FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

A typical Module consists of 10-25 Lectures. Together they form a structured comprehensive coverage of the knowledge required for the Module topic. There are 9 Modules in total for the course.

Each Module has a Tutorial involving case studies and an examination, which must be passed to gain accreditation.

Each Lecture is viewed online in video format and lasts from 20-45 minutes. The Lectures also contain a rich complement of relevant additional learning resources, book chapters, research papers, surgical videos, master lecture videos, case reports, review articles, etc.

The time taken to attend a Lecture online and assimilate all of the additional resources is 3-5 hours per Lecture.

Each Module is made available to candidates for 4 months after their initial enrolment on the Module. The candidate needs to pass all Lecture Assessments, attend the Module Tutorial and pass the Module Examination within this time in order to pass the Module. The Module Tutorials are scheduled separately and occur approximately 4 times per year. For the Tutorials schedule please visit the Module Tutorials page.

In a Module Tutorial, a group of up to 30 candidates who have progressed through a Module meet in a suitable location and work together under the guidance of an expert spine surgeon. The expert introduces a case complete with usual history and relevant imaging data. The candidates work in groups to analyse the case using knowledge acquired during the online Module Lectures, and recommend a course of treatment. The group spokesperson will present their recommendations to the whole assembly and a discussion then follows under the moderation of the expert surgeon. Normally 8 cases are analysed, presented and discussed in a single Tutorial. The purpose of the Tutorial is to apply knowledge gained in the online course to real cases in a supportive and scientifically rigorous environment.

Candidates are invited to prepare a case of their own choosing for analysis and discussion at a Tutorial. Such cases must be prepared to a standard case template and submitted for consideration for inclusion in advance of the Tutorial. Inclusion of cases will be competitive and limited to a maximum of 2 cases per Tutorial.

A Module Tutorial is a single day event located in a suitable meeting place designed for easy international access, like an airport hotel. The Tutorials are scheduled in locations in response to demand. There will be at least 3 Tutorials per year.

Yes, a candiate is permitted to enrol in any available Module. However, it is recommended that given the workload most candidates should tackle a maximum of two Modules at any one time.

No, not at this stage. Module Lectures can only be accessed by enrolling on to that Module, or by enrolling on to the full Programme.

No. Attendance at a Module Tutorial is restricted to those candidates who have enrolled on and completed the relevant Module. This is to ensure that the analysis, presentation and discussion of the Tutorial cases are conducted by candidates who have attained the same minimum standard.

Each Module Lecture is assigned a number of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits. These are earned by the candidate by successfully completing the online Lecture and Lecture Assessment.

Yes. All additional Module learning materials, such as book chapters, original research papers, review articles and videos, are downloadable by candidates. However, these materials are copyrighted and are for the exclusive use of the candidate and may not be copied, transmitted or otherwise distributed without the express written permission of ecceLearning.

The Module Lecture Presentation cannot be downloaded, but can be viewed online for the duration of the enrolment period.

No. This feature is not currently available.

No. The online lectures and additional resources together constitute the collated and coordinated reference material. The additional resources can be downloaded by candidates and kept for personal use.

If you have any questions about the educational content, you can contact us via the Learning and Progress contact form, and we will respond as soon as possible.

There are no assignments for the online Modules. However, each Lecture and each Module has a compulsory Examination. The Module Tutorials comprise a series of case studies which must be analysed and then the recommended course of treatment presented to the Tutorial group.

The ecceLearning platform, comprising the 9 Modules and 8 Module Tutorials, constitutes a comprehensive spine surgery education course. It is designed to be completed, two Modules at a time, over a period of 12-18 months in conjunction with the candidate's clinical training. Candidates will gain the most benefit from the programme by regular reviewing previous lectures and modules, contacting ecceLearning or Module Editors for clarifications when unsure and active participation in the Tutorials.

Each Module has a multiple-choice Examination which candidates must take on a Module Tutorial day. They must pass the Examination to finish the Module and gain accreditation. Once all the Module Examinations have been passed, there is a Surgical Skills Assessment that needs to be completed successfully in order to be awarded the Diploma.

If a candidate is purchases the full course, all content is available for 24 months from first accessing and viewing a lecture. In order to be awarded the diploma, the candidate needs to complete all Module Examinations and pass the Surgical Skills Assessment within this time.

If a candidate is purchasing the course module-by-module, via the flexible payment option, then each Module is available for 4 months. In order to pass a Module, all Lecture Assessments must be passed, the Module Tutorial attended and the Module Examination passed.

Each Module Tutorial is usually scheduled 4 times a year, and candidates must ensure they have completed all of the Module Lecture exams in advance of attending the associated Module Tutorial.

Lecture presentations typically take 20-45 minutes to run. However, candidates are required to review the compulsory and recommended additional learning resources contained within the Lecture. The time taken to view the Lecture and review the additional resources is in the range 3-8 hours per Lecture. The recommended time to complete each Lecture is given in the Lecture description section.

A tutorial is typically scheduled for one day, from 08.00-18.00. The Module Examination is likely to take place from 08.00-09.00 and the rest of the day is concerned with case studies.

