THE EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF
EQUINE INTERNAL MEDICINE
CONSTITUTION
May 2001
Accepted EBVS April 21 2002
Latest revision June 1st 2007
EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF
EQUINE INTERNAL MEDICINE
(ECEIM)
CONSTITUTION
The
College of Equine Internal Medicine was established as an
independent organisation by the First General Meeting
attendees on September 14th
2000 at
Birmingham with the following Constitution and Bylaws.
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
Name and Structure
Article
1.
1.1. The name
of the organisation shall be: the European College of
Equine Internal Medicine, hereafter referred to as the
"College".
1.2. The College shall be a part of the trans-national
structure for veterinary specialization in the European
Community (EC), as recommended by the Advisory Committee
for Veterinary Training (ACVT) of the EC, set up by the
Council Decision 78/1028/EEC of 18 December 1978 and OJ No
L 302 of 22 December 1978, in its report doc.
III/F/5285/3/91. The structure includes the Coordinating
Committee for Veterinary Specialization (CCVS), the
European Board of Veterinary Specialization (EBVS), the
Supervisory Committees for the specialties, and the
Colleges of Specialists.
Duration
Article
2
2.1. The
College shall be established for an unlimited period.
2.2. The College year shall run concurrently with the
calendar year, subject to the first College year ending on
the last day of December of the year in which the College
is established.
Objectives
Article
3
The College is a non-profit organisation and does not
pursue commercial interests. The finances of the College
may only be spent in accordance with the Constitution.
Members or officers of the College shall receive no payment
from the funds of the College, except reimbursement of
expenses.
The primary objectives of the College shall be to advance
equine internal medicine in Europe and increase the
competency of those who practice in this field by:
a) Establishing
guidelines for the post-graduate education and experience
required as a prerequisite to become a specialist in the
speciality of equine internal medicine.
b) Examining and authenticating veterinarians as
specialists in equine internal medicine to serve the
veterinary patient, its owner and the public in general, by
providing expert care for horses, ponies, donkeys, mules
and other Equidae
with medical
diseases.
c) Encouraging research and other contributions to
knowledge relating to pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy,
prevention, and control of diseases directly or indirectly
affecting Equidae,
and promoting communication and dissemination of this
knowledge.
Membership
Article
4.
Section 1:
The members of the College shall be the following
Diplomates:
(a) Founding
Diplomates
(b) Diplomates
(c) Associate Diplomates
(d) Honorary Members
(e) Non-practising Diplomates
Section 2:
Founding Diplomates shall be:
(a) Invited
Specialists as defined in the general scheme of veterinary
specialisation. They will be approved by the European Board
Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) on nomination of the
Interim Selection and Examination Committee appointed by
the First General Meeting Attendees (September
14th
2000) upon the
following criteria:
- being
well-known specialists in the field of equine internal
medicine at the time of invitation
- having contributed substantially to the development of
equine internal medicine by research, publications, and
lectures
- having published at least 6 original scientific articles
in refereed journals as first author, and at least 6
additional articles as co-author excluding proceedings and
abstracts
- having presented original work and reviews at scientific
meetings at least 12 times
- being uncontroversial for the majority of the future
ECEIM members
- practising in Europe
(b) Specialists appointed defacto, also defined in the general scheme, which have been appointed by the Invited Specialists.
The defacto-appointed diplomates should fulfil the following criteria:
- they have at least 7 years of experience in equine internal medicine
- they spend at least 50 percent of their time in equine internal medicine
- they have published at least 3 original scientific articles in refereed journals as first author, and at least 3 additional articles as co-author excluding proceedings and abstracts
- they have presented original work at scientific meetings at least 3 times
Selection will be made by the Invited Specialists on the basis of a submitted CV including evidence of satisfying the above-mentioned criteria, and also indicating how the candidates have achieved their expertise. All persons known to be interested in a college of equine internal medicine shall be invited to apply for defacto registration by means of a personal letter outlining the above mentioned requirements. Application for defacto recognition is possible for up to three years after recognition by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation of the constitution of the College. According to this final statement it is no longer possible to seek defacto membership after June 1st 2005.
c.
