Update of the ERS international Adult Respiratory Medicine syllabus for postgraduate training

Tabin, Nathalie; Mitchell, Sharon; O’Connell, Elaine; Stolz, Daiana; Rohde, Gernot

The true sustainability of any efficient syllabus and curriculum lies in the ability of those at the helm to recognise the necessity of reviewing and subsequently adapting educational structures so as to meet the ever-changing needs of the respective learners. To ensure the efficiency of the Adult Respiratory Medicine syllabus, the undertaking of the Delphi method of needs assessment proved an extremely worthwhile endeavour. Informed by the feedback garnered from the Delphi rounds, the intention of the new, updated Adult Respiratory Medicine syllabus is to ensure that emerging fields in respiratory medicine, as well as updates in diagnosis, management and treatment practices since the initial 2006 publication, are addressed and reflected within the new publication. Comprising a simplified structure with fewer modules, the reviewed syllabus is designed to act as a guide for educational design, the planning of teaching and learning, and assessment structures as well as resource activities, supporting the ERS and other institutions using the ERS syllabus. Given the scope of this project, the needs assessment process was not without its limitations, although its merits certainly outweighed the aforementioned challenges. In reviewing and learning from past accomplishments, through carrying out a needs assessment, ERS is continuing to make strides towards a healthy future in Adult Respiratory Medicine.