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IBHRE certification grows in value around the globe, as we add the
Physician EP Exam
The International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE), recognized
globally as the highest benchmark of professional competency in its
specialty, is a self-governing credentialing organization that offers
competency certification in cardiac rhythm device therapy and cardiac
electrophysiology for physicians and allied professionals. IBHRE
currently offers three certifications designed to demonstrate a mastery
of knowledge in cardiac rhythm management: Cardiac Rhythm Device Therapy
for the Physician, Cardiac Rhythm Device Therapy for the Allied
Professional and Cardiac Electrophysiology for the Allied Professional.
In late 2011, IBHRE will introduce a fourth certification through the
Examination for Competency in Cardiac Electrophysiology for the
Physician (MD EP). The new Physician EP exam will bridge the difference
between language and practice to meet the certification needs of
internationally diverse healthcare systems.
The exam
will feature a core electrophysiology component and one of two modules
for the physician – Adult Electrophysiology or Pediatric
Electrophysiology. Physicians who qualify according to the eligibility
requirements policy may elect to take either of the two examinations.
The Core exam component will cover topics in cardiac anatomy and
physiology, basic pharmacology, electrocardiography, clinical patient
assessment and clinical EP, basic EP, laboratory/surgical//implant
procedure, invasive EP, catheter mapping and ablation, implantable
devices, imaging in EP, anesthesia in the EP lab, research, ethics,
methodology, statistics and interpretation. The Adult EP model will
cover pharmacology in adult population, clinical assessment and clinical
EP in adult population, cellular EP, autonomics, sudden death in adult
population, invasive EP, catheter ablation mapping in adult population,
applications of implantable devices and translation from clinical
research to adult patient management. The Pediatric EP module will cover
development EP, basic science to clinical impact in pediatrics, EP of
congenital heart disease in pediatrics, clinical management of pediatric
EP, invasive EP testing in children and patients with congenital heart
disease, surgical ablation in patients with congenital heart diseases
and implantable devices in children.
Furthering the heart rhythm profession around the globe
Successful certificants will receive the credential of Certified
Electrophysiology Specialist, Physician (CEPS). The Physician EP exam
will help to standardize EP knowledge particularly for international,
pediatric and qualifying U.S. physicians who are not board eligible for
the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) exam. The exam will not
be made available to ABIM eligible candidates. Physicians who have had
all of their training in the United States and are eligible to sit for
the ABIM Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Clinical
Cardiac Electrophysiology Board exams should utilize that pathway to
achieve Board Certification.
Specific
education and training is required to sit for the exam. Applicants must
be licensed physicians with active involvement in the clinical
management and care of adult or pediatric patients. Physicians must also
have successfully completed training equivalent to an accredited medical
school, residency and fellowship. Physicians that were trained prior to
the availability of EP-specific training programs (generally prior to
the late 1990s) would be able to take the exam based on confirmation of
appropriate exposure to EP and continued practice as an EP.
If you have the training and the experience, now you can also have the
credentials.
The
Physician EP exam was developed to fill a gap in the quality of EP
knowledge around the globe. The exam will evaluate knowledge and
judgment in the broad domain of clinical cardiac electrophysiology and
the diagnosis and treatment of patients who suffer from heart rhythm
disorders.
While the
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) offers EP certification for
physicians, there are many physicians who would like to obtain the
credential for “Board Certified Electrophysiologist” but are not
eligible for the U.S. EP Board exam delivered by ABIM. IBHRE saw the
need to develop an international examination to certify physicians in EP
who are qualified by their training or experience to take such an exam,
but who may not be eligible to take the ABIM exam.
There are
three specific groups of physicians that do not qualify to take the ABIM
EP Board exam and would benefit from IBHRE EP Certification:
-
Pediatric Cardiologists
Pediatric Cardiologists with special training and expertise in
cardiac electrophysiology are not eligible to take the U.S. ABIM EP
Board Exam, as it requires adult cardiology certification. Currently,
pediatric electrophysiologists in the U.S. have no route to board
certification beyond the Pediatric Cardiology Sub-Board examination of
the American Board of Pediatrics. In fact, there are no third-tier
examinations available for any of the subspecialties of pediatric
cardiology. The new Physician EP exam is designed to provide a route to
board certification for pediatric cardiologists who have completed
advanced training in pediatric electrophysiology. The pediatric content
for the examination was developed by an international committee of
recognized experts in pediatric electrophysiology.
-
U.S. physicians who obtained part or all of their education abroad
ABIM requires that the physician must be U.S. Board Certified in both
Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine. Many physicians in the
U.S. have received a portion or all of their Internal Medicine or
Cardiovascular Medicine training outside of the U.S. and are therefore
not eligible to take the U.S. ABIM EP Board Exam.
-
Physicians in other countries
Many physicians in countries such as Canada, Australia, China,
India, Japan, and the Middle East would like to be Board Certified in
EP, but they do not meet the U.S. requirements.
IBHRE
developed the Physician EP exam in response to the needs of these
physician groups that are ineligible for the ABIM exam, in order to
offer them a means to certification in their subspecialty from an
internationally recognized organization. By standardizing EP practice
the new Physician EP exam will make way for more physicians to establish
a defined profile of expertise, gain insight into new clinical knowledge
and elevate their status in the field.
A worldwide standard for EP excellence
As a
global leader in cardiac rhythm device therapy and electrophysiology
certification, IBHRE is expanding its competency examinations
internationally to:
-
Standardize the practice of cardiac rhythm management worldwide
-
Maintain
a diverse and high level of expertise among cardiac care professionals
-
Advance
the heart rhythm profession by meeting the specific credentialing needs
of international healthcare systems
IBHRE has
long recognized that global standardization of knowledge is critical for
the advancement of the heart rhythm profession. Given the specialized
knowledge necessary to provide an acceptable level of care for the
arrhythmia patient, it is essential that some measure of competence be
expected of the healthcare professional. IBHRE provides an international
standard for validation of competency for the physician and allied
healthcare professional. IBHRE validates this position through a diverse
body of international subject matter experts, the delivery of foreign
language examinations, and through representation of its international
certificant-base.
Promoting EP Excellence in any language
IBHRE is well positioned to assist countries with the development of
pacing and EP certification programs to standardize optimal healthcare
practices, safeguard patient care and certify knowledge. The exam will
be worldwide, by computer-based testing, in tailored languages.
Candidates may sit for our given examination or have their organization
partner with IBHRE to tailor and deliver the exam in their preferred
language.
If you would like to bring an IBHRE exam to your country, you can get
started by contacting the IBHRE Executive Director at
ssesay-tuffour@hrsonline.org.
Resources:
Online Application
Eligibility Requirements
Content
Outline
Reading List
FAQs
IBHRE Candidate Bulletin for the Physician and Allied Professional
Exam Calendar
Exam Fees Back to
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