EUROTOX REGISTERED TOXICOLOGIST

EUROTOX intends to interface with organising bodies concerned with Registration of Toxicologists and reports back periodically to the EUROTOX Subcommittee Education and the EUROTOX Executive Committee via the recently appointed Registration Liaison Officer and the Registration Task Force.

By collating registers from participating schemes (approved nationally and whose criteria comply with EUROTOX guidelines) there will be an opportunity to create a list of EUROTOX Registered Toxicologists with affiliation to the country of their registration.

EXPECTATIONS OF A "EUROTOX REGISTERED TOXICOLOGIST"

A. Theoretical curriculum

Purpose

Theoretical training in toxicology, with associated practical working to re-enforce concepts, is essential. Such training can be provided on a modular basis and should embrace at least the topics which are defined below.

Topics

A candidate for registration will have undertaken theoretical training in the following topics areas:

A0.	Foundation Introduction to analytical, mechanistic and organ specific toxicology. Experiment design, biometry and statistics should also be included.
A1.	Animal science
A2.	Cell toxicity, carcinogenesis
A3.	Ecotoxicology and biomonitoring
A4.	Epidemiology and clinical toxicology
A5.	Genetic toxicity and reproductive toxicology
A6.	Metabolism and kinetics of xenobiotics
A7.	Molecular and mechanistic toxicology
A8.	Occupational toxicology, sensitisation, allergy and radiation toxicology
A9.	Pathology
A10.	Risk assessment, regulatory toxicology and information technology

 

Time needed

Each module will probably involve on average two weeks of contact time: less time may suffice for some of the above (e.g. A4) whereas others will need more (e.g. A6, A9). If studied from the beginning, with no credit given for content of previous degrees, then about 26 weeks of 30 hr per week contact time should be allocated to undertake the theoretical basis for registration. It is possible that some parts of this syllabus may be certificated as covered in a basic degree (BS) or a postgraduate degree (MS).

Standards and issue of credits

The "Introductory Module" (A0) is to be set at the standard and scope of the "Textbook of Toxicology" (the joint effort of the Netherlands Open University and EUROTOX, published by CRC Press and scheduled for appearance by the end of 1995; see elsewhere in this Newsletter). Candidates for registration will be expected to present credits in all topics.

Although national differences will be encountered, it is desirable that strenuous efforts are made to ensure that the quality and performance of participating institutes and teachers, and the standards and conduct of examination are harmonised as fully possible.

Costs and collaboration

In principle, credits may be obtained from modules based in more than one country. In collaborative training schemes, modules may be contributed by more than one institute and country.

In order to stimulate a wide range of teachers, these should be encouraged, if necessary, from outside the training establishments.

In principle commercially‑based students should be paid for by industry.

B. Practical curriculum

Practical experience and training must be appropriate. In some cases toxicologists will undertake research and be based in a single department: candidates for registration are advised to ensure at the outset that their intended course of study is seen as applicable.

Working areas

For example, to obtain eventual registration, it is likely that work will be based in one of the following areas:

B1.	Clinical toxicology
B2.	Research into toxic mechanisms
B3.	Toxicology testing under Good Laboratory Practice
B4.	Regulatory toxicology

Practical awareness

Although toxicologists work under very diverse circumstances, during a period of not less than 5 years a candidate for registration will be expected to have obtained Practical awareness in the topics listed below. In addition an in-depth knowledge and experience will be expected in at least two (ideally 3-5) of these:

B5.	Postmortem methods and gross pathology Microscopic identification of the major organs Microscopic recognition of the major pathological processes Foetal and neonatal examination for malformations
B6.	Making observations and recording signs in animals Humane dosing, sampling and euthanasia of animals In vivo monitoring, biomonitoring
B7.	Basic principles of cell culture Microbiological methods, Ames test Recognition of basic chromosome aberrations, blood film analysis Sub-cellular fractionation techniques
B8.	Standard analytical methods: e.g. spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, mass spectrome­try, high performance liquid chromatography Analytical techniques: protein determination, enzyme activity, Western blotting, radiochemistry
B9.	Data retrieval, data derivation Computer assisted technologies, data-bases, data-banks, data acquisition Determination of simple pharmacokinetic parameters

Authorship

It is regarded essential that a candidate for registration will have demonstrated a high standard of critical ability. This may be demonstrated through authorship of written papers and/or reports. Examples, whose titles should be included with an application for registration, may include peer‑reviewed scientific papers, confidential reports, a dissertation or thesis, essay‑type answers in examinations.

Confirmation

For all the above mentioned the candidate for registration will be expected to provide written confirmation of supervisors who are also prepared to act as sponsors.

C. Implementation of registration

C1.	Academic requirements before commencing training Before starting toxicological training leading to registration an individual will have been educated in a relevant science subject. They will usually have attended a full-time taught course at a university (for at least three years) or a part-time taught course at a university for an equivalent period. The candidate for registration will possess certificates of attendance and success in examinations.
C2.	Minimum accomplishments during training To be considered a candidate for registration, in addition to basic academic training in science, an individual will have undertaken further theoretical and practical training, and will have achieved the minimum standards set in A and B above.
C3.	Relationship of a registering body with EUROTOX A participating registering body will have lodged (and had accepted) its criteria for registering toxicologists with an appropriate national society. The national society in turn, will have lodged these criteria with EUROTOX.
C4.	Attributes of a participating registering body A participating registering body will have agreed its criteria for registering toxicologists with its national body (e.g. society of toxicology). The criteria will address the following: Legislative aspects ‑ an outline of what is expected from candidates, expressed in local terms. Ongoing responsibility for quality control of the assessment process. Executive aspects ‑ a constitution and modus operandi for the assessment panel, whose task is to validate the individual's candidature and application for registration. Judicial aspects ‑ an outline of what steps will be taken in the event that there is an objection to the panel's decision.
C5.	Maintenance of registration On a 5-yearly basis, a registered toxicologist will be expected to re-affirm their registration credentials and illustrate their currency.

As a minimum, to remain registered, a candidate must be working as a toxicologist, and must submit to their registering body an updated CV confirming that fact. An updated CV should be submitted to the register panel and should contain relevant information such as details of post(s) held, papers published, reports supplied, etc., during the period of registration.

D. Tasks to be undertaken by EUROTOX

In the first place, by the EUROTOX Registration Liaison Officer:

D1.	The EUROTOX Registration Liaison Officer on request, will provide an outline of the criteria and resources that will be required, if a member nation seeks to set up its own national scheme within the EUROTOX guidelines.
D2.	The EUROTOX Registration Liaison Officer should be able to provide information regarding registration schemes that are already in existence, thereby possibly avoiding the need to set up and resource new schemes.
D3.	The EUROTOX Registration Liaison Officer should be able to provide information regarding registration schemes that are envisaged, in order to facilitate participation in conjoint schemes.
D4.	EUROTOX intends to provide observers who can assist in setting up and running of national schemes: to be co‑ordinated by the Registration Liaison Officer.
D5.	Training. Generally, through monitoring schemes designed to facilitate the registration of toxicologists, EUROTOX seeks to identify training needs and encourage the provision of such training.
D6.	Individual members. EUROTOX will provide an advisory role for its individual members. For those not adhering to a National Society, EUROTOX will guide applicants to the appropriate registry and may be able to play a judicial role in some cases. Such tasks would be coordinated by the EUROTOX Registration Liaison Officer.