Dear colleagues and friends,
I want to start by wishing you happiness, health and success for 2015 following the Season’s Greetings.
I am pleased to bring you this Winter Edition of the EFPT Newsletter on the efforts and achievements of last year and announcing our plans and already outcomes of this year.
I am satisfied with the ongoing proximity of cooperation with our National Trainees Associations, having promoted, attended, contributed and supported several National events, as in Croatia, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom, keeping a close collaboration with the countries under our umbrella, whilst aiming to bring further countries to take part of our Federation.
Equally, I have been working throughout to strengthen our relationships with our Collaborator Associations, as the European Psychiatry Association (EPA), the Union Européenne des Médecins Specialists (UEMS) and for the first time, with the World Health Organization (WHO), looking forward to the growth of the cooperation and support provided to EFPT.
Aspiring to improve medical education worldwide and to promote the positive image of psychiatry, we have started a strategy of collaboration with the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) and look forward to consistent support in regards to the postgraduate training of psychiatry across regions with the World Psychiatry Association (WPA).
While representing EFPT and attending several national and international renowned Congresses, we have been promoting the work from our EFPT Working Groups and from our National Trainees Associations within our network and beyond.
EFPT Calendar illustrates what 2015 will bring you: the upcoming EFPT Porto Forum 2015.
In this regards, I would like to remind you to proceed with your Pre-registration, apply for the Leadership and Professional Skills Course, and submit your abstract for the Scientific Programme of the Porto Forum. Don’t miss these opportunities.
EFPT is becoming stronger! And we thank all of you that supported and donated to us. You may feel that your donation is like a drop. But every drop counts!
EFPT promotes solidarity! I would like to announce that the call for bursaries will be gratefully reinforced this year, in order to assist with funds the participation of colleagues from less-resourced countries. You donate to us, we support colleagues that are in need! You can help us to make a difference, so why don’t you?
Changes taking place nowadays in the society are pushing us to test the old views and to establish a new reality. Within the challenges raised in the recent world events, we will keep being engaging, democratic, independent, ambitious and united, towards our common mission of shaping the future of psychiatry.
Thank you for your cooperation, enthusiasm and support.
Looking forward to meet you soon, and if not before, definitely in Porto!
Mariana Pinto da Costa
EFPT President
On behalf of the EFPT Board