Diploma

Aim(s) and target group

The diploma first introduced by the European Society of Head and Neck Radiology (ESHNR) in 2009 is the common European qualification for head and neck radiology specialists and standardises training and expertise in head and neck imaging subspecialisation across Europe. The European Board in Head and Neck Radiology (EBiHNR) Diploma is endorsed by the European Society of Radiology (ESR), as well as by some national radiological societies.

The EBiHNR Diploma is certifying in-depth knowledge of the pertinent anatomy, pathology, clinical-radiologic and imaging-related issues in the field of head and neck and maxillo-facial radiology, going beyond the requirements included in the Revised European Training Charter for Clinical Radiology (European Diploma in Radiology, EDiR).

This diploma represents a recognised qualification in head and neck imaging subspecialisation and assists head and neck imagers in the promotion of their skills and experience when dealing with other clinical colleagues and with the general public.

Upcoming diploma examination:

Monday, February 23, 2026 | all day | Online

Application deadline:

Sunday, January 25, 2026 | 23:59 CET

Future examination date:

Tuesday, September 01, 2026 | all day | Online

Application steps

Step 1: Fulfil the eligibility criteria

Please check if you fulfil all eligibility criteria. Only if you can prove all requirements, your application will be received and evaluated.

Step 2: Send the completed application form and all proofs to the ESHNR Office

If you fulfil the eligibility criteria from Step 1, please complete & sign the application form and send all required documents to the ESHNR Office. The Office will do a pre-check of your documents. If all documents are received, your application will be included to the evaluation process for the next examination.

Step 3: Pay the handling fee

If your diploma application has been accepted, you are kindly ask you to pay the handling fee. After successful payment your diploma seat is reserved.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants for the European Board in Head and Neck Radiology Diploma must fulfil the requirements mentioned below and must provide documents as follows (if applicable an English translation must also be provided in addition to original documents):

a) Application form
The completed and signed application form must be submitted to the ESHNR Office.

b) Training in radiology
The training of candidates has to be in line with previously established basic principles of radiology training as laid out in the ESR European Training Curriculum for Radiology (Level I and II). Applicants have to prove at least five years of national training in radiology. A certificate of completed training must be submitted to the ESHNR Office. For candidates with less than five years of training, a confirmation of experience, as a supervised radiologist is required and should be provided in the letter of support.

Subspecialisation should take place after the designated time for radiology residency. In exceptional cases, partial subspecialisation may already start within the years of differentiation (e.g. UK / NL).

c) Subspecialty training
At least two years of subspecialty training or equivalent experience, following radiology certification, is required. Maximum one year of subspecialty training can be done before board certification. A signed letter from the head of department/programme director must be submitted to the ESHNR Office, which may be included in the letter of support.

The level of knowledge requested from candidates has to correspond to the curricular contents for full subspecialisation in the field of radiology provided by the ESR European Training Curriculum for Subspecialisation in Radiology (Level III).

d) Proof of practice
Diplomas may only be awarded to fully trained, licensed, and practicing radiologists. Specialists from other fields and radiologists no longer in practice are specifically excluded from being granted the ESR-endorsed ESHNR diploma. For the purposes of this requirement, a proof of practice must be submitted to the ESHNR Office and this should be confirmed in the letter of support.

e) RIS documentation/Logbook
RIS documentation or logbook countersigned by the candidate’s programme director (at least two years of subspecialty clinical practice/training certified by the programme director) must be submitted to the ESHNR Office. This should provide a total record of the candidate’s experience in head and neck radiology. It is imperative that the candidate should not include any patient identifiable data.

f) Letter of support
A letter of support from the head of department/programme director must be submitted to the ESHNR Office, which should provide any other information on radiology training, subspeciality training and current practice (as required).

