across Europe. It also summarises the new OMFS ETR as a comprehensive curriculum and syllabus. The ETR is a resource for nations with dual degree or single medical degree versions of the specialty. More importantly, it can act as a template for the handful of European Economic Area (EEA) nations that do not currently have a recognised OMFS specialty in Directive 2005/36 EU or the European Free Trade Association Treaty. By outlining the breadth and depth of the specialty, the ETR will be useful for competent regulatory authorities as well as OMFS trainees and trainers, patients, and politicians. The OMFS ETR includes key competencies and capabilities alongside training structures and documentation. A free unrestricted Access© database can be downloaded from www.omfsuesm.eu so OMFS experience can be recorded in a similar way across international borders. The OMFS ETR will be a living document. As it is unlikely that OMFS will remain frozen in time, this training document will also evolve. Its true value will become clear as it is used by current and future OMFS surgeons.