President´s welcome message

Dear colleagues,

UEMS is a European organisation of medical specialists and the ORL section is our division within this structure representing Ear, Nose and Throat doctors.  Our goal is to offer the best possible care for all Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery patients present across Europe.  Harmonisation of training is one of the most important tools to achieve this and is also important in terms of free movement of labor within the European Union.  For this purpose, UEMS-ORL has written European Training Requirements (ETR) and a logbook for our residents.  Both these documents can be found on this web site.  Furthermore, we have published logbooks for our different subspecialities of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and it is our duty to ensure that all this previous work will continue to be revised and updated as time goes by, so as to reflect the advances in our field.  We feel it is essential for us to work in close collaboration with The Confederation of the European Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (CEORL-HNS) to promote European congresses and education regarding our speciality, with the EBEORL-HNS board in view of our European Board Exam of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and with UEMS in view of recognising the importance of structured continuous medical education (CME).

The UEMS-ORL section consists of 2 representatives from each European country. The delegates are nominated by their national societies of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.  We have a section meeting yearly and many other activities during the year, all with the aim to continue representing our speciality at European level and fostering the improvement of our specialists in multifaceted ways.

Whilst writing this introduction, it sometimes feels that the world we used to know has gone crazy; with war in Europe, strengthening of nationalistic powers, climate change and so many other problems in the daily news.  In this era, it is even more important to unite, work together for our patients’ best and have a solid, sound message from ORL – HNS doctors all over the world.  In addition to treating cancer, traumas, infections and swallowing and speech abilities, we have important senses in our responsibility.  Otherwise, what would life be without the taste of fresh strawberries, the smell of flowers and hearing the singing of a blackbird? 

I warmly welcome you to contact any of us if you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding our work.

Heikki Irjala
President of UEMS ORL
Professor of Otorhinolaryngology
Turku University and Turku University Hospital
Turku, Finland