The European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) and the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS) have established a subspecialty examination which includes Oculoplastic, Lacrimal and Orbital disease management and surgery as well as Aesthetics (OLOA).
ESOPRS will be responsible for exercising and overseeing the examination through their Examination Board. The EBO will be responsible for the administrative aspects of the examination.
The subspecialty examination is intended to provide formal recognition of subspecialty training and expertise in OLOA across Europe.
To harmonize the subspecialty training and expertise across Europe in order to provide a structure within which ophthalmologists who specialise in OLOA have their skills and expertise examined and certified.
The examination is primarily aimed at trainees who have recently completed at least a one-year full-time fellowship to ICO Fellowship Training standards in OLOA, as described in the ICO Subspecialty Curriculum for Ophthalmic and Facial Plastic Surgery (or equivalent), and are starting their independent practice.
For ICO curriculum details (p 7-18) please click here
Specialists in ophthalmology with particular interest and experience in OLOA have the opportunity to have their knowledge and expertise tested and officially acknowledged by sitting the EBO-ESOPRS Subspecialty Exam.
To pass the examination, candidates are expected to demonstrate the ability to diagnose and manage OLOA conditions. The examination is broadly based on the ’ICO Subspecialty Curriculum in Ophthalmic and Facial Plastic Surgery’, but questions may extend to any subject related to the practice of oculoplastic and lacrimal surgery, as well as management of orbital conditions and aesthetics in Ophthalmology.
The EBO-ESOPRS exam is a yearly one-day exam, held in person at the ESOPRS meeting in September. It consists of a written and oral part, and the language of the exam is English.
Important Dates
4 November 2024 Candidate application process opens (on-line)
16 February 2025 Candidate application deadline (including submission of all supporting documents)
25 April 2025 Confirmation for eligible candidates to sit the examination
20 June 2025 Candidates confirm intent to sit examination
10 September 2025 MCQ & Viva-voce exam, Prague
The fee to sit the EBO-ESOPRS Subspecialty Exam is €850. The exam fee is requested at the time of application.
Candidates who do not meet the entry requirements will be eligible for a refund of €750 taking into account administration and review of documentation.
Candidates who are accepted to sit the exam and cancel after the confirmation date or do not show up at the exam will not be eligible for a refund.
Please ensure that you are available to sit the exam before applying
1. Candidates must submit evidence that they have passed the Basic EBO exam or equivalent (eg FRCOphth)
Equivalence will be determined by the Examination Board. Any candidate submitting a qualification other than the EBO diploma should provide this documentation a minimum of 3 months before the application closing date.
2. Candidates must have successfully completed a minimum of 12 months full-time subspecialty fellowship at an institution that fulfils the criteria in oculoplastics, lacrimal and orbital training and exposure to cosmetic/aesthetic surgery. Any part-time experience will be considered on a pro rata basis.
The candidate will need to submit validating documents as follows:
a) a letter of recommendation from the Trainers responsible for the advanced subspecialty training, or Head of Department, guaranteeing that (i) the candidate is eligible for this exam, that (ii) all requirements are fulfilled, and that (iii) the candidate has had appropriate supervision during advanced subspecialty training.
b) a letter from the Programme Director or administrator confirming the dates of training.
3. Candidates must have fulfilled all the requirements of the curriculum and completed a surgical log-book
a) copy of the candidate’s surgical log-book must be validated by their Fellowship Director or person of equivalent standing who satisfies the criteria, and submitted with the application to sit the exam.
b) for each procedure the record must include procedure performed by the candidate (ie first surgeon) the record must include procedure performed (in English), date of procedure and age of patient. All other identifiable patient data must be excluded.
c) for audit purposes, the examination board reserves the right to inspect a copy of the original record of any listed surgical procedure, with the patient’s name and address removed.