g) CME credits
At least 100 CME credits in head and neck radiology events and/or activities, recognised by ESHNR, are required. All CME certificates must be submited to the ESHNR Office. The list of events and activities providing CME credits is updated regularly on the ESHNR website. Among these events and activities, there must be attendance at 2 annual ESHNR meetings. ESHNR recommends attending its webinars to get continuous education, CME credits and training for the diploma. Furthermore, attending the annual ESR meetings and using the online resources of the ESR is strongly encouraged.

h) Curriculum vitae
A curriculum vitae (CV) must be submitted to the ESHNR Office.

i) ESHNR and ESR membership
Applicants have to be active full or corresponding radiologist members in good standing of ESHNR and ESR, in the year(s) of application and examination. Both documents must be submitted to the ESHNR Office.

Courses, meetings and activities recognised for diploma APPLICATION

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
• All courses recognised for the diploma are organised or co-organised by active and internationally recognised members of the ESHNR or national head and neck imaging organisations.
• All courses are accredited by the UEMS and/or by the national radiological societies.
• For meetings and courses that deal only in part with head and neck radiology, only the lectures on head and neck topics are recognised for the curriculum. For attendance at RSNA/ESNR/ECR and other major general radiology meetings there maybe submission of a flat rate of 10 CME per conference (but anything beyond this will require evidence of specific attendance at head and neck topic lecture attendance for the total number of points claimed).
• For all ongoing courses of the respective calendar year, the organiser of the course makes sure that the detailed course programme is available via links from the website of the society for online consultation.
• One course hour = 1 point. A total of at least 100 points is required for the diploma. Certificates of attendance are required for documentation.
• The webinars of ESHNR, ASHNR and BSHNI count for the diploma (1 webinar hour = 1 point).

RECOGNISED COURSES AND MEETINGS:
• ESHNR Annual Meeting and Refresher Course
• ESHNR Teaching Weeks 2020
• ESHNR Masterclasses
• ESHNR webinars
• ASHNR Annual Meeting
• ASHNR webinars
• BSHNI Annual Meeting
• BSHNI webinars
• ECR Vienna (Refresher Courses, Scientific Focus Sessions, State of the Art lectures)
• ERASMUS Course on Head and Neck
• Diplôme Inter Universitaire (DIU) ORL organised by the CIREOL / SFR
• Journées Francophones de Radiologie in Paris
• ESMRMB Advanced Head and Neck MR Imaging
• RSNA Chicago (Refresher Courses)
• Symposia of the CIREOL
• ESOR GALEN Advanced Course on Head and Neck Imaging
• Leuven Course on Ear Imaging
• Leuven Course on Head and Neck Cancer Imaging
• Leuven Course on Head and Neck Imaging: From symptom to diagnosis
• HNO Radiology: Part I Face
• HNO Radiology: Part II Temporal bone
• HNO Radiology: Part III Neck
• International Diagnostic Course Davos (IDKD)
• Swiss Forum Head and Neck Diagnostics
• Sandwich cursus Neuro- en Hoofd-Hals Radiologie
• Utah Head and Neck Imaging Conference
• ECNR Head and Neck course
• The London Temporal Bone Imaging course

ADDITIONAL RECOGNISED ACTIVITIES:
• Presenting a paper orally or a poster (first author only) on head and neck radiology at the ESHNR Annual Meeting or at the ECR (20 CME points).
• Presenting radiologic examinations at an established multidisciplinary tumour board (e.g., tumour board head and neck cancers, tumour board skull base/otology/maxillofacial/sinonasal) or multidisciplinary head and neck meeting (MDTB) in the local hospital. 1 MDTB = 1 CME credit. The name of the MDTB and precise details (which hospital, which pathology, date, as well as the attending subspecialties) must be provided. A proof of attendance is required (e.g., based on logbook or a separate signed letter from the head of the department or head of the multidisciplinary board). A maximum of 20 CME credits.
• Reading an article on head and neck imaging. 1 article = 1 CME credit. This should be self-declared, but a one sentence summary of each article should be provided. A maximum of 25 CME credits can be obtained through reading an article on head and neck imaging.
• Publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal on head and neck radiology:
– 1 original article or 1 review article = 40 CME points if 1st, 2nd or last author. Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required
– 1 original article or 1 review article = 20 CME points if any other co-author (3rd, 4th, etc). Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required
– 1 pictorial review article = 30 CME points if 1st, 2nd or last author. Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required.
– 1 pictorial review article = 15 CME points if any other co-author (3rd, 4th, etc). Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required
• Attending the ESOR-ESHNR Exchange Fellowship Programme (60 points)
• Submitting a case for one of the ESHNR case webinars (10 CME points).

