“Education is the passport to the future”: enabling today’s medical teachers to prepare tomorrow’s respiratory health practitioners

“If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted”

Sir Francis Bacon 1561–1626.

British aviators Alcock and Brown made the first transatlantic flight in 1919 – In 2013, the total number of flights in Europe was 9.5 million.

In July 1969, Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong landed on the moon – today you can book your flight to space online with Virgin Galactic.

Throughout the 1990s, medical education was transformed as a direct consequence of more complex patient needs and the reorganisation of healthcare delivery. Medical education refers to the educational process required to prepare the medical professional for entry into practice as well as provision of educational activities for lifelong learning. This educational process is aimed at physicians, nurses, technicians, physiotherapists, scientists and other related professions who deliver care to the patient and public. Today’s medical professional is bound by demanding healthcare systems [1–3], internationalisation of localised diseases [4], shorter more intense training periods and dependence on medical technology [5].

Global funds, trade and networks are all examples of initiatives that demonstrate our entry into an international, mobile era. In 1993, the European Council (EU) council directive 93/16 stipulated that those EU nationals holding an EU primary or specialist medical qualification were to be allowed to practice within any EU country [6]. We are aware that many European countries are heavily reliant on foreign-trained medical staff to support their medical systems [7]. Patient tourism has also warranted attention [8], as more and more patients opt to cross international borders in search of treatment.

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress welcomes respiratory health professionals from all over the world. As a provider of continuous …