An European pathologist?
The European pathologist already does exist, at least in the regulations of European communities. On the 16th of June 1975, the Council of the European Community stated: 1. The post-graduate course of pathology can only be undertaken by students graduated following a course of 6 years. 2. The post-graduate course of pathology does necessarily require 4 years of full time theoretical and practical teaching, in a University hospital or Institute. The training must include participation of the student in activities and responsibilities of the department. The Council must reexamine the situation this year and consider the possibility of part-time training. Nothing is said about a terminal examination, although this examination is legally required in some countries. Nothing states that the student has to spend the four years of residency in the same place and he could probably train in different countries of the community and change every year. The students of countries which are not in the community at present are not mentioned. If a student has the opportunity to achieve his education in different countries of Europe would this be enough to define an European pathologist? I do not think so, because there is no common doctrine of pathology among Europeans. For instance, some topics in German pathology simply have no equivalent, neither in the thought, nor in the language of a French pathologist, and viceversa. However, the common language of pathologists throughout Europe will certainly be English. This must contribute to unifying the ideas, but the ideas will probably not be specifically European.
De Saint-Maur
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PP
Service Central d'Anatomie Pathologique, Saint Antoine School of Medicine, Paris, France.
D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D010336:Pathology / Q000193:education*