ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine - ESRA
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ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine

 

The purpose of the ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine is to harmonize and improve quality standards for safe, independent practice of pain medicine in Europe and elsewhere.

The Diploma Program assesses the competencies of anaesthesiologist, acting within  a multidisciplinary team, and practicing as a pain medicine specialist.

The Diploma Program is intended to be complementary to national standards and enhance the competent, ethical, and professional care of pain medicine.

The first examination was organised in September 2017 during the 36th Annual ESRA Congress, in Lugano, Switzerland.


In April 2024, both European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) Diplomas – ESRA European Diploma of Regional Anaesthesia (ESRA-DRA) and ESRA- European Diploma of Pain Medicine (ESRA-DPM), were accredited by UEMS-CESMA further to an appraisal that took place in September 2023 during the 41st ESRA World Congress in Paris.

ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine 2025

Part I MCQ exam:

60 MCQ questions

  • Remote exam
  • When? Friday, 11 April 2025 – 10.00am-11.30am CET
  • Where? Remote exam, the candidate will be expected to take the exam from home/office
  • Applications TBA

Part II viva exam:

  • When? Saturday, 12 April 2025
  • Where? Dhaka, Bangladesh, before the BSSP Annual Pain Conference (registration mandatory)
  • Applications TBA

*

  • When? Tuesday, 9 September 2025
  • Where? Oslo, Norway, before the 42nd ESRA Annual Congress
  • Applications TBA

The ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine Part 1 Examination

Pre-requisites:

The applicants must fulfil the following requirements:

1      The applicant has been in an official anaesthesiology training program before applying for the examination

2      The applicant must provide evidence of training in pain medicine for at least 6 months

3      The applicant is an ESRA member, with valid membership

4      The applicant must have good command of English (as demonstrated at the examination)

One full ESRA annual congress registration is mandatory to be eligible for the part 2 examination, candidates can either provide a certificate of attendance of a previous ESRA annual congress or a confirmation of registration that they are attending the congress when sitting the part 2. A registration for one day only is not enough, the entire congress needs to be attended.

 

Applicants who are already practicing as specialists or consultants at their institution need to produce a letter from the chair of the department or employer specifying that they are engaged in sessions of chronic pain management.

Part I:

  • Will be a 60 MCQ paper with a stem and 5 possible answers. Candidates will be asked to distinguish  True and False statements.
  • There will be no negative marking for candidates who choose the wrong answer.
  • The questions will be set to reflect a broad pain curriculum and will be weighted to represent the importance of an area of the curriculum as viewed by the examination faculty.
  • The examination faculty will be responsible for setting agreeing and refreshing a bank of MCQ pain questions to serve as the basis for the Part 1.

Part 1 Examination will be compulsory for all candidates.

The ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine Part 2 Examination:

  • Part 2 of the examination shall consist of a series of viva questions centred on 2 clinical scenarios that will be predetermined for the examiners by the faculty.
  • The examiners will be allowed a number of open guiding questions to guide the candidate through a scenario.
  • The scenario will not be set rigidly neither will the examiners be given marking scenarios.
  • 2 viva examiners will conduct the examination of each candidate. There might be an observer as well.

 

The ESRA European Diploma of Pain Medicine part I must be taken before part II.

 

Examination fees:

The examination fee for part I is €300 (€300/sitting) and part II is €700 (€700/sitting) and must be paid in advance upon confirmation of application. Please note that cheques are not accepted.

Cancellation policy

  • A withdrawal request submitted to the Examination Office before the closing date of applications is entitled to a refund of the exam fee, minus the administration fee of €150, which is automatically deducted from the refund.
  • A withdrawal request submitted after the closing date of applications is not entitled to any refund.
  • In exceptional circumstances a transfer request may be granted, if there is a serious medical condition that prevents the candidate sitting the examination and the request reaches the Exams Office no later than 2 weeks prior to the first date of the exam.
  • Transfer requests received after that date will not be entertained.
  • Transfer requests due to visa difficulties and/or postal delays will not be entertained.
  • Refunds will only be processed after the examination.
  • The administration fee is non-refundable.

Curriculum:

Click here to access the full syllabus with the list of topics for candidates to prepare for the examination. This document is the summary of clinical conditions that the candidate should have, the knowledge and skills to diagnose and manage chronic pain patient in pain medicine practice.

Regulations:

Click here to access the regulations. This document provides information regarding training, curricula and exam regulations for the European Diploma in Pain Medicine Management (ESRA-DPM) of the European Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Therapy.

Preparation Sessions:

Click here to access the ESRA Academy with your ESRA membership credentials and find webcasted presentations from our experts to help you be ready for your exam.

Committee members:

Chair:

Andrzej Krol, UK

Vice-Chairs:

  • Eric Buchser, Switzerland
  • Athmaja Thottungal, UK

Members:

  • Gaurav Chabra, UK
  • Pasquale De Negri, Italy
  • Senthil Jayaseelan, UK
  • Anu Kansal, UK
  • Maurizio Marchesini, Italy
  • Vaishali Wankhede, Switzerland

Ex-Officio Board Member:

  • Eleni Moka, Greece

Click here to access the terms of reference.

 

Diplomates:

The list of diplomates is available here.