VIREPA Distance Education Program – How It Works

VIREPA (Virtual Epilepsy Academy)

The ILAE Virtual Epilepsy Academy (VIREPA) offers practice-oriented courses related to the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in a broad range of topics, mainly targeted to medical doctors and health care professionals. Browse the course listing for more information about the different courses we offer.

Why would I choose a VIREPA online course?

VIREPA courses are rated as very valuable professionally by those who have taken the courses. VIREPA's e-learning courses are tutored by experts in their fields so that you will profit from their practical experience. VIREPA's e-learning platform gives you the chance to interact with your faculty and peers and access high quality materials and valuable communication and cooperation. The courses are attended by participants from all over the world with different cultural, social and medical training backgrounds.

Who should take a VIREPA course?

The courses are primarily intended for neurologists, paediatric neurologists and paediatricians, neuropsychiatrists and neuropsychologists, epilepsy nurses and nurse practitioners dealing with patients with epilepsy. However some courses are appropriate for neurophysiologists and basic scientists including geneticists, physiologists and neuroscientists, who are dealing with patients with epilepsy.

What prerequisites must be met in order to take a course?

Prerequisites vary somewhat by course. For specific details, see the Course Details document for the course in which you are interested.

Course Format and Assignments

How is the course structured?

Each course is separated into a certain number of learning units lasting 2-3 weeks. During these weeks you will study the learning material and work individually and within small groups on assigned tasks. However, you can work on the assignments at the time of day that works best for you as long as you meet the assigned deadlines.

How is the course material presented?

Each unit of each course includes a textbook written by the faculty and additional reference material posted in the Virtual Library. All material can be downloaded and printed.

How does communication and cooperation with tutors and other students work?

All courses involve collaborative learning. You will actively participate in online group work and discussion in forums under the guidance of your tutors, who are all experts in their fields. However, you will not need to be online at a specific time. As long as you meet the course and task deadlines, you may work on the material at the time of day that is most convenient for you (asynchronous learning).

How much time will I need to allocate for studying?

You can expect to spend about 8 hours per unit (~2.5-3 hours/week) on individual study of the learning material, for reading and submitting contributions to the course's discussion forum and for the completion of the learning unit tasks.

What kind of assignments will I work on?

Each learning unit includes assigned reading and tasks, which will be discussed within an active online communication process among all participants and guided by faculty. The tasks help to deepen the theoretically gained knowledge from the learning material and enable you to transfer this knowledge to your daily clinical practice. In many courses, the tasks include the contribution of case histories and EEG samples from your own lab.

Is there a final exam?

In most courses, there is a final task which typically involves the presentation of a clinical case from your own practice which, after finishing the course, you look at in a different way and feel more confident about regarding diagnosis and management.

Credit Points and Certification

Is CME credit available?

Each course carries a different number of CME credits (AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM ). For specific information, see the CME Activity Description for each course. Additionally, a certificate of completion is provided with the VIREPA Credit Points earned (see explanation below).

What is the VIREPA Credit Point system?

For successful submission and discussion of tasks in each learning unit you may receive up to 8 VIREPA Credit Points (corresponding to the 8 hrs of expected work). The total amount of credit points to be achieved for each course will vary depending on the total number of units in each course. A certificate of completion is provided.

Fees, Application and Registration

How much is the course fee and how do I pay for course?

The fee for each course is noted within the respective Course Details document and in the Course Fee table . All fees are quoted and paid in US dollars. Instructions for paying via credit card or wire transfer will be provided once you are accepted into the course.

How do I apply?

Complete the online application for the course of your choice. Please note that it is necessary to submit all required documents for your course at the time you submit your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

How do I know if I am accepted into a course?

Once the application deadline has been reached, the Course Directors will review each application for quality and completeness. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application within 3-4 weeks prior to the start of the course. In case of acceptance, you will be asked to start the final registration and payment process.

Are bursaries available?

A limited number of partial bursaries involving partial payment are available for those participants living in countries with low and lower middle income based on the statistics of the World Bank. Use this list to find your country's income ranking . Only one ILAE bursary per year per person is possible. Application for a bursary is done as part of the online course application process. Read more details on a bursary application.