ECVDI Newsletter - March 2023

Newsletter Highlights

Message from the President (including Job Task Analysis / Flexible Pathway / Future AGM / Technician Society / ACVR and ECVDI consensus statement for the standardization of the abdominal ultrasound examination)
Call for Committees - Nominations
New ECVDI Resident Committee
RIVDI Update
BSAVA Postgraduate Certificates – Demonstrator role vacancies
Dates for diary

Message from the President

Dear Friends,

Time is going fast, and fortunately spring is coming with more sun and many blooming flowers, also in the Netherlands.

The Winter Board Meeting of the Executive Committee remained a remote event and I particularly want to mention Dr. Valeria Poirier, the first President of the RadOnc-subspeciality, and also special guest Dr. Allison Zwingenberger, the ACVR President, who both went above and beyond the normal call of duty by joining the meeting in the very early morning hours!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Executive Committee members for attending and also for their work in running the College.

Reviewing the reports of the College committees, it is clear that they have remained hard at work and we are all looking forward to the IVRA meeting in Dublin in June.

It was a long and productive day and many discussions were held.

Following the Winter Board Meeting there are a few updates below in this month’s newsletter.

Job Task Analysis (JTA)

The question has been raised whether a new JTA is really necessary. A JTA allows the Executive Committee of the ECVDI to gain information on demographic data and therefore better understand what the circumstances are in which our Diplomates are working. With this information, the JTA will help to direct the future of the College.

The aim of the JTA performed in 2018 was to update the Residency Training Programs and the Examination Syllabus to better reflect the workload of a certified veterinary radiologist. As a result, a substantial amount of the Bylaws could be changed along with the syllabus to make it easier to run standard programs (both SA and LA) based on this practice information. Alterations to the SA and LA residency and changes to the exam (the Resident Study Guide and the Examination Content Outline) were implemented by 2021.

It will be easier to evaluate whether our Residency Training Programs are still appropriate, e.g. if we are training enough in the area of Teleradiology in which most people will ultimately find their job, at least part-time? Can we direct our Diplomates and Teleradiology companies in more hybrid positions, so that we do not become ‘invisible’? Will that be our future?

The College has a bigger remit than simply providing well qualified candidates for the existing job market. The College also needs to nurture the specialty. The new JTA will help us to direct the future of our profession and mission of our College. The committee working on the new Job Task Analysis will be put together in the near future with Fintan McEvoy as Chair. Given our excellent experience with Rob Malinowski, Veterinary Specialty Exams, in the past years with helping with the ECVDI examinations, the Executive Committee agreed to use his expertise in designing the next JTA.

Please do not hesitate to volunteer to become part of the committee and/or provide the committee with ideas and suggestions. These can be addressed directly to Fintan, myself or Catherine, our College Administrator.

Flexible Pathway

Chris Warren-Smith presented the report of the Flexible Pathway Group with a suggestion of how to proceed to work on a modular route. The Flexible Pathway could replace the Alternate Route by having sufficient accredited modules for a course to run in 3 years (or more) similar to an Alternate Route. This proposal would have strict requirements for modules/courses which would have to be approved in advance and therefore no previous experience could be considered for the initial candidates. This may change once modules/courses are approved and candidates may already have taken these.

Assuming that there will not be enough time to discuss the “Flexible Pathway” and answer questions from the Diplomates during the AGM in June, we are planning on organizing a ZOOM meeting for our College members on the 13^th of April, 2023 at 7pm BST. Chris Warren-Smith, along with members of the Working Group will present a possible proposal how to go forward with developing a ‘Flexible Pathway”. There will be time for questions and ideas. I invite all of you to actively participate at this ZOOM meeting, so that the Executive Committee will have a better idea what College members want. More details and information will follow on this but please put the date in your diary,

Future Annual General Meetings (AGM)

The next AGM is planned on the 23^rd of June, 2023 at the IVRA Congress in Dublin. Since Covid the AGM is held as a hybrid meeting. The point of attending the AGM is to keep members up to date and involve them in the discussions, so we will maintain the possibility of attending the AGM virtually (remote attendance will be accepted as fulfilling the requirements of attendance for the reaccreditation), even though we do hope members will come in person on a regular basis.

Technician Society

Technicians have become essential to perform our profession at a high standard by using our more and more advanced and complicated diagnostic imaging equipment. To this point the College still does not have any form of umbrella for this group to join.

