The EAACI-AAAAI-WAO Junior Members’ joint survey: A worldwide snapshot of Allergy and Clinical Immunology specialty
Abstract
Background
Education and training in Allergy and Clinical Immunology (A/I) are characterized by a great variability worldwide. However, objective and worldwide data regarding this topic are lacking.
Methods
To investigate personal information, education, and involvement in scientific societies of juniors engaged in A/I field, a questionnaire was developed by representatives from the JMs’ boards of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), and the World Allergy Organization (WAO).
Results
A total of 543 questionnaires were collected from 76 regions of all continents. The geographic distribution of responders was as follows: Africa-Middle East 3.0%, Asia-Pacific 21.4%, Europe 48.2%, Latin America 12.1%, and North America 15.3%. 59.0% of responders declared that A/I is recognized as a separate specialty in their country, Europe mostly accounting for that proportion. Primary interest in the field represents the main motivation for choosing A/I specialty. Concerning involvement in scientific societies, 41.1% of responders ever attended an EAACI Congress, 20.6% an AAAAI Congress, and 20.4% a WAO Congress. According to 40.3% of responders, scientific societies do not provide enough opportunities for young members, and 96.4% believes in a more intensive cooperation between the A/I Societies.
Conclusions
The survey provides the first worldwide perspective about A/I specialty. It represents the first ever example of a structured collaboration between the junior members (JMs) of the three main A/I Societies. The findings suggest the need for harmonization, at least in terms of training and formation in the field of A/I worldwide.
Graphical Abstract
The first worldwide perspective about Allergy/Immunology (A/I) Specialty, as depicted by the young members of the three main scientific societies in the field, has been realized. A great variability among different countries characterizes the specialty in terms of recognition, background formation, job/research/grants opportunities, and involvement of JMs into the societies’ activities. Overall, passion and enthusiasm for the specialty remain the strongest motivation for being active in the A/I field, although many critical aspects cannot be avoided.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
