Poster in the European Congress of Emergency Medicine, Crete, 2006

1. CONTINUING EDUCATION IN
EMERGENCY CARE
Ir.Christodoulou, Z. Koukouritaki, C.Pogonidis, E.Xenodoxidou
2nd Surgical department , Papanikolaou Hospital of Thessaloniki
AIM: The widely accepted need for
continuing medical education (CME) is a
growing reality throughout Europe. Following
the integration of Greece in the European
Union(EU), national training programs for
health professionals have become more
numerous than ever. Aim of the present
study is to record the available opportunities
of continuing education in the field of
emergency care in Greece.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used
information derived from the Greek Ministry
of Health, the National Health System
Legislation, the EU subsidized national
training courses for health professionals for
2005-2006, along with information from the
educational meetings held by medical
associations and scientific medical societies.
RESULTS: The congresses for doctors and
nurses held by the scientific societies
provide aside from knowledge, a certificate
of attendance, and a number of credits for
continuing medical education (CME credits),
however registration requires mandatory
payment. During 2005-2006, among 325
subsidized national seminars for health
professionals only 23 programs are related
to emergencies. None of the above
programs accepts unemployed doctors.
CONCLUSIONS: Continuing education in
emergencies depends mainly on personal
motivation for each health professional in
Greece.