When I started my mandate as Chair of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) School, I had several objectives in mind. First of all, my aim was to carry on the very successful Adult and Paediatric HERMES (Harmonised Education in Respiratory Medicine for European Specialists) projects initiated by my predecessor Patricia Haslam. The objective of HERMES is to provide a framework for the development of consensus standards and collective documents and activities, a very important initiative for respiratory medical education (fig. 1).
HERMES project phases.
The Adult HERMES Task Force is now nearing its end with the publication of the document on “Criteria for accreditation of ERS European Training Centres” in December 2010. However, activities emerging from the Adult HERMES project will carry on with the Adult HERMES examination, which continues to gain recognition from countries both within and outside Europe, and also the potential establishment of a joint accreditation process with ERS and EBAP to accredit training centres in adult respiratory medicine. In addition, for the first time, during the ERS Annual Congress in Amsterdam, the Paediatric HERMES examination in respiratory medicine will take place. I have to acknowledge the great work done by the Examination Committee chaired by Konrad Bloch and the great …
