One of the most distinctive characteristics of Istanbul is its bridges: its location as a wonderful city between Asia and Europe, formerly the capital of great empires, and more recently the success of our spirit over the fear of the terrorism. EFPT Istanbul 2017 has seen the participation of trainees from more than 30 countries, a scientific event which mirrored the skyline (“Crossing the bridge”), and the renewal of the Federation with new and enthusiastic trainees, who have been empowered to take an active role and keep all this moving…
The Maintaining and Establishing National Trainees Associations (MENTA) working group had also to cross its bridge in this Forum. The legacy of past generations of extraordinary trainees, led by Tomasz Gondek, included the establishment of several NTAs in Europe (most recently in Poland, Spain, FYROM and Azerbaijan), the inclusion of these and other NTAs (french-speaking Belgium, Czech Republic) as full members of EFPT and the promotion of trainees associations in other countries in Europe (Kosovo, Moldova, Iceland) and the world (Iran, Bolivia…).
Our new team includes trainees from Spain, Poland, FYROM, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Turkey and Slovakia, with the purpose of continuing this great work and promoting EFPT as an active organization and a model for trainees in Europe and around the globe. We hope to celebrate new achievements in the Forum of 2018 in Bristol, and to see how our great family keeps growing!
By Víctor Pereira Sánchez