Diploma Application

To apply for the diploma, please fill in the application form below and send it together with all necessary documents to the ESHNR Office (office@eshnr.eu).
For your application to be reviewed by the ESHNR Educational Committee, your application needs to be complete and have your documents in an organised manner, properly named and scanned.

CLICK HERE to download the diploma application form.


! IMPORTANT ! Naming of application documents

Application documents must be provided with the correct naming in order to be accepted by the ESHNR Office. Therefore, please make sure to use the following document names:

Application form: a. Application form
Training in radiology: b. Training in radiology
Subscpecialty Training: c. Subscpecialty Training
Proof of practice: d. Proof of practice
RIS documentation/logbook: e. RIS/Logbook
Letter of support: f. Letter of support
CME credits: g. CME
CV: h. CV
ESHNR membership: i. ESHNR membership + i. ESR membership

Handling fee

– 430,00 EUR: Fee for active members
– 430,00 EUR: Fee for corresponding members
– 200,00 EUR: Re-examination Fee
– 30,00 EUR: Renewal Fee

Examination structure

Examination structure (online exam)

The content and the degree of difficulty is the same as for the traditional written and oral examination. The online-only examination includes an oral examination on various pathologies in the head and neck combining features of the traditional written and oral examinations as outlined above. The emphasis of the exam is on 4 “directed cases” whereby the examiners ask questions about a series of images which explore the ability of the applicant to recognise normal anatomy, describe pathological appearances, formulate a differential diagnosis and display a background knowledge regarding pathophysiology, treatment options and current guidelines. In order to pass, the candidate needs to successfully solve 3 out of a total of 4 cases (a case is considered as failed if the candidate obtains <10/16 points, i.e., 62.5% of the maximum achievable points per case). In addition, he/she has to obtain an overall total score >52% of the total number of achievable points for all 4 cases together (i.e., >33/64 points), these points being based on pre-formulated questions.

In addition, there will be an online written component to the exam (67% pass mark).

  • Multiple choice questions
  • Normal / normal variant versus abnormal
  • Name the anatomical structure questions
  • Short cases
  • A written report of a single case which the candidate will scroll through and view independently. This will be marked against a priori criteria to assess whether abnormalities are recognised, pertinent negative findings are reported and whether appropriate conclusions are clearly drawn

As for the traditional examination, an observer is present throughout the examination in addition to the examiners.
The duration of the oral exam is 45min and the duration of the written exam will be 60min.

Terminology

Successful candidates will be awarded the European Board of Head and Neck Radiology Diploma. They become Fellows of the ESHNR. In addition, they can use the official ESHNR Expert Badge:

Validity and renewal

Validity and renewal

The European Board in Head and Neck Radiology Diploma is valid for 5 years.

ESHNR will renew the European Diploma in Head and Neck Radiology every five years for full/corresponding radiologist members in good standing of ESHNR and ESR upon proof of at least 20 CME credits per year (equalling 100 CME credits in the past five years). Please check the courses, meetings and other activities recognised by ESHNR in order to collect CME credits.

If you want to apply for diploma renewal, please send all relevant documents to the ESHNR Office.
The Education Committee will review the same. After official approval, the diploma renewal fee can be paid.

