Dear EFPT members,
First of all, I wish you a Happy New Year 2015!
The EFPT is a long-standing partner of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) and joined the EPA as an Associate Organisation Member in 2013. I am very happy with this development and hope that our good cooperation will be pursued and further developed under my presidency.
The EPA’s mission is to improve Psychiatry and Mental Health Care in Europe. Among the means used to achieve this important goal, the improvement and excellence of psychiatrists’ education throughout all stages of career development is one of the key directions.
We value the involvement of young colleagues in EPA’s activities as future leaders of European Psychiatry and highly appreciate the active participation of the EFPT in the meetings and activities of the EPA Council of National Psychiatric Associations, Committee on Education and Early Career Psychiatrists Committee (ECPC).
I am very pleased that many EFPT members, including some of its Presidents, have attended the EPA Academia Summer School on “Comorbidity between mental and physical disorders”, taking place every summer in Strasbourg, France, under the patronage of the Council of Europe. I invite all EFPT members who are interested in the subject to apply for the next EPA Academia Summer School, scheduled on 10-13 July 2015.
Another important event for all persons working or training in psychiatry is the annual European Congress of Psychiatry. In order to better meet the needs of our young colleagues, the congress provides a special scientific track dedicated to early career psychiatrists and trainees, called “European Early Career Psychiatrists Programme (EECPP)”. As part of the EECPP of the 23rd European Congress of Psychiatry, which will take place on 28-31 March 2015 in Vienna, Austria, under the motto “Excellence in Psychiatry across Europe: Practice, Education, Research”, a joint EPA ECPC-EFPT Symposium will be organised on the topic “All psychiatrists are equal, but are some more than others?”. I warmly encourage all of you to participate in this exciting event!
I explicitly hope to continue the cooperation between our two organisations and look forward to seeing you in Vienna!
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Wolfgang Gaebel,
President of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA)
Pictured: Speakers at the EPA Council of National Psychiatric Associations Symposium that was held on 13th and 14 th of November 2014 in Antalya-Turkey. (Professor W. Gaebel 5th from left)