European Board Certification
The FEBS-TS is the European fellowship in transplant surgery. This guide covers the exam, its (oral, modular) format, eligibility, the topics tested and how to prepare.
Content reviewed 26 August 2026 against current guidelines.
FEBS-TS is the qualification awarded on passing the EBSQ examination in Transplant Surgery, run by the UEMS Section of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, together with the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT). Passing awards the title Fellow of the European Board of Surgery (FEBS) in Transplant Surgery.
The examination is modular: candidates may sit one or more of four independently certifiable modules — multi-organ retrieval, kidney, pancreas and liver transplantation. It is conducted in English only.
Oral / Viva Examination (no written MCQ)
FEBS Transplant Surgery is assessed entirely by oral examination — there is no written multiple-choice paper. To pass a module a candidate must reach the required score in each station (a borderline result may trigger an additional station).
Kidney Transplantation
Living and deceased donor transplantation, technique and complications.
Liver Transplantation
MELD allocation, indications and operative principles.
Pancreas Transplantation
Indications, technique and outcomes.
Donation & Procurement
DBD/DCD donation and organ retrieval.
Machine Perfusion
Normothermic and hypothermic perfusion and the evidence base.
Immunosuppression & Rejection
Banff classification and management of rejection.
The examination is typically held annually, historically around the ESOT Congress (recently in September), with a two-step application via the online platform and capped candidate numbers.
Exam dates, fees, per-module case numbers and eligibility details change each cycle — always confirm the current requirements on the UEMS Division of Transplantation pages (uemssurg.org) and with ESOT before applying.
FEBS-TS is the recognised European subspecialty credential in transplant surgery, referenced by transplant centres across Europe.
Preparation embeds the fast-moving evidence on machine perfusion and the precise rejection classification and allocation frameworks that transplant practice demands — exactly what the modular oral exam probes.
Know the Banff 2019/2022 rejection classification precisely, the evidence base for normothermic and hypothermic machine perfusion, and MELD-based organ allocation. Practise timed transplant questions and rehearse allocation and prioritisation scenarios for the oral viva.
SurgBoardsQ&A provides more than 1,500 transplant surgery practice questions mapped to the FEBS-TS syllabus, each with a detailed, guideline-referenced explanation.
The exam covers kidney, liver and pancreas transplantation, donor procurement and machine perfusion, and immunosuppression and rejection.
Yes — start with 50 free transplant surgery practice questions, no credit card required.
Every question is written by Pablo Lozano Lominchar, MD, PhD, and mapped to this board’s published syllabus. Before it enters the bank it has to pass an automated check: five options, a written explanation, and a citation — a named society guideline or a named trial. Benign and functional topics cannot be published without a society guideline; oncological ones cite NCCN, ESMO or AJCC, and the classification systems that govern a topic — Bethesda, TIRADS, Atlanta, Prague, Chicago — have to appear where they apply. The author has audited the full active bank against current guideline versions: what fails is re-cited, rewritten or withdrawn. 650 questions are currently withdrawn and are served to nobody.
Scope of authorship. FEBS-TS sits outside the author’s own subspecialty practice, which is surgical oncology — peritoneal malignancy, sarcoma, hepatopancreatobiliary and complex pelvic surgery. No diplomate of this board has signed these questions off. What they offer is traceability rather than personal authority: every answer names the current guideline or trial it rests on, so you can check it at the source before you trust it. Found an error? Tell us — it gets corrected or withdrawn.
SurgBoardsQ&A provides more than 1,500 practice questions mapped to the exam syllabus, each with a detailed explanation and guideline citation.
Start practising
50 questions free, no credit card required. Filter by board, topic, or difficulty. Explanations cite ESMO and NCCN.