Where possible, two Tutorials will be scheduled on consecutive days.

Yes, once registration is completed, you can activate our Trial Demo. This trial contains one complete Lecture, including Lecture Presentation and access to all Learning Materials for that Lecture. Access to further Lectures requires enrolment on either the Programme or a Module.

Candidates are expected to commit and pay on enrolment for either the whole Programme, or for one or two Modules at a time. Purchasing the whole Programme at once is more cost-effective than paying module-by-module.

Payments can be made in your local currency by credit card, debit card or bank transfer using eccElearning’s payment portal, Flywire.

Candidates may apply for a full or partial refund within 14 days of a Module or full Programme purchase. A refund will only be granted if there has been no significant activity on the respective content by the candidate. Applications for refunds may be sent via the contact form.

The fee for attending one Module Tutorial is incorporated in the cost of a Module. Candidates cancelling attendance at an enroled Tutorial, or failing to attend will be required to pay an additional Tutorial fee to re-book a new Tutorial place.

Payment can be made through the eccElearning payment portal by credit card, debit card and by bank payment transfer in your local currency.

Our platform is cross browser, cross operating system and cross device. Our platform is compatible with browsers which support HTML 5, including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. We officially support the following system and browser combinations:

Desktop

• Windows 10: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge,  Mozilla Firefox
• Apple OSX Yosemite and newer: Apple Safari

Mobile devices

• iPad 2 and newer, iOS 9.3.5 and newer: Apple Safari
• iPhone 5 and newer, iOS 9.3.5 and newer: Apple Safari
• Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and newer: Google Chrome

Visit the Institutions page for more information or contact ecceLearning to discuss collaboration possibilities.

If you think you've forgotten your password - see the Password Reset Instructions.  

If you've reset your password and still can't login - see the Username Recovery Instructions.

Password Reset Instructions

1. At the login page, click Forgotten password?
2. Enter the email address that you used during registration and click Continue
3. You will receive an email with a link to reset your password (please check your SPAM folder if you don’t receive this). NOTE:  The link is only valid for 1 hour.
4. Click on the link in the email to change your password (please ensure that it meets the ‘rules’ e.g. A valid password is Nov3mber, an invalid password is nov3mber
5. You will then be logged into the site with the new password

Username Recovery Instructions

Hint: Your usename may not be your email address!

1. If you can't remember the username you chose, then you will need to perform the password reset option.  This will log you into our website.
2. Once logged in, take a look at your account details by 1. clicking on the 'person' icon at the top right of the screen, 2. followed by Account information.  This will give you your username.

Comments about educational content may be made via the feedback form in the Learning and Progress section.

If there is insufficient network and computer resources to play the videos, you can switch to the image mode within the video player using the icon in the video control bar. This loads the video as an image which allows for faster download, but any animation will be lost. If you think this is not a question of your computer resources, then contact eccElearning support.

Get in contact with the support team via the eccElearning contact form.

If you are certain your answer has been incorrectly evaluated, contact eccElearning support.

Our platform is cross browser, cross operating system and cross device. Our platform is compatible with browsers which support HTML 5, including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. We officially support the following system and browser combinations:

Desktop

• Windows 10: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge,  Mozilla Firefox
• Apple OSX Yosemite and newer: Apple Safari

Mobile devices

• iPad 2 and newer, iOS 9.3.5 and newer: Apple Safari
• iPhone 5 and newer, iOS 9.3.5 and newer: Apple Safari
• Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and newer: Google Chrome

eccElearning offers a comprehensive spine surgery education course. It combines a basic knowledge online lecture course with attended tutorials in a convenient, high quality, cost effective format designed for the aspiring spine surgeon trainee. The Distance Education element of the course provides accessible, affordable and interactive online modules that seek to empower candidates to advance not just their education, but also their careers.

We develop distance learning Modules and face-to-face Tutorials together with Spine Surgery leaders worldwide to provide the most relevant, cutting-edge content and education that bridges the gap between academia and practice.

For more about eccElearning, please visit our "About Us" page.

Ecce is the abbreviation of European Centre for Continuing Education. 'Ecce learning' translates from the Latin to “behold learning”.

eccElearning online Modules and related additional content resources are all provided in English. All of our Lectures have subtitles (transcription) in English. Live Tutorials may be provided in the local language of the country where they are being held.

eccElearning’s postgraduate spine surgery programme is the only online comprehensive Spine Surgery Education Programme available. It has been developed by world renowned leaders in the field of spine surgery education. It is designed to exploit the advantages available from merging precise online content delivery technologies, world class teachers, comprehensive content, and an understanding of how best internet-age spine surgeons accumulate knowledge and skills, and we allow them to test and develop their skills face to face with master surgeons.

The content is cutting-edge and teaches the most relevant skills needed to advance your spine surgery career. We don't just teach you the "hows", but also the "whys”. Our content is available at any time - start when you wish, fit it in your schedule and learn on demand.

It is convenient, of high quality and is cost effective.

We offer special conditions and pricing for institutions who want to use eccElearning for their employees or students. We are also able to develop collaborative programs suited to specific requirements of academic or clinical institutions.  Check out our eccElearning for Institutions page for more information.