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Issue: July/August 2014
July 01, 2014
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EPOS-EFORT Educational Programme: New BAT Basic & Trauma Trilogy in Children’s Orthopaedics

3rd EPOS-EFORT BAT Instructional Course-Paediatrics Basic I: 24-26 September 2014, Vienna, Austria

Issue: July/August 2014

The third EPOS-EFORT BAT Basic and Trauma Trilogy will commence with the Basic Course I to be held in Vienna, Austria, from 24 to 26 September. Prof. Hakan Ömeroglu, Professor at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey, and Chairman of the EPOS Education Committee, provides some insight into both the new Trilogy and the upcoming course in Vienna.

Q: Professor Ömeroglu, the first of three Instructional Courses of the EPOS-EFORT educational programme in children’s orthopaedics begins with the Basic Course I to be held in Vienna this September. Basic Course I will then be followed by the Trauma Course in March and Basic Course II in October 2015. What is the idea behind the BAT Basic and Trauma Trilogy courses? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: The number of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons is significantly decreasing in Europe and North America. In view of the demographic changes and the aging of populations in most of the developed world, many orthopaedists would rather concentrate on the challenges involved in the care of the elderly. The main aim of the educational program we have developed in cooperation with EFORT is to encourage young orthopaedic surgeons to specialize in the field of children’s orthopaedics. In educating colleagues from all over Europe and beyond, we are also taking account of the growing need for harmonizing education throughout Europe among doctors of the same speciality. Parents want their children to be cared for in the best possible way, no matter where they live.

Q: What does “BAT” stand for, and why is the training cycle that EFORT and EPOS are offering referred to as the “BAT Trilogy”? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: The acronym BAT refers to Basic Courses, Advanced Courses and Traumatology Courses which are part of the comprehensive Educational Pyramid Programme of EFORT. The BAT Trilogy consists of three courses of three days each, covering Basic I, Basic II and Trauma. In order to graduate, participants have to complete all three courses. The program corresponds to the core curriculum for children’s orthopaedics developed by the EBOT.

BAT Course 

Q: So is it mainly young doctors, planning to take the EBOT exam, who should attend the EPOS-EFORT BAT Programme? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: Colleagues planning to sit for the EBOT exam will certainly find the Trilogy particularly useful, because it covers the relevant curriculum. But the target group goes beyond them. We are mainly reaching out to residents in training as well as to young orthopaedic surgeons. If a more experienced general orthopaedic surgeon wishes to update his or her basic knowledge in children’s orthopaedics, he or she will also find this series of courses very rewarding.

Prof. Hakan Ömeroglu
Prof. Hakan Ömeroglu

We consider children’s orthopaedics as the basis of the entire orthopaedic field, so every orthopaedic surgeon should have at least basic knowledge in this subspecialty. While aging is a main topic in the developed world, in the Middle East, Africa or many countries in Asia, the percentage of young people in the population is growing and there clearly is a need for paediatric orthopaedics in these parts of the world.

The BAT Trilogy therefore does not just have a European focus: we also invite colleagues from all over the world, especially developing countries.

Q: Have the first two Trilogies been successful? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: The first two Trilogies in 2011 to 2012 and 2012 to 2013 can be considered a full success. I would like to congratulate Prof. Møller-Madsen from Denmark, former Chairman of the EPOS Education Committee and organizer of these courses, for his tireless and serious efforts on the first two BAT Trilogies.

Between 2011 and 2013, 43 colleagues from 20 different countries completed the Trilogies, fully graduating after having taken all three courses. Many others participated in selected courses. To give you an example, at the BAT-Basic II in October 2013 we had 107 registrations from 27 countries and 3 continents.

Q: Even though the fees of the courses are intended to be affordable for young colleagues still in training, some of them might find it difficult to mobilize resources, particularly if they come from outside the EU. Is there any support system in place to help them? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: Yes, EPOS is providing at least 10 grants for young surgeons and residents in training (http://www.epos.org/meetings-courses-events/epos-bat-educational-program/bat-course-grants). The deadline for application is 30 June. We are also encouraging the national societies to provide scholarships for the BAT Trilogy, and some do, as we already know.

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Q: Could you give us an idea of the format and structure of the courses? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: It is our major aim to facilitate a problem-solving approach in the diagnosis and management of orthopaedic conditions in children. We are offering a top-qualified faculty, composed of specialists in children’s orthopaedics from all over Europe who are highly recognized internationally.

The courses provide theoretical lectures, but our main focus is on a highly interactive program with practical sessions, interactive case discussions and hands-on sessions. So participants will be able, for example, to practice using saw bone models or on clubfoot models, read and analyze hip ultrasonography images and discuss real-life cases, etc.

Q: Could you please comment on the contents of the upcoming Basic I in Vienna? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: The Basic I course focuses on the biology of children’s bones that are still growing, specifically in connection with the most common orthopaedic deformities and disorders in this age-group. This includes such highlights as foot and hip disorders, leg length discrepancy and torsional deformities.

Q: Could you also mention a few highlights of the Trauma and the Basic II in 2015? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: The Basic II course will concentrate on the upper limb, knee and spine, as well as on the common problem of infections. The Trauma course will deal with topics such as fractures in children, diagnostics, and fracture treatment in the upper and lower extremities.

Q: All this sounds very interesting. Why did you choose Vienna for the third time in a row to host the courses? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: We are planning to stay in Vienna for all of the Trilogy courses. The main reason for having chosen Vienna is that Speising Hospital is able to provide important logistic support. This location features excellent, flexibly sized lecture halls and exemplary equipment, thus providing an ideal environment, inter alia, for the hands-on parts of the courses. I am glad we are currently cooperating with the new head of the Paediatric Orthopaedics Department at Speising, Dr. Rudi Ganger, who is also serving as Local Host and Chairperson of the courses. One additional reason is that we felt it was also important for this program to be set at a central location in Europe, which Vienna no doubt is. There are convenient direct flights from all European capitals.

Q: This has been a comprehensive tour-d’horizont of the upcoming BAT Trilogy. Is there anything else you would like to mention? 

Prof. Ömeroglu: I would like to use the opportunity to thank EFORT for the readiness and ambition with which this organization has taken up this program and provided the resources to put it into action. I am proud to say that we have been the pioneers in this respect. Other subspecialty societies have followed our concept and developed similar programs: the European Hip Society and the European Foot and Ankle Society, for example.

Q: Thank you for the interview.