Frequently Asked Questions: Workshops accepted for EDRA Part 2 exam

Registration for both EDRA part 1 and EDRA Part 2 exams, which will take place in Paris on 6^th September (Part 1) and 4^th-5^th September 2023  (Part 2) will open soon. Candidates who successfully passed the EDRA Part 1 exam will need to provide evidence of attending several workshops required for the EDRA Part 2 exam. As the rules for the workshops have changed last year, we would like to bring more light into this potentially confusing topic and answer frequently asked questions from many candidates. This guidance is produced for the candidates from Europe only (including UK). Candidates from outside Europe should seek the separate guidance for their EDRA workshops guidance.

Q: How many workshops do I need to attend for EDRA Part 2 exam?
A: You need a minimum of 3 workshops. One of them must be cadaveric and one of them must be an official ESRA workshop (organised by ESRA).

Q: Can I use my regional anaesthesia workshop, which I attended 10 years ago?
A: No, unfortunately the EDRA Board will only accept workshops (compatible with the EDRA requirements) attended in the period of 5 years PRIOR TO YOUR EXAM DATE.

Q: One of the requirements for EDRA exam is attending at least one ESRA Congress. Is this time limited as well?
A: Yes, the certificate from ESRA Congress should not be older than 5 years prior to your exam date.

Q: I have successfully submitted all 3 workshops for the EDRA Part 2 exam, but I have failed exam. Do I need to repeat some or all of my workshops for my second (or third) exam attempt?
A: Not necessarily. You need to check if all your workshop will fulfil the criteria of less than 5 years prior to your second (or third) exam attempt for that particular part of the EDRA 2 exam (either 2A or 2B).

Q: What are the new EDRA Approved workshops?
A: You can only use the workshops organised after 1^st July 2022 for EDRA Part 2 exam if the workshop has been recognised with the “EDRA Approved” status. No other workshops attended after 1^st July 2022 will be accepted.

Q: Do I need to collect the certain amount of EDRA points from the workshops for the EDRA Part 2 exam?
A: Yes, after the transition period ends on 30^th June 2027, you need to submit workshops that generate a minimum number of 20 points. A minimum 10 of those 20 points must be Ultrasound Hands-on points. A minimum 6 of those 20 points must be Cadaveric Hands-on points.

Q: Can I submit more than 20 EDRA points from my workshops?
A: Yes, you can always add more workshops but only 20 points are necessary. However you can attend as many workshops as you feel is necessary to become competent and confident in applied anatomy and sono-anatomy for regional anaesthesia.

Q: What workshops will be accepted from 1^st January 2023 until the end of transition period (30^th June 2027)?
A:  A minimum of 3 workshops in total will be required for the transition period. This must include at least one cadaveric workshop and at least one official ESRA workshop as long as they are not older than 5 years before the date of the exam. All workshops organised after the start of transition period (1^st July 2022) must have the “EDRA Approved” status.

Q: Do I need to submit at least 20 EDRA points for the EDRA Part 2 exam during the transition period?
A: No, you do not have to collect the minimum of 20 EDRA points during the transition period.

Those 20 EDRA points will only be mandatory to submit for EDRA Part 2 exams organised after 1^st July 2027.

Between 1^st January 2023 and 1^st July 2027 candidates will be able to submit a mixture of workshops organised before 1^st July 2022 and after the 1^st July 2022.  Up to the point of full transition (1^st July 2027) EDRA will accept 3 workshops (1 cadaver, 1 ESRA, 3 in total), BUT workshops after 1^st July 2022 have to be EDRA Approved workshops ONLY.

Q: I attended a short (1 hour) workshop during the congress/conference. Can I submit it as one of my workshops required for the EDRA exam?
A: Candidates may choose to collect several short workshops from congress, annual scientific meeting or similar conference as long as the congress organiser successfully applies for EDRA Approved status of those workshops. A minimum of 6 hours of hands-on practice is required in order to be counted as either ultrasound or cadaveric workshop recognised for EDRA exam.