Associate Diplomate status (commencing from June
1st
2005) is open
for Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary
Internal Medicine (Large Animal) who are licensed to
practice in Europe. Associate Diplomates must also fulfil
the following criteria:
- they spend at
least 50 percent of their time in equine internal medicine
- they have published at least 3 original scientific
articles in refereed journals as first author, and at least
3 additional articles as co-author excluding proceedings
and abstracts
- they have presented original work at scientific meetings
at least 3 times
Selection will
be made by the Invited Specialists on the basis of a
submitted CV including evidence of satisfying the above
mentioned criteria, and also indicating how the candidates
have achieved their expertise.
Section 3:
To qualify for membership as Diplomate, candidates shall
meet the following criteria:
a) Have a good
moral and ethical standing in the profession;
b) Be licensed to practice veterinary medicine and surgery
in the countries of the European Community or the European
Free Trade Association, unless relieved of this obligation
by the Board;
c) Have successfully passed the certifying examination
procedure of the European College of Equine Internal
Medicine;
d) Not be a Diplomate of another European College
recognised by the European Board of Veterinary
Specialisation or an American College, unless relieved of
this obligation by the Board. This restriction does not
apply to Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary
Internal Medicine.
Section 4:
Each individual elected to membership of the College shall
be designated as a (Founder or Non-practising) Diplomate of
the European College of Equine Internal Medicine, or
Associate Diplomate in the case of membership via section 2
(c) above, and shall be authorized to use the designation
of (Founder or Non-practising) Diplomate of the European
College of Equine Internal Medicine.
Section 5:
Each Diplomate shall be required to keep records of his/her
patients.
Section 6:
Each Diplomate is expected to actively participate in the
affairs of the College. Repeated, unexcused absence from
the Annual ECEIM Meetings or failure to pay annual fees for
2 consecutive years may render a member subject to
disciplinary action by the Board of the ECEIM.
Section 7:
Any Diplomate may be expelled, asked to resign or otherwise
disciplined for non-professional or unethical conduct or
other action against the best interest of the College by
unanimous vote of the Board of the ECEIM, pending
confirmation by the College at the next annual General
Meeting.
Section 8:
The College may confer Honorary Member status on persons
who have made exceptional contributions to equine internal
medicine. Honorary Members do not have the right to vote or
hold office in the College.
Nomination for Honorary Member Status shall be made through
the sponsorship of two Diplomates. The sponsors shall
furnish the Executive Secretary with such information
concerning the nominee, as required by the Board of the
ECEIM, including a CV.
Election of an Honorary Member shall be accomplished by a
two-thirds vote of the Board and by a two-thirds vote of
the Diplomates at the annual General Meeting of the
College. They shall not be required to pay dues.
Section 9:
The registration of a Diplomate eases by default when the
specialty is practised at a level of less than 50 per cent
(i.e. <20 hours a week) devoted to internal medicine
of Equidae,
or when the specialty has not been practised for two
continuous years or the equivalent of two years during a
period of five years.
Section 10:
In order to evaluate the requirements laid down in section
6 and section 9 of this article all Diplomates are required
to submit every 5 years a summary of their professional
activities in which evidence of fulfilling these
requirements and evidence of continuous education must be
included. The format of this summary has to be approved of
by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation and will
be evaluated by the members of the specialty group.
Negative evaluation may lead to cessation of registration.
These Diplomates are awarded a non-practising diploma
status, unless the cessation was for reasons for temporary
or permanent suspension. They are bound to use the
designation of non-practising Diplomate. A non-practising
Diplomate seeking to revert to full Diplomate status needs
to satisfy the requirements of the Credentials Committee.
Section 11:
Cessation of registration must be approved by the Board of
the College and requires twelve months’ notice.
Organisation and officers
Article 5
5.1 The College
shall have responsibility for organizing, approving and
administering all scientific and business matters.
5.2 The College shall be composed of all the Diplomates.
The Diplomates normally will elect every three years, by
secret ballot, the following officers
- President
- Vice-President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Member
5.3 The
immediate Past-President shall advise the President.
5.4 The
Officers will compose the Board of the College.
5.5 The President may not be re-elected into the same
office. Usually, the President is succeeded by the
Vice-President.
