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Background

In the last few years, globalisation and free movement within the EU have contributed to boost a long-identified need for common standards in Respiratory training and education. The EU has also clearly displayed its intent to achieve a harmonised definition of medical education and training. It has therefore been supporting projects in this field for several years. Furthermore, well-aware of this increasing need, several European Medical Societies and UEMS Boards representing different specialties have already launched extensive projects aimed at harmonising their own specialty in Europe .

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What is happening in other medical specialties

For instance, according to a survey conducted in 2005, a wide range of other European Medical Societies and Boards (Cardiology, Oncology, Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Ophtalmology etc.) have begun to implement European Core syllabi, curricula, accredited training centres, training cycles and voluntary European examinations. Within the ERS, the Long Range Planning Committee of the Paediatrics Assembly already established a training syllabus and a list of accredited training centres for its own sub-specialty in 2002.

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What is happening at European level

A project was initiated in 2005 and called MEDINE (Medical Education in Europe ). This shows that the drive to achieve a common criteria for medical education is speeding up. MEDINE, which includes 27 countries, 79 Universities and 12 partner organisations, including the UEMS, has started working on possibilities to harmonise general medical education in Europe. The project's main objective are to agree upon core competences/learning outcomes for medical education in Europe; to develop a framework for international recognition of qualifications (with the use of ECTS credits at undergraduate, post-graduate and CME levels); and to develop quality assurance standards for the process of medical education for application in Europe.

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What the ERS has decided to do

With respect to this need for greater harmonisation within the medical field, a survey was conducted in 2005 among all National Respiratory Societies (selection of countries based on UEMS member and associate member countries) in order to assess

1. national training methods
2. national interest for a common project.

This survey has shown that many countries are very much aware of this need, and therefore expressed a strong interest to work on a common definition of what respiratory medicine education and training should include.

For the ERS, it is therefore high-time to start answering these increasing standardisation needs throughout Europe. The project HERMES has thus been launched with the overall objective to support a harmonisation of Respiratory Medicine throughout Europe through different tools, such as a Core Syllabus and Curriculum, Approved Training Centres, enhanced educational materials (PG courses, Enduring materials, E-learning), and a voluntary European examination.

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Why HERMES?

This project, has been launched in the light of the EU drive to suppress borders and improve professional mobility. We thus thought that HERMES, who, in Greek mythology, is the god of boundaries and of the travellers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators, literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures and invention and commerce in general, of the cunning of thieves, and the messenger from the gods to humans. He would be a good companion for our project...