Accreditation volunteer applications open

Published 13/09/2022; updated 04/01/2023

Applications are now open to volunteer with the British Society of Echocardiography’s Accreditation Committee across personal accreditation.

What’s involved?

Volunteering your time to mark logbooks remotely with complete support from the BSE accreditation team. Attending at least two assessments (per year) to examine candidates completing the accreditation process.

Who do we need?

BSE members who hold an active BSE accreditation for at least three years and are interested in training and teaching. Full training and support will be provided.

What do you get in return for giving up your time for the Society?

Formal recognition of your contribution via CPD letter, reaccreditation points, *discounted entry to BSE events. For the practical days, we provide overnight accommodation for the night before the assessment, host a dinner for the examiners, lunches and refreshments provided on the day. For those travelling for site visits, travel is reimbursed.

You will be introduced to a dynamic network of long-running examiners who are integral to the committee and the accreditation process. The examiners have formed a supportive, like-minded community, encouraging Departments and individuals to follow BSE standards.

Applicants should provide a CV and the expression of interest form below to [email protected].

Download the information pack

Download the application form

Thoughts from our team

"What is Accreditation? Accreditation is when we know that person following the guidelines is truly capable of producing the standard of work we need everyone to produce.

I have been on the Accreditation Committee for the past 15 to 20 years (showing my age) and I absolutely love the work we do as a team. We see so many young faces who want to improve healthcare and patient care by having this accreditation. They work so hard for two years at least to gain the knowledge and practical and they come with their best work to present. Some of these candidates have been working longer than two years in the echo field, but they just now want the accreditation to show the work they can produce.

There are tears of success and tears of unsuccessfulness on the day of the accreditation, but all of them have gained something by coming to the accreditation day. They have good feedback from all the examiners to return to their work and continue showing progress.

When we started this process, I remember how hard it was for the examiners to do the logbooks and video cases. I mean, the videos and then floppy disks on our dining tables and the candidates waiting for the results more than 6 six months. Look where we are today with the results given on the day!

I want the future echo staff to be proud of their work and represent all of us as a team of knowledge and capabilities to carry out the work we do."

Nina Bual, BSE Accreditation and DA Clinical Standards committee member and examiner

“I have been involved in the examination process for the last 3 years. Over this period much has changed. Since I've been appointed co-lead for station 1 (logbooks), together with Deepa and other colleagues in the committee we've overhauled the assessment process! We now offer a fairly painless experience to our candidates (we're always improving and appreciate any feedback!) - as long as the logbook is submitted within the timeframes, we'll take it from there.

We are fortunate to work with an incredible team of assessors who attend regular meetings and discussions to go over the marking criteria and ensure fairness across the board!

It is a significant commitment - Deepa and I have almost daily meetings with assessors of up to 2 hours on the weeks leading up to the practical assessments and discuss every case individually - however this way our members can be assured that their mark is fair. Also, each assessor takes a few hours of their days to help us in this mammoth task!

Despite the amount of work, I love it! I genuinely learn a lot from assessors and candidates. Hopefully this is the work to ensure there is a good standard of reporting across the UK and it feels very rewarding to be a part of this!”

Ivo Andrade, BSE TTE, Station 1 National Lead

“Being part of an accreditation team is a great opportunity to learn more and to join a lovely group, working together to bring out the best in candidates through their echo journey!”

Deepa Suresh, BSE TTE Station 1 National Lead

“I initially got involved in the BSE examination process to keep my skills sharp. The accreditation process has evolved so much since I began in 2012 that I felt the only way I could relate to my peers undergoing the process was to stay immersed in it myself, and I feel it keeps me on my toes knowledge-wise. Having gained my own accreditation almost 10 years ago, I felt I couldn’t have achieved this without the support and knowledge of my former colleagues along the way and wanted to be able to offer the same assistance to anyone undergoing the accreditation process now.

I really benefit from getting to meet and know other examiners. Talking about how others manage/run their departments inspires and intrigues me. I have also really enjoyed visiting other hospitals for the practical exam and seeing the department layouts, and seeing how other centres phrase certain aspects of their reports. 

Everyone I met involved in the accreditation process is very friendly, helpful and welcoming. It’s a pleasure to be involved in the process.”

Grace Ward, BSE examiner