1. Introduction and History
Seven European Meetings of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Training have taken place from 1992 to 1997 (Netherlands, 1992; Portugal, 1993; United Kingdom, 1993; Germany, 1994; Norway, 1995; Spain, 1996 and Greece,1997). All these meetings have had one important feature in common, have been organized by European trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Ob/Gyn).
These meetings and exchange programs have allowed trainees to experience different training programs and methods, the trainees and the trainers have the opportunity to meet and discuss their points of view and experience regarding training.
During these meetings, it became increasingly clear that it was important to create an organization that would provide a closer relationship and co-operation between the trainees from different European countries. During the VI European Meeting on training in Ob/Gyn, held in Barcelona (1996), the trainees present decided to create the European Network of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ENTOG).
At the first ENTOG Council Meeting held on the 14th of November 1997 in Athens, delegates from all UEMS countries were present except Austria, Luxembourg, Italy and Belgium. In addition there were representatives from Slovenia and Hungary.
The first ENTOG Executive Committee was elected during the Council Meeting, in Athens:
President: Filomena Nunes (Portugal)
Secretary-general: Rowena Bevan (UK)
Treasurer: Julio Herrero (Germany)
Members: Sérgio Haimovich (Spain) and Susanne Axelsen (Denmark)
The following constitution was drathed by the first ENTOG President (Filomena Nunes), this proposal was presented during the third ENTOG Council Meeting held on the 27th November 1999 in Rome, will circulate to all ENTOG members for amendments and will be discuss during the next ENTOG council.
Article 1.0
Under the name of the European Network of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ENTOG), a Board (hereinafter referred to as a Council) is hereby established, to be governed by this Constitution.
As the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG), the headquarters of ENTOG will be based in the UEMS building 20 Avenue de la Couronne,1050 Brussels.
Article 2.0
2.Aims and Objectives
ENTOG is the European Network of Trainees in Ob/Gyn. The main objective is to establish an easy form of communication between European trainees and young gynaecologists/obstetricians, to convey information easily and represent them in the other European Organisations related with Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The creation of this Network should help to reach the following objectives:
To achieve a better understanding of training in Ob/Gyn in different European countries, thus helping to ensure a comparable standard of training.
To achieve the highest possible standards of training and consequently improve the quality of medical care given to women and their babies.
2.1 The objectives shall be achieved as follows:
i) Promote de creation in all European countries of National Commissions or Networks of trainees.
ii) Collaborate with the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) in the recommendation of the standards required for the training of specialists and the means of maintaining those standards.
ii) examine the content and quality of training in all countries of Europe.
iii) Collaborate with the EBCOG in the recommendation of the criteria to which the specialist training centres should conform.
iv) Make proposals for harmonising the training programmes to achieve specialist status.
v) Ensure that knowledge and skills of specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists are maintained and updated at regular intervals.
vi)Promote research amongst the trainees and young gynaecologists/obstetricians, including multicentric European projects.
vii) Facilitate the exchange of trainees and young gynaecologists/obstetricians, between training centres throughout Europe to harmonise and improve the quality of training.
2.2 Council has a responsibility to ensure that these objectives are pursued and to regularly review what has been achieved.
Article 3.0
3.Composition and Functioning of ENTOG Council
3.1 Any European country is entitled to membership of ENTOG providing the requirements laid down in the Constitution and By Laws are fulfilled.
Membership of ENTOG shall be granted to any European country which is a member of UEMS.
3.2 Every country elects two trainees and one young gynaecologist/obstetrician to be representatives on the ENTOG Council. In all the countries that already have national commissions or networks of trainees, these bodies are responsible for the nomination of the representatives for the Network. The councillors would be responsible for the transmission of information and opinions to their countries.
3.3 ENTOG Council will meet once a year, in connection with the Annual European Meeting of Training in Ob/Gyn.
3.4 Voting rights of members of Council are described in the By Laws.
ENTOG may form working groups.
Article 4.0
4.The Executive Committee of ENTOG
ENTOG shall be administered by an Executive Committee comprising 4 Officers – a President, a Vice-President, a General Secretary and a Treasurer, assisted by 5 Councillors. All of them are elected by the Council.
The Executive committee is composed by 5 trainees and 4 young gynaecologists. ENTOG is essentially a trainees organisation but in order to ensure that there is continuity of experience the executive committee will include young gynaecologists.
The President must be a trainee.
The Vice-President must be a young gynaecologist/obstetrician.
The Secretary-general and the Treasurer may be either a trainee or a young gyn/obst, but there must be one of each.
Any trainee member of the ENTOG council can be elected as trainee member of the executive.
The trainees members of the executive committee are elected for two or three years and they must expect to be trainees for at least one or two years as trainees, respectively.
Young gynaecologists and obstetricians are specialists that:
– have finished their general training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology no more than two years ago
– or are registered in an sub-specialty training program (materno-fetal medicine, gynaecologic oncology or reproductive medicine) and have finished their general training program.
The young gynaecologists/obstetricians are elected for two/three years.
The election of Officers and of the Executive Committee is described in the By Law.
Officers may take part in Council debates but may not vote. In the absence of a representative from a particular country, the officer from that country may vote. If a vote in Council is indecisive, the President may take the deciding vote.
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for:
The management of the affairs of ENTOG.
