The Diploma intends to widen the activity spectrum of those anaesthesia specialists who are already in clinical practice and are interested in acquiring additional knowledge encompassing the entire field of regional anaesthesia and acute pain management.
The concept of ESRA- and CME / CDP-approved courses and workshops takes into account the knowledge level of reasonably experienced clinicians. The salient points of different techniques, the overall strategies for their use, as well as their advantages and risks, are stressed in each of the courses and workshops candidates attend.
Regional techniques are integral components of anaesthesia and are frequently administered to high-risk patients, ranging from newborns to the frail elderly. Therefore, the objective of the examination is to treat defined subjects in an encompassing way, with sound knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology related to regional anaesthesia, as well as skills in block performance in a holistic context. A proper approach to acute pain management is mandatory in the clinical practice of anaesthesia and its knowledge is part of the content of the EDRA examination.
The EDRA examination takes place yearly at the ESRA Annual meeting each September. Regional anaesthesia colleagues from outside Europe are able to participate in EDRA Part I (the written test) on the occasions that it takes place overseas, for example, in India and Singapore, or during world congresses, such as South Africa 2014. The venues and dates for the EDRA Part I examinations outside Europe will be posted on the ESRA website with at least 3 months’ notice.
EDRA Part I
EDRA Part II
Frequently Asked Questions
Code of Conduct
The EDRA part II is now split into 2 parts, Section A (remote or onsite) and Section B (onsite only). Both parts are mandatory.
Section A:
Section B:
* The EDRA Board reserves the right to close the applications if the maximum capacity is reached before the closing date.
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ESRA reserves its right to cancel the examinations depending on the COVID-19 evolution and governmental or health institution decisions. In that case the registration fees will be refunded but an administration fee of 90 Euros is non-refundable.
Special national restrictions like quarantine before/after traveling have to be taken into account by the candidates and are NOT the responsibility of ESRA and its national societies. Candidates who travel to another country for congress/exam has to inform her/himself about possible traveling restrictions.
From 2019, the EDRA part I will also be organised in different languages either during the ESRA annual congress or during national congresses of ESRA affiliated societies.
National ESRA affiliated societies have until the 31st March to submit an application by email to edra@esraeurope.org in case they are interested in having the diploma in their own language.
The requirements can be found here.
The examination fees are: Part I, €300 (€150 / retake), and Part II, €200 for each part II exam the onsite & remote part (€200 / retake). Fees must be paid in advance, upon application approval. The application fee is divided into a €150 administration fee that is at no point refundable and a registration fee, payable after the registration has been vetted.
For cancellations received until 1 month before the examination, the registration fee will be refunded but the €150 administration fee will be deducted.
After 1 month before the examination, refunds will only be considered for exceptional circumstances (e.g. unwell medically, family bereavement, etc.). Documentation to support exceptional circumstances will be asked.
Refunds will only be processed after the examination.
EDRA Part I results are communicated by email within one month after the day of examination. The total score will be provided. It is not possible for candidates to access individual exam papers (the exam itself) or to review questions.
EDRA Part II results are communicated by email within one month after the day of examination. The result is either pass or fail. In case of failure, upon request, a letter from the EDRA Chair and Part II Vice-Chair will provide details about the individual’s examination performance and any reasons for failure.
Feedback and constructive criticism regarding parts I and II are welcome and helps us to improve our efforts and the quality of the EDRA examination process. However, Insults or threats to the Exam Committee or its members are not tolerated. Regrettably, a small minority of unsuccessful candidates in the past have used an aggressive or demanding tone, that in some rare cases, became offensive. We understand the frustration of failing an exam; regardless, we will report any and all aggressive and / or offensive incidents to the ESRA Board, which may subsequently choose to exclude candidates from EDRA and ESRA as consequence.
We expect every candidate to exhibit respectful behaviour during both the written and oral exam toward examiners, models, and EDRA / Congress staff. Inappropriate behaviour (cheating on the written exam, insulting examiners, etc.) may lead to immediate exclusion and disqualification from the EDRA exam.
EDRA will be conducted in both parts in English, therefore a good command of English is strongly recommended. The MCQ for EDRA part I will be corrected by English native speakers to avoid unnecessary confusion.
The faculty of EDRA part II is international. All of them are experienced examiners and speakers at international congresses. The English of the examiners is in all cases clearly understandable but not equivalent to a native speaker level. As there are two examiners in the room, all potential language-derived questions could be cleared during the exam.
Unsuccessful participants are encouraged to re-take the failed part of the exam at a reduced fee. Re-takers may apply for the exam to be performed at the ESRA annual meeting with no additional requirements. EDRA part I can be re-taken unlimited times. EDRA part II can be only taken three times. If a candidate fail EDRA part II for the 3rd time, he/she will need to repeat full requirements (3 workshops) and take both EDRA part I and II exams again.
The list of diplomates who have passed the EDRA examination is shown here.
The use of the EDRA logo is strictly reserved for the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA). The sentence “Counts towards the EDRA” can only be used on CME-accredited workshop materials.
A workshop organised by a national society affiliated with ESRA is only valid if it is CME-accredited.
Click here to access the terms of reference.
Morné Wolmarans, UK Chair Oya Yalcin Cok, Turkey Vice-Chair Part I Peter Merjavy, UK Vice-Chair Part II
Margaretha Breebaart, Belgium Alan Macfarlane, UK Alexandros Makris, Greece Barbara Rupnik, Switzerland Emine Aysu Salviz, Turkey Andrea Saporito, Switzerland
Thomas Volk, Germany, ESRA President
Balaji Packianathaswamy, UK Herman Sehmbi, Canada André Van Zundert, Australia
For further information, please contact the EDRA Office Tel: +41 22 510 56 11 Email: edra@esraeurope.org
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