5.6 The
President and/or Vice-President and/or the President’s
nominee will act as representatives in the European Board
of Veterinary Specialisation. The Secretary will act as
deputy to the President and the Treasurer will act as
deputy to the Vice-President.
Article
6:
A general meeting of the Diplomates will be organised each
year, normally in conjunction with an annual Symposium or
Congress to which all interested parties will be invited.
An annual membership fee will be collected by the
Treasurer.
Amendments
Article
7:
Proposed amendments to this Constitution shall be submitted
to the President for study one month prior to distribution
to the membership. Any proposed amendment shall be
distributed electronically to the membership with a
recommendation by the Officers, at least 30 days prior to
being brought to a vote by the Diplomates either
electronically or at the annual General Meeting of the
College. An affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of
the Diplomates voting shall be required for adoption.
Future Developments
Article
8:
Future developments may necessitate remodelling the College
to be able to adopt sub-speciality specialisation.
Amendments for such an adoption need an affirmative vote of
two-thirds of the Diplomates voting.
EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF
EQUINE INTERNAL MEDICINE
(ECEIM)
BYLAWS
Final Concept May 2001
General Assembly (annual
General Meeting)
Article
1:
1.1. It is the
duty of members to be present at the Annual General Meeting
on a regularly basis.
1.2. The General Assembly is the senior legislative body of
the College and has the following duties:
a) Determining
and updating the Constitution and Bylaws.
b) Election of the Officers and Auditors.
- Election of
the Officers shall be by written ballot at the annual
General Meeting.
- Written nominations must be received by the Executive
Secretary at least two months prior to the annual General
Meeting.
c) Action on
the auditor's report.
d) Formal approval of the business conducted by the Board
during the proceeding year.
e) Action on business, presented by the Board or as
required by the Constitution.
f) Establish membership dues for the forthcoming year.
g) Expulsion of Diplomates.
1.3. Each
Diplomate has the right to vote. He/she has to be present
at the annual General Meeting to do so. Each Diplomate has
one (1) vote. Postal votes may be arranged at the
discretion of the Board.
1.4. All questions before the College, except as designated
elsewhere, shall be determined by the absolute majority
vote.
1.5. The language of Laws, Bylaws, correspondence,
negotiations and examinations shall be English.
Officers
Article
2:
2.1. The
officers of the College shall be: President,
Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and one member. The
term of office is normally three years.
2.2. Election of officers shall be held at the annual
General Meeting of the College.
Duties of officers
Article
3:
1 -
President
The
PRESIDENT shall preside at the meetings of the College,
preserve order, regulate debates, appoint Committees not
otherwise provided for, announce results of elections and
perform all other duties legitimately pertaining to his/her
office. The President of the College shall be Chairperson
of the Fiscal Committee.
2
-
Vice-President
The
VICE-PRESIDENT shall perform the duties of the President in
his/her absence or inability to serve. He/she shall be the
Programme Chairperson for the annual Meeting of the
College.
The Vice-President shall, in general, succeed to the
presidency when that office falls vacant.
3 -
Secretary
The SECRETARY
shall attend to the correspondence of the College; keep and
publish annually lists of Diplomates, both practising and
non-practising, keep minutes of the College in books or
e-format. Such books shall be the property of the College
and accessible at all reasonable times and places and
perform the furthermore usual duties of a secretary.
4
-
Treasurer
The
TREASURER shall advise the President on budget matters,
shall arrange for safekeeping of all funds, draw vouchers,
pay bills and expenses, and submit a written financial
statement to all members annually. He/she shall keep full
and accurate books of account, containing a record of all
monies received and expended; such books shall be the
property of the College and open to the inspection of the
authorized officials at all reasonable times and places.
5 -
Vacancies in the offices of Secretary and
Treasurer
Vacancies
occurring on the Board shall be filled by election of a
member at the next annual General Meeting. Any member
elected to fill a vacancy shall hold the office until
expiration of the term in which the vacancy occurred.
Committees
Article
4:
4.1 The Board of the College:
The Board of
the College shall consist of the Officers and
the
immediate Past-President.
