Editorial

Table of Contents

This edition of the Newsletter comes at the start of the third year of the new arrangement between Ultraschall in der Medizin and the European Journal of Ultrasound. The last two years have gone by incredibly quickly and, looking back, it seems hard to remember what the Newsletter used to look like. Whilst we all hoped that the subscription numbers for the Journal would increase, I think only the wildest optimist would have predicted that, at this stage, 65% of members would be receiving the Journal, due largely to the foresight of their individual Societies in incorporating the journal subscription in their annual membership subscription to the national societies. We are most grateful to them for this. This Newsletter also publishes, formally, the minimum training standards document which has been much heralded elsewhere. Whilst this is available on the website as well, many people much value the paper version of all these documents. The Education and Professional Standards Committee must be congratulated for the hard work they have put into this document and in their continuing efforts to introduce some order into ultrasound education standards and training. Only time will tell how well their efforts pay off.

In Geneva we said goodbye to a number of friends who have served the Federation well on the Board of Directors or the Executive Bureau. The new term of office of the Executive Bureau will bring with it new challenges. Looking forward, two years seems a long time, but to achieve much in that period of time requires extreme dedication and focus.

For those members of the Federation who only receive this one edition of the Journal, as well as encouraging you to subscribe to the EJU, either individually or by encouraging your National Society to subscribe, I would mention that up-to-date news of the Federation is always available on the website. A small Newsletter is produced every two months which is available, on the website, to all who access the website, as well as being in paper form in the European Journal.

It hardly seems any time since the Geneva meeting and Jean-Yves Meuwly’s contribution reminds us of what a success this meeting was. Nothing stops however and the Bologna meeting is well advanced in its planning as you will see elsewhere. We all look forward to a most exciting scientific meeting, as well as a great social event. For any who have not tried the European meeting, I can thoroughly recommend it.

Finally, as the Newsletter Editor, I must again acknowledge the huge contribution to the Federation made by Gianna Stanford. Without her tactful guidance and encouragement, the Newsletter would never happen and my life would be a misery!

Many thanks again Gianna, from me personally and from all those involved in EFSUMB.

David W. Pilling

Editor EFSUMB Newsletter