As the Director of the Inter-Institutional and Interdepartmental Postgraduate Program “Resuscitation,” jointly organized by the Department of Midwifery and the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the School of Health and Welfare Sciences at the University of West Attica, and the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to this postgraduate program.
This is an innovative program, fully aligned with international standards and requirements in the field of postgraduate education for healthcare professionals.
This postgraduate program holds significant historical value, as it was one of the first six programs established at the Medical School of Athens, in collaboration with the then Department of Basic Medical Sciences of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens. The program has undergone multiple transformations over time and now returns to its birthplace, the University of West Attica. Its important legacy serves as a guarantee for its future success. A deep understanding of resuscitation and emergency care is essential for every healthcare professional.
This specific program is not offered at any other university in Europe or the United States. Cardiopulmonary arrest and resuscitation represent the most urgent medical conditions, as the time available for intervention is extremely limited. Although resuscitation is often regarded as merely a “topic,” the establishment of the European Resuscitation Council and other similar bodies worldwide—such as those in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand—clearly demonstrates that resuscitation extends far beyond cardiac arrest. It encompasses a broad range of clinical settings, from emergency departments to intensive care units. This is precisely why international organizations such as the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Cardiology have officially recognized resuscitation as a distinct medical specialty. Accordingly, this postgraduate program addresses the entire continuum of resuscitation and emergency care, from the pre-hospital environment to the intensive care unit.
The program provides strongly interdisciplinary education, covering a wide spectrum of scientific fields, aiming to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to modernize resuscitation practices and emergency care across all age groups.
“Resuscitation” is a dynamic program that continuously evolves to keep pace with international academic and research developments, as reflected in the ongoing research and scientific activity of its academic staff. The core goal of the program is for graduates not only to acquire advanced knowledge and practical skills, but also to develop a scientific mindset and a critical approach to the challenges addressed within, and beyond, the scope of this postgraduate program.
I wish you a successful and productive academic year.
Theodoros Xanthos
Professor
Director of the Postgraduate Program
Vice-Rector for International Affairs & Extroversion