4. Candidates should be a certified Specialist in Ophthalmology in a member country of the UEMS. To confirm your country is a member of UEMS, please click here
5. Candidates must submit the above to the EBO, together with a jpeg. passport style photograph and proof of the registration fee payment, and a completed application form the EBO website (www.ebo-online.org) All necessary forms are at the end of this document
While EBO-ESOPRS does not limit the training to specific centres, particular requirements have to be satisfied within the training-centre and by the trainer responsible for of the training in order to fulfil the eligibility criteria of the candidate to the EBO-ESOPRS.
The candidate may choose the centre training of their choice specialising in the management of oculoplastic, lacrimal, orbital and aesthetic conditions (OLOA) in Europe, or an internationally reputed department in or outside Europe.
1.Institution
1.1 The training must be conducted in an institution that offers a training program with adequate capacity, appropriate infrastructure for high quality, diverse exposure to OLOA cases and their management. The institution should have a sufficient number of OLOA patients as well as an area fully equipped with access to current diagnostic equipment.
1.2 Adequate operating facilities are mandatory, including an operating microscope.
1.3 The institution must provide access to a medical library and facilities for electronic retrieval of medical literature and information from medical databases.
1.4 The institution has to have all facilities to complete the requirements of the log-book.
1.4 The institution should also be able to suggest educational activities, specifically critical evaluation of literature, didactic lectures and grand rounds. Clinical research activities with presentations at meetings should be encouraged.
2. Trainer
2.1 The Trainer responsible for the training of the candidate is not necessarily the Head of Department.
2.2 The following requirements of the Trainer are to be documented:
a) appropriate educational qualifications, including certification in ophthalmology and acknowledged expertise in OLOA
b) a minimum of 5 years devoted mainly to the care of OLOA patients
c) national and international activities in teaching/research in the area of OLOA.
d) the Trainer must be personally responsible for the educational experience during the entire training period, with active supervision of the candidate during their training and agrees to document in writing on the appropriate form prepared by EBO the accomplishment of all requirements (theoretical, clinical, surgical, research, reading, behavioural etc) as well as the log book for various procedures.
e) periodical evaluations/progress reports during the training are requested and need to be documented
Candidates are advised to present to the examination room a minimum of 15 min before the start of the exam, with their passport, identity card, or photo card driver’s licence as ID. Latecomers will not be permitted to sit the exam.
No bags or electronic equipment/phones will be allowed in the exam room.
There will be one MCQ paper of 2½ hours with 65 questions, which will range across oculoplastics, lacrimal, orbital and aesthetic conditions and management. Question stems may include clinical pictures or investigations such as CT/MRI scans or pathology reports.
There will be a stem statement or question with 5 independent responses, any or all of which may be correct or incorrect. Answers are either true (T) or false (F). Answers are marked +1 when correct and – ½ when incorrect, double marked or left blank.
Answer sheets are scanned, computer marked, and analysed in the same manner as the other EBO subspecialty exams.
This is to assess higher order reflection, problem solving, and professional attitude.
The candidate is expected to have the requisite level of knowledge and experience to be able to practice independently.
Examiners will have tablets displaying clinical features, imaging, pathology reports, surgical dilemmas, etc, for discussion with the candidate.
There will be 4 stations with 2 examiners each (15 min per station).
A: Oculoplastic B: Lacrimal C: Orbital D: Aesthetic
The MCQ and the Oral exam carry the same weight, that is, 50% each.
A pass in both parts is required to pass the exam.
Unsuccessful candidates have the right to appeal to the examination board if they believe they have not been judged fairly. The board must receive such appeals in writing within 3 months of the date of the examination, and will respond in writing within 3 months of receipt of the appeal.
The decision of the Examination Board in relation to all academic aspects of the examination shall be final.
Exam 2025 application deadline: 16 February 2025
Detailed exam application form must be completed following initial application form and emailed back to ebo@ebo-online.org
Recommendation letter from candidates Trainer must be completed by candidates’ Trainer and emailed back to ebo@ebo-online.org
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European Board of Ophthalmology
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Email: ebo@ebo-online.org