The Board shall consider all the business and policies
pertaining to the affairs of the College. It, or its
designated Committees, shall receive all applications,
conduct examinations and certify recommendations for
Diplomate status in the College. It shall consider and act
upon charges against Diplomates for alleged offences
against the Constitution and Bylaws of the College or
charges of unprofessional conduct and shall have the
authority to recommend the expulsion of a Diplomate for
grievous offences. It shall appoint standing Committees,
select the time and place of meetings and determine the
fees for application, examinations, registrations and other
fees. It shall direct the management of funds held by the
College.
4.2 Credentials
Committee:
The College
shall form a CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE composed of three
members appointed by the Board for a term of three years.
Each year one member will be replaced. The senior member of
the Committee in terms of service shall serve as
Chairperson.
The
duties of the Credentials Committee will be as follows:
1. The
Credentials Committee shall establish guidelines to assist
applicants applying to sit the diploma examination.
2. The Credentials Committee shall receive, review, and
approve the candidacy of applicants.
3. The credentials of approved applicants shall be
forwarded to the Examination Committee.
4. The Credentials Committee shall receive, review, and
approve the candidacy of Diplomates applying for
re-accreditation every five years.
4.3.
Examination Committee:
The EXAMINATION COMMITTEE shall consist of six members
appointed by the Board normally for terms of three years.
The President shall be an ex officio member of this
committee.
The Examination Committee is responsible for preparation,
administration, and evaluation of the General Examination.
In addition, the Examination Committee is responsible for
the coordination and administration of the Certifying
Examination. Result of the examinations shall be forwarded
by the Chairperson of the Examination Committee to the
Board of the College with recommendations regarding the
granting of diplomas.
4.4. Nominating
Committee:
The NOMINATING COMMITTEE shall be composed of three members
appointed by the Board for a term of one year before
elections. The Committee shall prepare a list of candidates
for the offices of the College after a written call for
candidates to all the Diplomates at least six months before
elections. Candidates should be known by the Diplomates at
least 3 months before elections. The Committee will report
to the College at its annual general meeting.
4.5. Education
Committee:
The Board shall form an EDUCATION COMMITTEE composed of
three members of the College normally appointed for terms
of three years. Every year one member will be replaced. The
President of College shall be an ex officio member of this
committee. The senior member of the Committee in terms of
service shall serve as Chairperson.
The Education Committee is responsible for setting criteria
for residency programmes, for approving the programmes and
their sponsors, and for monitoring each resident's progress
through the receipt of regular reports. The Education
Committee will maintain lists of approved residency
programmes, approved preceptors and current residents. It
will document detailed requirements for residency programme
that are necessary for European College of Equine Internal
Medicine approval.
4.6. Fiscal Committee:
The FISCAL COMMITTEE shall consist of three members of the
Board. The President shall serve as Chairperson, the
Treasurer and the past-president will be members.
This Committee shall prepare an annual budget for the
College, prepare the Treasurer's books for the annual audit
and advise the Board on financial affairs of the College.
4.7. Auditors
Two auditors are elected by the general assembly at the
Annual Business Meeting for a one year term or they may be
professional auditors approved by the general assembly. The
two auditors evaluate the report of the fiscal committee
and report their findings to the general assembly.
Diploma
Article
5:
5.1. Qualifications to sit the certifying examination:
Three categories of candidates will be allowed to sit the
examination:
a. Those giving
evidence of satisfactory completion of an approved
postgraduate period of at least four years, by the
application deadline, dedicated mainly to the training on
the practice of, and special education in, equine internal
medicine with a solid background in equine general
medicine, surgery and obstetrics such as obtained by a
rotating internship. The following sequence of training
normally is to be used:
1. A first
period of one year which must be a
Rotating Internship, or its
equivalent, as defined from time to time by the Credentials
Committee.
2. A
second
Residency period which
shall comprise a consecutive training programme of at least
three-years in equine internal medicine conducted by a
Diplomate or Associate of the College. The supervising
Diplomate/Associate must submit a statement that the
candidate has satisfactorily completed the approved time of
training.
An alternative
training programme which has been approved by the Education
Committee before it starts. An alternative programme must
be comparable to a four-year full-time internship
/residency based programme; the alternative programme
should not last longer than 7 years.
