The European School of Internal Medicine (ESIM) and Internal Medicine in 2030

Abstract

This summer's European School of Internal Medicine (ESIM) has just ended in Brighton. About sixty first-class residents from 26 countries and 16 faculty members have spent an intensive week together, actively participating in small-group workshops, lectures, case presentations, clinicopathological conferences (CPC) and social interaction. It was hard to determine which of these was the more gratifying; suffice it to say that participants felt quite elated at the closing event at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in London. One workshop that was devoted to an exchange of ideas on the future of Internal Medicine (‘Internal Medicine in the year 2030’) held particular significance for residents and participating faculty members alike. An animated discussion resulted, revealing (not unexpectedly) that many residents saw themselves as moving on directly to become subspecialists. However, their continued commitment to Internal Medicine seemed no less certain. Their views and the reasons cited for the persevering quintessential role of Internal Medicine in the future are of interest, constitute the subject of this brief communication, and can be summarized under several headings.