Co-ordination of ENTOG’s activities and projects;
Dissemination of information and discussion regarding the Network’s activities and projects;
Dissemination of information and discussion regarding documents concerning training in Ob/Gyn that directly affect the trainees or young gyn/obst: such as the establishment of training programs, working conditions, professional pathways, etc.
The establishment of the yearly budget and the use to be made of the available funds.
The submission to Council of proposals for the establishment of standing and ad hoc working groups necessary for the activities of ENTOG and for receiving the reports from these groups.
The preparation of agendas for Council meetings.
Ensuring that the Constitution and the By Laws are correctly adhered to.
4.12 The Executive Committee will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant communications from ENTOG shall be transmitted to EBCOG.
4.13 The trainees members of executive should represent ENTOG in all subjects related with general training in Ob/Gyn.
The President of ENTOG is the ENTOG representative at:
EBCOG council
EBCOG executive committee
The trainees members of the executive will also represent ENTOG at:
EBCOG working group on training and assessment
EBCOG working group on examination
4.14 The young gynaecologists/obstetricians will be responsible for:
promote and collaborate in scientific and Continuos Medical Education projects for trainees and young scientists.
collaborate with EBCOG and the European Societies to promote courses and research projects for trainees and young gynaecologists/obstetricians.
4.15 The ENTOG representative at the EBCOG visitation committee can be a trainee or a young gynaecologist/obstetrician.
Article 5.0
5.Collaboration with other Organisations
5.1 The European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) agreed to have members of ENTOG as representatives of trainees and young gynaecologists at the EBCOG council, executive committee, visiting committee and working parties.
5.2 ENTOG will maintain and create links with other European Organizations related with Obstetrics and Gynecology and with the Permanent Working Group of Junior Doctors (PWG).
5.3 ENTOG works in collaboration with the National Societies and Trainees Committees in each country.
Article 6.0
6.Financial Activities of EBCOG
6. I ENTOG was created with the support of the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG), the ENTOG treasurer will establish the ENTOG yearly budget and negotiate it with EBCOG.
5.2 The Treasurer will present the accounts to ENTOG Executive and Council at the annual general meeting of ENTOG.
Article 7.0
7.Amendments to the Constitution and By Laws
7.1 Any proposal for an amendment to the Constitution must be submitted to the Executive Committee by at least one quarter of voting members of Council.
7.2 Any proposal for an amendment to the Constitution shall be circulated in writing at least one month before a council meeting, to all voting members of Council to be discussed. At the meeting, when the amendment is discussed, there must be a majority of two-thirds of Councillors for the amendment to be passed. If the majority is not reached, the amendment shall fail.
7.3 A By Law may be changed only if it has been placed on the agenda one month before the next meeting of Council. A change of a By Law requires a simple majority vote in favour by Council.
DRAFT BY LAWS OF CONSTITITION OF EBCOG
1. Duration of office, timing of nomination of Councillors, and deputising
1.1 Councillors must be trainees in obstetrics and gynaecology, if possible designated by the National trainees committees.
1.2 The nominating member state may change it’s representative if he/she is not anymore a trainee or young gyn/obst and provide that the General Secretary of ENTOG is given notice before the next meeting of Council.
1.3 In the event of a Councillor being appointed as an officer of ENTOG, the member country of that Councillor may appoint a replacement.
1.4 A member of Council who is unable to attend a meeting of Council must inform the General Secretary before the meeting. The councillor may nominate a deputy who for that meeting of Council has the right to vote.
1.5 In order to assure continuity it is important that the two trainees representatives of each member state, if possible be at different stages of their training program.
2. Voting Rights of Members of Council
2.1 When a vote is taken, each member country has one vote only.
3. Election of the Officers of ENTOG (President, Vice-President, General Secretary and Treasurer)
3.1 Any officer of EBCOG must be or have been a member of ENTOG Council.
3.2 Voting is secret and election is by a simple majority. If two candidates receive equal votes, these two will go forward for a second vote. If the result remains tied, lots will be drawn by the outgoing President for one of the two remaining names.
4. The Executive Committee
4.1 The Executive Committee will be made up of the Officers of EBCOG and five members (three trainees and two young gynaecologists). The officers and members of the executive committee must be from different countries.
4.2 Nominations for members of the Executive Committee will be called for by the General Secretary at the Council meeting before an outgoing member(s) of the Executive Committee due to retire.
4.3 Councillors must take note of the need for regional representation when nominating for membership of the Executive Committee. Council may refuse to accept a nomination(s)if this principle is not adhered to.
4.4 The system of voting used for election to the Executive Committee shall be the same as that used for the election of Officers. (see By Law 3.2).
4.5 After the participation in the EBCOG council or other EBCOG commissions meetings, the ENTOG representatives should circulate the minutes (or make a written report) of these meetings to all the other members of the ENTOG executive.
5. Meetings of the Executive and Council
5.1 Regular meetings of the Executive Committee and Council must be preceded by the circulation of an agenda and of the minutes of the previous meeting by the Secretary –general of EBCOG to reach members at least 3 weeks before the date of the proposed meeting.
5.2 Any member of Council may place an item for discussion on the Agenda of Council.
5.3. At the start of a meeting of Council, the President will indicate the items on the agenda which are for discussion and its order.
5.4 The working language of ENTOG is English.