The world has become increasingly virtual since 2020, which has brought convenience, if not also some loss of human interaction. Being part of the COST Action PROGRAMMING CA21122 experience over the past year was a perfect example of the phenomenon of remote collaboration. The COST Action PROGRAMMING has entailed a partnership of those working in the world of Geriatric Medicine from all over Europe and beyond to promote expertise in the specialty in countries where is still a more fledgling. For me at least, our meeting at the EUGMS in Valencia constituted my first opportunity to meet face-to-face with colleagues whose faces had become so familiar on my laptop screen. The work we are doing is undoubtedly vital. Even now in 2024, older people across our continent face great disparity in healthcare depending on where they live. In some countries, such as Portugal, Geriatric Medicine is not even yet a recognised medical specialty. Here in Valencia, the likeminded came together to consider how to begin to address this inequality through education and training.

Evidently, others were similarly enthusiastic to meet. At our initial meeting in Valencia, on the 18th September in an unremarkable seminar room in the Palacio de Congresso, there was standing room only. Over the past year the COST Action PROGRAMMING group, comprising of 355 participants from 43 countries, has been conducting a state of the art needs assessment to identify the skill and knowledge areas that most need promotion. Giulia Ogliari (geriatrician from the UK) was even able to unveil that over 6000 healthcare professionals have completed our educational needs survey. This will be vital to plan actions that will improve care for older people across the continent of Europe, the oldest continent. Being a young geriatrician (perhaps I am being too kind with this description), it was a particular privilege to hear from more experienced colleagues who are leading the project, such as Tahir Masud, Anne Ekdahl and Anna Marie Herghelegiu (professors of Geriatric Medicine from the UK, Sweden and Romania respectively). We all need to be inspired sometimes!

Meetings were held for different working groups that are part of the project, each focussing on a different but essential facet of turning our work into real improvements for older people. These groups’ purposes range from developing training courses for ambulatory and long-term settings to crafting frameworks for training. Such has been my enthusiasm for this project that I am in fact a member of two working groups looking at both the state-of-the-art mapping needs assessment and dissemination and impact maximization. There is no doubt that when this project has concluded, ensuring the impact of lessons learned will be essential if Geriatric Medicine and expertise is to be promoted in countries where is still developing.

There is still the opportunity for others in our community to get involved in the COST Action PROGRAMMING project. If you are keen to be part of driving meaningful improvement in the care of older people in Europe, learning from trailblazers in our field and developing yourself as a researcher and educator, perhaps this could be you. Be aware that grants are also available to support work and travel for those involved in the project and more information can be found on the COST Action PROGRAMMING website. Hopefully see you at our next face to face meeting! In Kraków, Poland, 23-24 January 2025!