Building a European Ultrasound Community

Dear Colleagues,

A question the EFSUMB Executive Bureau constantly ask themselves (and I am sure this is also true of many of our members) is: 'Where has EFSUMB got to and what is its role in the first decade of the 21st Century'? In many ways EFSUMB is in a very healthy state: it has an ever increasing membership - we are by far the largest member of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology - and we have a relatively stable financial base. But we need to build on this. Remaining stationary in a more and more rapidly changing world is not an option, and there are many challenges that we have to face. We need to continue to define our role, and adapt to changing circumstances. In the early days organisations such as ours championed the use of ultrasound, tried to persuade other of its benefits, and encouraged the widespread use of the technique. In this endeavour we succeeded, but the irony is that we were so successful that ultrasound has become such an integral part of medicine that most people working in the field no longer think of themselves primarily as ultrasound practitioners - ultrasound is simply part of their diagnostic (or therapeutic) armamentarium. We therefore face the challenge of maintaining a central role in ultrasound research and development, in ultrasound education, and in the exchange of scientific knowledge as mandated by our constitution.

Too much navel-gazing can lead to paralysis. It is important that we continue to examine our role, but there are many achievements we can celebrate, many reasons why we should continue to press for a stronger organisation, and many reasons for both individuals and National Societies to be members of EFSUMB. It is our belief that one of the most important roles of EFSUMB is to continue to build a European Ultrasound Community so that the individual National ultrasound societies can work together, can benefit from a much greater critical mass, can learn from each others experiences, and can play an important role on the World ultrasound stage.

What then are the advantages of being a member of EFSUMB? These can perhaps be divided into two categories, the advantages of the existence of EFSUMB as an organisation, because without individual members there would be no organisation, and advantages to individual members given the organisation exists.

Advantages of EFSUMB include:

• A Europe wide Ultrasound Federation which encourages networking between ultrasound professionals of all disciplines throughout Europe, allowing them to benefit from the wealth of experience and knowledge from other countries and other health-care systems.

• The annual EUROSON meetings which provide a unique opportunity to meet with practitioners from other European countries, to hear talks given by many international experts, to present exciting new data to colleagues from across Europe, and to become involved in ultrasound science, education, research, teaching and politics at a supranational level.

• The ability to influence Ultrasound issues on a world-wide basis through our membership of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology.

• Euroson schools which provide high level ultrasound education in diverse parts of Europe.

• ECMUS - the European Committee for Medical Ultrasound Safety, which takes a lead in keeping the membership up-to-date with all aspects of medical ultrasound safety, and provides expert considered views through the publication of statements on ultrasound safety.

• The Education and Professional Development Committee which considers all aspects of medical ultrasound education and professional development throughout Europe, and publishes recommendations on a variety of matters such as minimum standards of training.

• The Publication Committee which ensures that the membership is kept up-to-date with the affairs of EFSUMB.

Advantages to individual members include:

• Participation in a large Pan-European ultrasound community.

• Eligibility to attend meetings of the EFSUMB General Assembly and comment on EFSUMB affairs.

• Eligibility to serve on all EFSUMB committees.

• Opportunity influence European and World-wide ultrasound issues through membership of EFSUMB.

• Reduced fees at Euroson meetings.

• Reduced fees at many EFSUMB sponsored meetings.

• Greatly reduced subscriptions to Ultraschall in der Medizin / European Journal of Ultrasound.

• Six news letters per year.

• Automatic membership of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology.

• Reduced subscriptions to Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology.

• Personalised membership certificates.

• Eligibility for awards such as the Young Investigator's award and the Euroson Lecturer.

David Evans (EFSUMB President)

Norbert Gritzmann (EFSUMB President-Elect)

Kurt Jaeger (EFSUMB Past-President)

Lucas Greiner (EFSUMB Honorary Secretary)

Pietro Pavlica (EFSUMB Honorary Treasurer)