Particularly ultrasonographers are keen to work with the College. It feels like we should be embracing these initiatives to contribute to the quality assurance related to making radiographs and ultrasound guidelines, and could lead to further work in CT and MRI. Particularly as the Consensus Statement Oversight Committee (CSOC) is considering these areas. While this should historically fall to EAVDI, it the College should also be involved for quality assurance.

The Executive Board will look into the possibility of setting up a European Veterinary Society of Diagnostic Imaging Technicians and therefore are looking for preferably a technician to take the lead. Again, if you know someone who would be interested, please, let me know.

ACVR and ECVDI consensus statement for the standardization of the abdominal ultrasound examination

In November 2022 the joint ACVR/ECVDI Consensus Statement Oversight Committee (CSOC) presented a Standard of Care document, describing the ACVR and ECVDI definition for performing a standard abdominal ultrasound examination in dogs and cats. It is an Open Access document in VRUS published in November 2022. It would be great if our Diplomates would use it and spread the ‘news’. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vru.13151

Stay safe and make sure you attend the Zoom meeting on 13^th of April, 2023 if you have any questions or contributions concerning the Flexible Pathway.

With kind regards,
Susanne Boroffka
President, ECVDI

Call for Committees - Nominations 2023

Dear ECVDI Member

We are looking for new members for the following committees and so we ask you to nominate diplomate(s) whom you think would be suitable and willing to take on the tasks for these committees. You are also welcome to nominate yourself.

The deadline for the nominations is 31st March 2023. After the deadline, the Selection Committee will make proposals in conjunction with the committee chairs, to the Executive Committee. The new positions will start as soon as they are approved. Please email any nominations to Catherine Barclay at adminecvdi@ecvdi.eu.

Executive Committee – Member at Large

MAL attends AGMs, Executive Committee meetings, contributing to discussions and decisions made by the Executive Committee.

Examination Committee – 2 new members (1 SA, 1 LA)

Administers, organises and co-ordinates examinations. These tasks are ongoing throughout the year.

Media Committee – 1 new member required

Develops content for the ECVDI website and social media, keeping website current and archiving older items. This may include photographs from meetings and events, promotion of events on social media, articles highlighting members and their work, news items in the industry and a monthly newsletter of College activities and biographies of new Diplomates.

Credentials Committee – 2 new members required

The Credentials committee evaluates the Continuing Education Evaluation (CEE), assesses new residency programmes, reviews existing residence programmes, assesses the enrolment section and annual report for the portfolio, and assesses examination application forms. All tasks are ongoing throughout the year.

CSOC – 1 new member required (SA)

The Consensus Statement Oversight Committee aims to identify topics that could benefit from radiologist-developed consensus statements from best practices and scientific evidence. Although the committee is under the ACVR, the ECVDI maintains strong involvement with committee members and input from the membership. CSOC functions as a liaison between the Consensus Statement Subcommittees, the general membership of the ACVR and ECVDI, and ACVR and ECVDI Executive Council.

ACVR/ECVDI Artificial Intelligence Education and Development Committee (AI-EDC) – 5 new members required

This collaborative committee aims to promote education and develop guidelines in AI amongst diplomates and trainees in order to promote excellence in patient care.

Radioprotection – 2 new members required

Provides comprehensive guidelines for the safe use of radiation, keeping up to date with international protocols, training to ECVDI members, and reporting radiation issues.

Exam QA – 1 new member required

Provides an independent annual review of the ECVDI theoretical examination questions.

Scientific – 1 new member required

Reviews abstracts, organises resident seminars and organises the scientific programme for the annual EVDI meeting.

Job Task Analysis - 8 members required

The role of the JTA group is to survey practicing members to determine which modalities and procedures are currently being used. The information gathered will contribute to the revision of syllabus and resident training programmes, align theoretical examination with current job requirements, and enable strategic planning for the future development of the College.

Kind regards

Selection Committee (Nic Hayward, Esther Barrett, Chee Kin Lim)

ECVDI Resident Committee

Hey everyone!

A new resident committee has been created in order to facilitate the communication between the ECVDI executive committee and the residents. We are here to represent the residents’ interests and to raise possible issues to the executive committee. We want to ensure a collegiate and supportive environment for residents. Every year we will have at least two meetings: one in winter (February) and one before the AGM (around June) where we will discuss any issues, comments/suggestions and any other thoughts that you may have transmitted to us.

