Thoracic surgery training in Europe—the perspective of a trainee

Duration and content of Thoracic surgery training differs considerably across Europe, leading to unequal levels of knowledge, skills and attitudes at the time of graduation as a specialist. The European Board of Thoracic Surgery examination strives to overcome these regional differences by offering a diploma to achieve harmonization and equal qualified certification. The HERMES initiative, driven by a joint task force from European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) is currently establishing a consensual syllabus and curriculum for Thoracic Surgery to standardize content of training and achieve equal levels of qualification all-over Europe. In this context, new opportunities in teaching and learning have become available and should be considered to support and encourage for beneficial development in the future. International platforms are the key for connecting with experts and other trainees and are provided by annual meetings and within the ESTS School.