193 EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE CARE, 2014; 21(4) P alliative care is a rapidly evolving area of specialist medical practice crucial to the future care of European citizens. In the light of changing demographics, all physicians, not just palliative medicine specialists, are likely to have contact with palliative care patients. The WHO projects that, by the year 2050, the proportion of the European population aged over 65 will have risen from the current 16.3% to 27.8%, precipitating a concomitant increase in the number of people with cancer and non-malignant diseases. 1–3 The challenges encountered in meeting the needs of patients, today and in future, exist at all levels, from the meta-organisation of services to the individual level of practitioner development. The European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) considers that education and training in palliative medicine is of utmost importance for the future. To foster medical education and training in palliative medicine, it has created, in September 2011, the Steering Group on Medical Education and Training (SG-MET). The SG-MET has emerged from the original (now concluded) EAPC Task Force on Medical Education, which produced, in 2007 and 2009, recommendations for undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. 4,5 The SG-MET, whose members are listed in Box 1, oversees a number of active task forces and projects which are listed in this article. Task forces Undergraduate curricula update Marilène Filbet had overseen the development of the original recommendations for undergraduate curricula, 4 which had been presented at the 10th EAPC Congress in Budapest in 2007. In 2011, as part of a new task force, Frank Elsner started to revise these original recommendations. A survey was distributed both to the SG-MET and to an EAPC advisory group, who were asked to provide comments, revisions and additions. The data obtained were discussed and reviewed over a number of draft versions, eventually leading to the production of an updated document, which has recently been approved by the EAPC Board and uploaded to the EAPC website. 6 These updated recommendations were also formally presented at the 8th EAPC Research Introducing the EAPC Steering Group on Medical Education and Training Frank Elsner, stephen Mason, heidi Blumhuber, Carlos Centeno, gianluigi Cetto, Franco de Conno, John E Ellershaw, steffen Eychmüller, Marilène Filbet and philip larkin present the activities of the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) in the area of medical education and training, including a number of task forces and projects www.ejpc.eu.com EAPC update ■ The European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) considers education and training in palliative medicine to be of utmost importance. Its Steering Group on Medical Education and Training (SG-MET) oversees a number of task forces and projects. ■ The EAPC recommendations on palliative care curricula in under- and postgraduate medical studies will be regularly updated. ■ The Task Force on International Medical Education in Palliative Care – Research on Undergraduates has conducted research aimed at assessing the palliative care skills and attitudes of future doctors. ■ Two new projects are being considered: an international summer school for medical education in palliative care, and a qualitative study assessing preparation for practice, in which medical students would participate directly. Key points ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ Nelson Mandela ❯❯ See pages 202–203 for an article by Norbert Krumm et al on basic palliative care training workshops in China Copyright © Hayward Medical Communications 2014. All rights reserved. No unauthorised reproduction or distribution. For reprints or permissions, contact edit@hayward.co.uk