In exceptional cases the Credentials Committee may accept
individuals who are either internationally recognised in
their own right as outstanding in the field of equine
internal medicine or have completed a training programme
that is internationally recognised as comparable to a ECEIM
approved residency programme; the Credentials Committee is
empowered by the Board to make the final decision whether a
candidate is accepted to sit the certifying examination.
In addition, all categories of candidates shall meet the
requirements for written reports which are:
i. One (1)
first author original research paper published in a
veterinary or scientific journal on the list of approved
journals maintained by the Credentials Committee.
ii. One (1) first author case report, small case series
(less than 20 cases) or short communication or an
additional original research paper published in a in a
veterinary or scientific journal on the list of approved
journals maintained by the Credentials Committee.
5.2.
Examination:
The examination will include:
a) A General
Examination, consisting of 100 multiple choice questions.
At least half of these questions will be clinical questions
including all aspects of general equine medicine, the
others involving pathophysiology. The examination must be
taken and passed by all candidates seeking certification by
the ECEIM.
A
person who has previously registered his/her training
programme with the College and has had it approved by the
Education Committee may take the general examination if the
following are fulfilled:
i. A candidate
must complete at least 18 months of an approved residency
programme, or its equivalent before taking the general
examination.
ii. In order to
take the general examination, the following items must be
submitted: (a) a letter from the Supervising Diplomate
verifying satisfactory progress in the training programme;
and (b) a non-refundable examination fee payable to the
ECEIM.
A person who has not previously had his/her training
programme approved by the Education Committee may not be
allowed to take the general examination, pending approval
of the training programme. A registered candidate, after
having received confirmation that his/her training
programme is approved, will be allowed to take the general
examination by submitting a non-refundable examination fee
and a statement signed by the Supervisor that the candidate
is making satisfactory progress in the training programme.
iii.
A candidate may elect to take the general and certifying
examinations in separate years or may take the general and
certifying examinations in the same year provided the
criteria for each of these examinations are met.
The
Certifying Examination is composed of three separate parts:
multiple choice
questions
essay questions
objective case management examination, including all
aspects of equine internal medicine.
The certifying
examinations will be developed, administered and graded by
the Examination Committee.
Examination shall be taken in English only; the use of
dictionaries (not being a veterinary dictionary) is
permitted.
The candidate shall submit the examination fee, which shall
be determined annually, at the time of application.
A candidate must pass each section of the examination in
order to become certified. Candidates that have failed the
general examination will have to retake the general
examination. Candidates that fail individual components of
the certifying examination must retake only the failed
components, however candidates must re-take all the papers
they have not yet passed each time they attempt to complete
the examination. Failure to pass all parts of the
examinations within eight examination rounds of first being
accepted to sit the general examination will prevent the
candidate from being certified. The number of
reapplications to sit either examination is limited to two.
Credentials of candidates who pass the examination will be
forwarded to the President by the Chairperson of the
Examination Committee.
Further details of the requirements for the training
programme, admission, application procedure, and the
general and certifying examination will be given in a
separate information brochure of the College.
Finances
Article
6:
The College is a non-profit organisation. The expenses of
the College shall be met through various sources of income.
a) Annual dues
(payable by March 1), if the deadline is missed the annual
dues increase by 25%
The
annual dues (ECU) of each active member shall be determined
by the general assembly. Members shall be adjudged
delinquent if they are one year in arrears, and may be
voted for removal by the membership if two years have
elapsed without payment.
A Non-practising Diplomate of the College shall also be
required to pay dues, Honorary Diplomates will not.
b)
Donations from companies and international organisations.
c)
Income from educational meetings organized by the College.
d)
Any monies accumulated shall be safely invested and serve
as a reserve for possible use at a later time.
Meetings
Article
7:
1. The annual
general meeting of the College will be held during the
annual symposium, the latter will preferably be organised
together with an appropriate international congress or
meeting, agreed upon by the Board.
2.
An Extraordinary meeting of the College may be called at
any time by the Board, or shall be called by the Board, by
a written request (containing the explanation for such a
meeting) from not less than 10% of the members. In the
latter case, the Extraordinary Meeting has to take place
within a period of three months. If not, these members are
empowered to summon an Extraordinary Meeting themselves.
