Abstract
Medical and health professions' education is becoming increasingly standardized across the world in terms of core standards and competencies. Yet, the context in which education and training occurs is far from even. Many educators face challenges in providing health professions' education, ranging from individual challenges and organizational struggles, to working in countries experiencing major conflict or environmental disaster. This commentary sets the scene for an international discussion on might constitute "difficult circumstances" and invites educators from around the world to contribute to the discussion by sharing their stories and suggesting strategies and solutions in a themed issue of MedEdPublish, AMEE's (the Association for Medical Education in Europe) innovative online journal.