This spring we are planning to organise a survey for all residents in order to gather as much information as we can to best represent our collective interests. In the meantime, we have an email address that you can use to contact us with any immediate thoughts: rescom@ecvdi.eu

Due to the ongoing flux of residents in and out of the ECVDI residency program, a call for committee volunteers will be organised every year! The election (if need be) of the new committee will take place during the winter meeting.

As it is a new committee, it is difficult to give an estimation of the required amount of time spent working for the committee however keep in mind that the priority is to sit and pass the exams. At the moment the roles of the members are to prepare and participate in both meetings, but further roles could be discussed.

Chair: Alexis Gombert, Small animal track, 3rd year resident at Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Secretary: Victor Alves Nores, Small animal track, 2nd year resident at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialist, UK.

Members:

Catherine Veciana, Small animal track, 2nd year resident at ADVETIA (private hospital in Paris, France)

Ellen Law, Large animal track, 2nd year resident at Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Yasamin Vali, Small animal track, 3rd year resident at Vienna, University of Veterinary Medicine vienna, Austria

Faye Kormpou, Small animal track, 2nd year resident at Dick White Referrals, UK

Liaison to the Executive Committee: Ian Jones, member at large

Best,
The resident committee

RIVDI Update

New RIVDI Chairperson

The RIVDI committee has appointed Rhiannon Morgan as its new chairperson.

Laure Gatel will remain an active member of the RIVDI committee as past chair, we thank and congratulate her in expanding and evolving RIVDI into the success it is today, and are extremely grateful that she will continue to work and support the RIVDI training programme.

Diplomate RIVDI SA Session

The RIVDI committee are delighted that Dominique Penninck will present a RIVDI DIPLOMATE SA session via Zoom webinar on Wednesday 26th April 2023, at 20:00 (London time). An invitation with the cases will be emailed to all diplomates and the cases will also be available on the RIVDI diplomate page on the ECVDI website.

We are very keen to host a RIVDI DIPLOMATE LA session. We have been struggling to find willing presenters so if you would like to volunteer, please do get in touch.

If you would like to participate in the RIVDI training programme for either the residents or diplomates, please contact us at rivdi@ecvdi.eu for further information, we really appreciate your support.

Mock Board Practical Examination - 4th & 5th November 2023

The RIVDI committee is pleased to announce that this year's mock board practical examination will be held at the Novotel London Bridge hotel on 4th & 5th November 2023. We have experienced and specialist diplomates, for both large animals and small animals, who will each present some exciting and challenging cases. Additionally, an Examination committee Q&A and a wellbeing and stress management session will also be organised.

Further information regarding the Mock Board will be sent out to all residents in due course.

Kind regards
RIVDI Committee

BSAVA Postgraduate Certificates – Demonstrator role vacancies

BSAVA run several Postgraduate Certificates and to ensure the students get the most out of the course practical sessions we like to have demonstrators in place to assist, alongside the specialist speakers.

Why would I want to demonstrate?

Demonstrators gain experience of teaching, and the day can count as CPD.
The demonstrators will also benefit from working closely with highly-regarded specialists in their field.
You will be paid £300 for a full-day session or £200 for a half-day session (the only half-day session is Surgical Oncology), and a light lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Who can demonstrate?

Working as a demonstrator is a great avenue for residents or certificate holders.
Demonstrators will be expected to be familiar with the procedures that will be taught during that session (we will ensure you are allocated to a course that suits your experience and skills).
We currently require demonstrators in the following fields.
- Surgery – soft tissue and orthopaedic (practical sessions take place at Bristol University)
- Diagnostic imaging (practical sessions take place in Gloucester)
- Ophthalmology (practical sessions are split between BSAVA HQ – Woodrow House – in Gloucester, and Bristol University)
- Emergency and Critical Care (practical sessions take place at Bristol University)

Spaces fill up fast and will be booked on a first come first serve basis.

If you are interested, please contact: Jess Thompson j.thompson@bsava.com

Dates for the Diary

2023

13 April 2023: Zoom meeting for Diplomates to discuss Flexible Pathway
7 June 2023: ECVDI theoretical exam resit
18-23 June 2023: IVRA - University College Dublin, Ireland: http://www.ivraevdi2023.com
23 June 2023: ECVDI AGM - Hybrid meeting Dublin and online
4-5 November 2023: RIVDI Mock Board (London)

2024

24-25 January 2024: ECVDI Practical Exam - Zurich
26 January 2024: ECVDI Theoretical Exam - to be held remotely