3.
The Board and the Chairpersons of the Credentials and
Examination Committees shall meet at least once annually
between the dates of the annual general meeting, when
judged necessary by the President.
Amendments
Article
8:
These BYLAWS may be amended at any annual General Meeting
by two-thirds of the votes cast. Proposed amendments must
be submitted in writing to the Secretary appropriate review
by the Board. Proposed amendments shall be distributed to
the membership at least thirty days before the annual
General Meeting.
Appeal of Adverse Decisions
Article
9:
1 - An alleged
adverse decision by the College may be, but is not limited
to:
(a) denial of
approval of a training (residency) programme
(b) denial of adequacy of an individual's credential
(c) denial of the granting of a diploma to an individual
(d) temporary or permanent suspension of diploma
In
the event of an appeal by a candidate/Diplomate alleging
that an adverse decision by the College has been made, the
Secretary of the College shall advise the affected person
or the Dean of the college or official of the institution
or practice organisation in which the affected training
programme or Diplomate is located, and of the appeal
procedure.
2
- Any candidate who wishes to appeal the decision on their
application for eligibility to sit the examination must do
so within 90 days of the postmarked date of their
notification. The request for appeal must be made in
writing to the Secretary of the College and shall include a
statement of the grounds for reconsideration and any
documentation in support of the appeal.
The
Secretary shall notify the President of the College and the
Chairperson of the Credentials Committee. The President
shall appoint a committee of three Diplomates who are not
officers or members of the Credentials Committee, to serve
as an Appeals Committee. The complete dossier of the
candidate will be provided for Appeals Committee to review.
This will include a statement by the Credential Committee
indicating the reason(s) for rejecting the candidate.
The
Appeals Committee shall meet and forward a decision to the
President of the College within 90 days of appointment of
the Committee.
3
- Any candidate who wishes to appeal the decision on
failure in the examination must do so within 90 days of
postmarked date of their notification. The request for
appeal must be made in writing to the Secretary of the
College and shall include a statement of the grounds for
reconsideration and any documentation in support of the
petition.
The
Secretary shall notify the President of the College and the
Chairperson of the appropriate Examination Committee. The
President shall appoint a committee of three Diplomates who
are not officers or members of the Examination Committee to
serve as an Appeals Committee within 90 days of notice of
an appeal. The Chairperson of the Examination Committee
shall submit the examination and scores of the candidate,
the complete list of scores of all candidates on that
examination, and a statement as to the criteria used for
the committee's recommendation for pass and fail to the
Appeals Committee indicating the reason(s) for rejecting
the candidate.
The
Appeals Committee shall meet and forward a decision to the
President of the College within 90 days of appointment of
the Committee.
4
- Any Dean of a college, or official of an institution or
practice organisation, who wishes to appeal the decision on
the denial of approval or withdrawal of approval of a
training programme or Diplomate status must do so within 90
days of the postmarked date of the adverse notification.
The request for appeal must be made in writing to the
Secretary of the College and shall include a statement of
the grounds for reconsideration and any documentation in
support of the petition.
The
Secretary shall notify the President and the Chairperson of
the Credentials Committee. The President shall appoint a
committee of three Diplomates who are not officers or
members of the Credentials Committee to serve as an Appeals
Committee. If pertinent to the case the Chairperson of the
Credentials Committee shall submit a written statement to
the Appeals Committee indicating the reason(s) for denial
of approval of the training programme.
The
Appeals Committee shall meet and forward a decision to the
President within 90 days of appointment of the Committee.
5
- After completion of the appropriate procedure by the
steps described above, if the affected party is not
satisfied with the final decision rendered by the ECEIM
Appeals Committee, he/she may request mediation by the
official Appeal Committee of the Veterinary Specialisation
Advisory Committee and the Board of Veterinary
Specialisation.
The
President of the ECEIM will give his/her opinion to the
members of this Appeal Committee who will inform him/her of
their decision afterwards.
Dissolution of the College
Article
10:
In the case of dissolution of the College, all assets shall
be expended for educational purpose as decided by the last
membership meeting.