Respiratory physiotherapy education in Italy: per aspera ad astra

At the start of my career, following 3 years of undergraduate education in physiotherapy, it was crystal clear that I was more inclined to the respiratory field rather than musculoskeletal or neurological practice. At that time, after six enthusiastic months spent at Lacor Hospital (Gulu, Uganda) writing my graduation thesis, my remaining options were a 2-year Master's level degree (MSc), introduced in Italy in late 2004, randomly following some educational courses offered by the only Italian association of physiotherapists dealing with respiratory disease (Associazione Riabilitatori dell'Insufficienza Respiratoria; ARIR) or, eventually, deepening my understanding and, therefore, management of respiratory diseases through the available 1-year postgraduate track at the University of Milan (Milan, Italy). The MSc was about some nonspecific aspects of physiotherapy, such as health management, economics and general research issues, while the postgraduate course, established in 2006 and currently celebrating its 13th edition, was offering 60 university training credits (Crediti Formativi Universitari; CFU), equivalent to approximately 1500 hours of work (lessons, individual study, preparation for the exam, research work, etc.). Taking into consideration the fact that a bachelor's degree in physiotherapy is obtained after 180 CFU and that the average amount of hours dedicated to the respiratory area corresponds, more or less, to less than 10% of the total CFU, it was not difficult for me to opt for the 1-year postgraduate track.