- A general introduction on Angiology/Vascular Medicine is reported in Vascular Medicine as Speciality.
- This is a new, dynamic space for news, information that the different National Societies would consider sharing and up-date.
Short summaries on how the Specialty is organized by the Countries where it has been recognised, and of the steps done by countries where the Specialty has not been already officialised. - Development and strengthening of the Specialty at European level and worldwide, improving prevention and care, represents one of the main goals of VAS.
How has VAS been concretely contributing to the Specialty recognition at European level and worldwide, during the years?
- Proposing a European perspective that has supported national efforts since 1991.*
- Obtaining the creation of the UEMS Division of Angiology/VM , the creation of the EBEAVM;European Board for the European Exam in A/VM (CESMA-UEMS)
- Developing qualified European Education programs, continuously up-dated, integrating education and training, with the European Training Requirements
- Being the Organization promoting the signed MoU between EU and USA for a eligibility reciprocity of the UEMS Diploma and of the ABVM Certification
- Creating and supporting collaborative actions, to enlarge the awareness on its social need
- Working inside of WHO and at EU level, also improving advocacy
What is the body, that VAS considers should lead towards, obtaining the inclusion of A/VM Specialty in the EU Directives ?
- The efforts to have the Specialty recognised, should be a role of the UEMS Division (an independent body, with representatives of the national NMEA , being expert in the area), connected to the UEMS Central Officer for European & international affairs
- His process is largely supported by VAS
- It is time for a revised position and action
Countries with a recognized Specialty or Sub-Specialty in Angiology/Vascular Medicine (Alphabetic order-May 2025):
Austria, Bulgaria ,Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweeden, Switzerland (Non EU Country).
European Directives
Directive – 2001/19 – EN – EUR-Lex Requested 2/5 of the European Union Members,
Send your information to: vas@vascularmedicine.net and in cc to: vas@unimi.it
News from the National Societies
NEW ! Swedish certification in Vascular Medicine
The Swedish Society of Medicine has approved Vascular Medicine as a certified sub-speciality for specialists in Cardiology or Internal Medicine. The certification requires 2.5 years of additional clinical rotation and training in the field, in addition to the base-speciality’s 5.5 years. The training requirements and educational program is based on the non-interventional parts of the current VAS/European UEMS Training Requirements for Angiology/Vascular Medicine.
Jonas Spaak, president, Swedish society for hypertension, stroke and vascular medicine.
April 2025
The position of the Angiology speciality in Hungary
Following the introduction of the internal medicine angiology licence (representing lower respect) several years ago, which was achievable following an internal medicine qualification, the internal medicine angiology qualification was introduced in Hungary in 2015. Initially, it was defined as an additional qualification to be built on the internal medicine specialist examination, but from 2023, it became a primary specialist examination in internal medicine angiology.
The 54-month course starts with 24 months of basic training, mostly overlapping with internal medicine qualification, and it is followed by 30 months of specialised vascular medicine training. The latter includes vascular ultrasound, vascular surgery, interventional radiology, vascular imaging, dermatology and immunology training. All medical universities in Hungary are accredited for this training. Bodies for education were formed in these institutes. Internal medicine and cardiology trainees are supported by accepting more months from their former education for angiology qualification training.
Unfortunately, the workforce in this field shows high spatial disparity (specialist accessibility is not available in several counties). This represents the main challenge to education organisers.
Endre Kolossvary-President of MAET
Angiology was officially recognized as a medical specialty in Poland in 1999. One can become aspecialist in angiology after completing a 5-year modular training program (3 years of internalmedicine followed by 2 years of angiology), or within 2 years if the candidate already holds specialization in internal medicine or vascular surgery.
Agata Stanek, President of Polish Society of Angiology