BRESO aims to promote accredited specialist breast surgical care for breast cancer patients and women at high risk of breast cancer by offering a dedicated certification programme in breast cancer surgery.
Retrospective certification is open to practicing surgeons with more than 5 years experience at consultant/attending level.
The BRESO certification requires:
- Full medical qualification and active licence to practice (in good standing, surgeons under suspension will not be eligible) and have completed surgical training in general, gynaecology or plastic surgery.
- Is currently working as a senior/attending/consultant surgeon (and for at least the 5 previous years) in a specialist breast unit treating a minimum of 150 cases per year for at least 2 of these 5 years and personally treating a minimum of 50 cases per year for all of the previous 5 years. Practice may be in a public or private hospital or a combination of the two. Practice must be breast focused for at least 50% of your working hours.
- Publications related to breast surgery: minimum of 3 pubmed listed publications over the entire career and documentary evidence of engagement with service improvement (e.g. one completed audit or service evaluation of local unit practice, academic presentation (oral or poster) either one pubmed cited publication per year for the past 5 years to demonstrate engagement with service improvement and a good understanding or evidence based practice).
- Evidence of attending at least 1 breast congress or course per year of which 2 must be international (such as EBCC, St Gallen, San Antonio, Senaturk), in the previous 5 years. Congress may be virtual.
- Evidence of weekly attendance at a properly constituted breast MDT (with attendance of a medical and radiation oncologist, pathologist and imaging consultant). At least 50% attendance is required.
- Having passed an examination to certify your expertise in breast surgery (honorary certification is acceptable) OR provide evidence of advanced level competency in the management of breast cancer, including oncoplastic techniques (BRESO acknowledges that breast examinations are a recent development)
- Summary log book for the past 5 years to confirm minimum of 50 cases treated per year, of which the following must be included: 30 ANCs, 100 SLNB, 50 Mx, 150 BCS and 20 oncoplastic cases (including involvement in post-mastectomy reconstruction and oncoplastic conservation surgery either as lead surgeon or collaborating surgeon within an oncoplastic team).
- Payment of fee of 350 Euros.
On receipt of all relevant documents and payment of the administration fee, eligibility will be assessed by BRESO relevant working group.
If successful, a BRESO certificate will be sent out via Email and the candidate's name will be added to the list of BRESO certified surgeons on the BRESO website. The certification is valid through 10 years.
Candidates will be permitted to use the post nominals: CEBS, Certificate of European Breast Surgery.
Download here the retrospective certification application form and return it once completed to info@breastsurgeoncertification.com copying in maria.popovics@essoweb.org together with all relevant documentation. Please use this checklist for the required documents and respect the number of files you can submit.