Diploma renewal handling fee: 30,00 EUR

Courses, meetings and activities recognised for diploma RENEWAL

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
• ESHNR will renew the European Diploma in Head and Neck Radiology every five years for full/corresponding radiologist members in good standing of ESHNR and ESR upon proof of at least 20 CME credits per year (equalling 100 CME credits in the past five years).
• All courses recognised for the diploma are organised or co-organised by active and internationally recognised members of the ESHNR or national head and neck imaging organisations.
• All courses are accredited by the UEMS and/or by the national radiological societies.
• For meetings and courses that deal only in part with head and neck radiology, only the lectures on head and neck topics are recognised for the curriculum. For attendance at RSNA/ESNR/ECR and other major general radiology meetings there maybe submission of a flat rate of 10 CME per conference (but anything beyond this will require evidence of specific attendance at head and neck topic lecture attendance for the total number of points claimed).
• For all ongoing courses of the respective calendar year, the organiser of the course makes sure that the detailed course programme is available via links from the website of the society for online consultation.
• One course hour = 1 point. A total of at least 100 points is required for the diploma renewal. Certificates of attendance are required for documentation.
• The webinars of ESHNR, ASHNR and BSHNI count for the diploma (1 webinar hour = 1 point).

RECOGNISED COURSES AND MEETINGS:
• ESHNR Annual Meeting and Refresher Course
• ESHNR Teaching Weeks 2020
• ESHNR Masterclasses
• ESHNR webinars
• ASHNR Annual Meeting
• ASHNR webinars
• BSHNI Annual Meeting
• BSHNI webinars
• ECR Vienna (Refresher Courses, Scientific Focus Sessions, State of the Art lectures)
• ERASMUS Course on Head and Neck
• Diplôme Inter Universitaire (DIU) ORL organised by the CIREOL / SFR
• Journées Francophones de Radiologie in Paris
• ESMRMB Advanced Head and Neck MR Imaging
• RSNA Chicago (Refresher Courses)
• Symposia of the CIREOL
• ESOR GALEN Advanced Course on Head and Neck Imaging
• Leuven Course on Ear Imaging
• Leuven Course on Head and Neck Cancer Imaging
• Leuven Course on Head and Neck Imaging: From symptom to diagnosis
• HNO Radiology: Part I Face
• HNO Radiology: Part II Temporal bone
• HNO Radiology: Part III Neck
• International Diagnostic Course Davos (IDKD)
• Swiss Forum Head and Neck Diagnostics
• Sandwich cursus Neuro- en Hoofd-Hals Radiologie
• Utah Head and Neck Imaging Conference
• ECNR Head and Neck course
• The London Temporal Bone Imaging course

ADDITIONAL RECOGNISED ACTIVITIES:
• Presenting a paper orally or a poster (first author only) on head and neck radiology at the ESHNR Annual Meeting or at the ECR (20 CME points).
• Presenting radiologic examinations at an established multidisciplinary tumour board (e.g., tumour board head and neck cancers, tumour board skull base/otology/maxillofacial/sinonasal) or multidisciplinary head and neck meeting (MDTB) in the local hospital. 1 MDTB = 1 CME credit. The name of the MDTB and precise details (which hospital, which pathology, date, as well as the attending subspecialties) must be provided. A proof of attendance is required (e.g., based on logbook or a separate signed letter from the head of the department or head of the multidisciplinary board). A maximum of 20 CME credits.
• Reading an article on head and neck imaging. 1 article = 1 CME credit. This should be self-declared, but a one sentence summary of each article should be provided. A maximum of 25 CME credits can be obtained through reading an article on head and neck imaging.
• Publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal on head and neck radiology:
– 1 original article or 1 review article = 40 CME points if 1st, 2nd or last author. Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required
– 1 original article or 1 review article = 20 CME points if any other co-author (3rd, 4th, etc). Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required
– 1 pictorial review article = 30 CME points if 1st, 2nd or last author. Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required.
– 1 pictorial review article = 15 CME points if any other co-author (3rd, 4th, etc). Authors, title, journal, year, volume, pages, Epub required
• Attending the ESOR-ESHNR Exchange Fellowship Programme (60 points)
• Submitting a case for one of the ESHNR case webinars (10 CME points).
• Teaching residents and fellows in head and neck imaging at your local hospital. A maximum 5 CME per year (up to 25 points / 5 years).
• Examining for the ESHNR diploma (20 points per exam).
• Reviewing HN articles for publication (5 points/paper).
• Mentoring on the ESHNR mentor/mentee programme (30 points/mentee).
• Leadership role in co-ordinating head and neck radiology within local department (20 points).

