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Academics

Mentorship Forum

The Mentorship Forum widens the horizon of critical care training. It is a place to ask and discuss the questions that are not always easy to raise inside your own unit, to see how intensivists elsewhere think about the same problem, and to learn alongside trainees from other institutes and other countries. Guidance comes from senior intensivists of our Global Critical Care Faculty Network, from colleagues who have recently travelled the same path, and from fellow trainees themselves — given freely, with no fee to take part.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What trainees need to know before applying

Who is the Forum for?

ESBICM members who are trainees in a recognised critical care training programme, anywhere in the world — DM or DrNB in Critical Care Medicine, FCCCM, IDCCM, EDIC, or any other recognised critical care fellowship or training course, including international programmes. It makes no difference whether your institution is government, private, trust or corporate, or which society your course runs under.

Do I need to be an ESBICM member?

Yes. ESBICM membership is free for life, and it lets us confirm who is in the group before any clinical discussion begins. If you are not a member yet, join first and then apply to the Forum.

Where does the Forum run?

In the Community section of The ICU App, as a dedicated Mentorship Forum group. Once your application is approved you are added automatically, usually within 24 hours, so there is no invitation link to chase and no phone number to share. We also hold occasional online sessions for case discussions and topic-based meetings, and meet in person when a conference or regional gathering makes it possible.

What do members discuss there?
Cases from your own unit, how different units approach the same problem, protocols and weaning or sedation practices, exam preparation, and the ordinary difficulties of training — a hard shift, an ethical dilemma, a decision you are still turning over. Small wins are welcome too; a first difficult airway is worth marking.
How quickly do mentors reply?

Sometimes within minutes, more often within 24 to 72 hours. Mentors are practising intensivists, so a question that has not been answered yet has not been passed over — it has simply not reached someone between cases.

What may I post about patients?

Nothing that could identify them — no names, initials, hospital numbers, admission dates or photographs, and no imaging until every identifier has been removed. ESBICM is strict about patient privacy, and this is the one rule in the Forum we apply without exception. A breach leads to removal from the Forum, without exception for intent.

Can I ask about a patient who is unstable right now?
No, and this matters. The Forum works on a learning timescale, not a resuscitation one. A deteriorating patient belongs with your own consultants and your unit's protocols — bring the case back to the Forum afterwards, when there is something to learn from it.
Does the Forum replace my own guide?

Never. Your guide, your faculty and your department remain your primary mentors. The Forum widens that circle by adding how other units and other countries think, which no single institution can offer on its own.

Is a certificate issued?

No. The Forum is a learning community, not a certifying body, and taking part does not add to your formal training record. Our structured, examined courses are where certificates come from.

What happens when my training ends?

You are welcome to stay on for up to two years as a near-peer mentor, helping the trainees coming up behind you. If you move from one recognised course to another, your place simply continues — just let the Office know so your details stay current. Beyond that, colleagues who would like to keep contributing to ESBICM's academic work are welcome to apply to our Global Critical Care Faculty Network, which has its own application and eligibility process

Process

How to join the Forum

Everything happens inside ESBICM. There is no separate form to find and nothing to download.

  1. 01

    Become a member

    ESBICM membership comes first, and it is free for life. If you are not a member yet, apply and the Executive Committee will review your record.

  2. 02

    Apply to the Forum

    Sign in to the member panel or The ICU App and apply from the Mentorship Forum section. Fill in the details of your current training programme for eligibility and approval.

  3. 03

    You are added

    Once your application is approved, you are added to the Mentorship Forum group in the Community section of The ICU App — usually within 24 hours.

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