The state of emergency medicine in Greece: at critical momentum
Dublin Core
Title
The state of emergency medicine in Greece: at critical momentum
Subject
Emergency medicine development, Greece
Description
Greece is a parliamentary republic in southeastern Europe populated by over 10 million permanent residents: 9
million reside on the mainland, with almost 4 million in the greater Athens area. The remaining 1 million populate
the over 1200 Greek islands. In addition, more than 160,000 asylum-seekers reached Greece in 2022, and more
than 25 million tourists have visited Greece in the last two years. Modern Greek Emergency Medicine (EM) is now in its
4th decade. The Greek government has focused the last few years on enhancing the quality of emergency services
provided in public hospitals. Emergency Departments (EDs) are being modernized, undergraduate medical education
gradually incorporates EM, and a specialty training program in emergency nursing has been established. However,
the late recognition of the critical importance of EM as a specialty in Greece has resulted in the subsequent need
to create three alternative pathways to EM, none of which are direct from residency. The first is a 24-month Emer-
gency Medicine fellowship after completing a residency in another specialty and then passing the national exam.
The second is for physicians who have worked in a public hospital ED (Gr: Ethniko Systima Ygeias (ESY) ESY for at least
three years and successfully passed the national exam. The third, which no longer exists, is a ‘grandfather’ pathway
for those physicians who worked in an ESY ED for five years prior to the creation of the fellowship training program.
As a result, there is a critical shortage of EM-trained physicians, resulting in most care being provided by physicians
without formal training in EM. This is further confounded by the country’s challenging geography, with frequent air
transfers from the islands to mainland hospitals. Creating an EM Residency training program is a critical next step
to overcoming many of the challenges facing EM provision in Greece today: it would address the shortage of EM-
trained providers, decrease the need for costly ground and air transfers, and improve the quality of emergency care
throughout Greece.
million reside on the mainland, with almost 4 million in the greater Athens area. The remaining 1 million populate
the over 1200 Greek islands. In addition, more than 160,000 asylum-seekers reached Greece in 2022, and more
than 25 million tourists have visited Greece in the last two years. Modern Greek Emergency Medicine (EM) is now in its
4th decade. The Greek government has focused the last few years on enhancing the quality of emergency services
provided in public hospitals. Emergency Departments (EDs) are being modernized, undergraduate medical education
gradually incorporates EM, and a specialty training program in emergency nursing has been established. However,
the late recognition of the critical importance of EM as a specialty in Greece has resulted in the subsequent need
to create three alternative pathways to EM, none of which are direct from residency. The first is a 24-month Emer-
gency Medicine fellowship after completing a residency in another specialty and then passing the national exam.
The second is for physicians who have worked in a public hospital ED (Gr: Ethniko Systima Ygeias (ESY) ESY for at least
three years and successfully passed the national exam. The third, which no longer exists, is a ‘grandfather’ pathway
for those physicians who worked in an ESY ED for five years prior to the creation of the fellowship training program.
As a result, there is a critical shortage of EM-trained physicians, resulting in most care being provided by physicians
without formal training in EM. This is further confounded by the country’s challenging geography, with frequent air
transfers from the islands to mainland hospitals. Creating an EM Residency training program is a critical next step
to overcoming many of the challenges facing EM provision in Greece today: it would address the shortage of EM-
trained providers, decrease the need for costly ground and air transfers, and improve the quality of emergency care
throughout Greece.
Creator
Dimitrios Tsiftsis1*, Andrew Ulrich2
, George Notas3
, Anna Patrikakou4 and Eleanor Reid2
, George Notas3
, Anna Patrikakou4 and Eleanor Reid2
Source
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00622-4
Date
2024
Contributor
Peri Irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Collection
Citation
Dimitrios Tsiftsis1*, Andrew Ulrich2
, George Notas3
, Anna Patrikakou4 and Eleanor Reid2, “The state of emergency medicine in Greece: at critical momentum,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 11, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/12324.