Advice: Mentoring Programme

We recommend to join the mentoring programme and apply as mentee to prepare for the diploma examination.
More information is available HERE.

Since its introduction in 2009, the ESHNR Diploma, as a validation of advanced knowledge and expertise in Head and Neck Radiology across Europe, has been a constant source of inspiration in my professional career. Following my involvement in the development of the Interdisciplinary Head and Neck Tumor Center at the University Hospital of Basel in Switzerland, I dedicated myself to advancing this field through the organization of the Swiss Forum on Head and Neck Diagnostics since 2007, as well as through continuous engagement in graduate and postgraduate teaching for the medical and dental faculties of the University of Basel.

In view of the academic rigor and professional advantages of the ESHNR Diploma including enhanced diagnostic confidence, standardized European recognition, and strengthened international and interdisciplinary collaboration I decided to pursue this qualification.

As an ESHNR Diploma holder, I am confident that I have met the Society’s highest standards, and that this qualification empowers me to make meaningful contributions to optimized patient diagnosis and therapy. I am deeply honored to have achieved the ESHNR Diploma, which is now fully recognized not only in Switzerland but also across multiple European countries.

Carlos Buitrago Tellez, Diploma Holder since 2025

Obtaining the ESHNR Diploma was a significant milestone in my professional development. The structured curriculum proved beneficial in enhancing my professional skills and deepening my knowledge. Its meticulous evaluations further increased my confidence and reliability in my diagnostic ability in head and neck imaging. In addition, I was presented with a unique opportunity to establish connections with an excellent network of colleagues across Europe. This Diploma provides a comprehensive and internationally recognised benchmark qualification in Head and Neck Radiology. I would like to strongly recommend the ESHNR Head and Neck Diploma to any radiologist wishing to obtain a recognised qualification and enhance their clinical skills in head and neck radiology. I would also like to take this opportunity to offer my assistance in any way I can.

Direnç Özlem Aksoy, Diploma Holder since 2025

The ESHNR Diploma has been a major step in my Head & Neck Radiology training, supported by excellent lectures, masterclasses, webinars, and structured preparation. The one-to-one mentoring programme, which I highly recommend, provided immensely helpful guidance from leading specialists. It has strengthened my diagnostic confidence and my ability to support ENT surgeons in clinical practice as well as in multidisciplinary team meetings. I am grateful to ESHNR for its commitment to high-quality education and its continuous support of future head and neck radiologists across Europe and beyond. For anyone looking to broaden their expertise and take the next step in Head & Neck Radiology, this Diploma is an excellent investment in the future.

Peter R. Lamber, Diploma Holder since 2025

Achieving the ESHNR Diploma has been a significant milestone in my career. The programme’s structured curriculum and rigorous examination strengthened my expertise in head and neck imaging and enhanced my diagnostic confidence. It also provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with a dynamic community of colleagues across Europe. I highly recommend the diploma to radiologists seeking recognised competence in head and neck radiology.

Umut Percem Orhan Soylemez, Diploma Holder since 2025

ESHNR Diploma Webinar 

How to level up in head and neck radiology: A guide to the ESHNR diploma and mentoring programme
Anne Péporté, Rorschach/CH