Version 3 July 2010

International Federation of Medical Students Associations

IFMSA

Foreword
Dear reader, I am very pleased to o er you this booklet, introducing the largest medical student organization in the world: the International Federation of Medical Students Associations! Welcome to the IFMSA, a global network that connects a million medical students, representing 92 countries across ve continents. Our mandate, as we interpret it, is to train medical students to become advocates for the health issues they will face as medical professionals later in their career. e IFMSA has built a strong reputation over the past 60 years thanks to its commitment to educating and serving the communities it represents. In this booklet, you will nd the main ways you can support the IFMSA and we invite you to consider a partnership with IFMSA, working towards a long term cooperation of mutual bene t. Lets work together for a healthier tomorrow! Sincerly yours, Silva Rukavina IFMSA President 2009-2010

The mission

of IFMSA is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.

Contact Information:

General Secretariat: IFMSA c/o WMA B.P. 63 01212 Ferney-Voltaire France Phone: +33 450 404 759 Fax: +33 450 405 937 Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org Bank account details: Account 58.52.12.090 beneficiary IFMSA Bank ABN-AMRO SWIFT ABNANL2A IBAN NL94ABNA0585212090 Bank address: Coolsingel 119, PO Box 949 3000 DD Rotterdam

Content Minke van Minde (The Netherlands) Layout Alexander Werni (Austria) Proofreading Nicholas Watts (Australia) Melhim Bou Alwan (Lebanon) This booklet is an IFMSA publication Parts of this booklet may be reproduced for non political, and non profit purposes mentioning the source provided. Notice: Every care has been taken in the preparation of the content. Nevertheless, errors cannot be avoided. IFMSA cannot accept any responsibility for any liability.

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International Federation of Medical Students Associations

Table of Content
Welcome Note Table of Contents General Facts Standing Committees Research Exchange Professional Exchange IFMSA Member Organizations Human Rights & Peace Public Health Medical Education Projects Training Board of Recommendation Partners 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 16 17

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General Facts
e IFMSA is an independent, non-governmental and non-political federation of medical students associations throughout the world. As of March 2010, IFMSA represents national medical student associations from 92 countries in six continents. Our membership consists of more than 1,000,000 medical students worldwide. Since 1951, IFMSA has been run for and by medical students on a not-for-pro t basis. O cially recognized as a Non-Governmental Organization within the United Nations system, our organization is recognized by the World Health Organization as the international forum for medical students and is considered the student chapter of the World Medical Association. IFMSA is registered as a charitable organization in the Netherlands. For almost 60 years, IFMSA has existed to bring together the global medical student community working on global health issues. Hundreds of activities are planned, designed, and carried out every year on the local, national and international levels. Objectives To expose all medical students to humanitarian and global health issues, providing them with the opportunity to educate themselves and their peers; To facilitate partnerships between the medical student community and international organizations working on health, education and medicine; To give all medical students the opportunity to take part in clinical and research exchange around the world; To provide a network that links active medical students across the globe, including student leaders, project managers and activists, so that they can learn from and be motivated by each other; To provide an international framework in which medical student projects can be initiated, carried out and developed; To empower and train medical students to take a role in bringing about the necessary changes to improve the health of all people of the world.

IFMSA has 97 member organizations in 92 different countries accross six continents. 1.2 million students are involved, 10.000 exchanges are made.

Projects, conferences and workshops are organized across It is health that brings Membership member countries in the elds IFMSA consists of national us all together. of medical education, public medical student associations health, reproductive health, of 92 di erent countries. Each gender issues and human rights and peace, thus of- National Member Organization has its own idenfering medical students a taste of the real and press- tity, re ecting the national needs and culture. ing health issues worldwide. IFMSA is a federation which respects the autonomy of its members. e majority have Local e IFMSA experience shows students that Committees at the medical schools in their country. they are not passive subjects in a rapidly globalizese Local Committees coordinate IFMSA activiing world, but are valuable individuals with a po- ties at the local level. rough these Local Committentially powerful role to play in global health. ey tees, our members are in direct contact with a hunlearn that their idealistic goals can be achieved with dreds of thousands of medical students. readily attainable knowledge and commitment. In IFMSA, the emphasis is placed on students return- Meetings ing to their local environments with new ideas and Our biannual international meetings are a feast the skills to implement them. As the doctors of to- of cross-cultural interaction and education. By morrow and future leaders of health, we feel con- meeting the most active students from other coundent that our students will carry this spirit with tries, our members not only learn about global them throughout their professional lives. health, but share their ideas, skills and experience on how students can act on issues that motivate them. Mission A host of regional and national meetings make these Our mission is to o er future physicians a compre- experiences available to many more. hensive introduction to global health issues. rough our programming and opportunities, we develop culOur emphasis on training supports capacity turally sensitive students of medicine, intent on in u- building within our member organizations, bringencing the trans-national inequalities that shape the ing bene ts for the student leaders and the up and health of our planet. coming younger generation.

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International Federation of Medical Students Associations

Standing Committees
e Standing Committees in IFMSA cover all major health topics and medical student related interests: Medical Education (SCOME) Professional Exchange (SCOPE) Public Health (SCOPH) Reproductive Health including AIDS (SCORA) Research Exchange (SCORE) Human Rights & Peace (SCORP) ese abbrevations are used frequently in the organization and all start with SCO (Standing Committee of ). After that comes the abbrevation of the Standing Committee itself (PH - Public Health). Each Standing Committee is headed by an International Director who is elected by the General Assembly. On a national level the Standing Committee is coordinated by the National O cer, who is elected by respective countrys National Assembly. On a local level the work is excuted by one or more Local O cers. is structure enables IFMSA to do global work on a local level: ink Globally, Act Locally!

The IFMSA Standing Committees represent the core focus points of the organization.

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Research Exchange (SCORE)

e Standing Committee on Research Exchange (SCORE) seeks to give medical students across the world the opportunity to gain exposure to medical training in other countries. All exchanges are initiated and coordinated entirely by medical student volunteers. Every university is represented by a Local O cer on Research Exchange (LORE), who facilitates projects at the local level and arranges for the exchange students preparations such like housing and boarding. Every exchange student is assigned a local contact person who serves as a guide, resource, and social liaison, the thing that strengthens the intercultural communication, understanding, and unity among medical students worldwide. e mission of SCORE is to o er future physicians an opportunity to experience research work and the diversity of countries all over the world. is is achieved by providing a network of locally and internationally active students that globally facilitate access to research exchange projects. rough our programming and opportunities, we aim to develop both culturally sensitive students and skilled researchers intent on shaping the world of science in the upcoming future. To enable medical students to enrich their medical education by a research experience and to learn the basic principles of research. To enhance academic activities and to achieve the educational bene ts of practical and theoretical knowledge. To widen the horizons of medical students, providing them with the opportunities to experience di erent approaches to medical research, education, and health care systems. To create an international network of medical students promoting intercultural communication and spirit of global friendship. e De nition of IFMSA Research Exchange It is a research project that provides medical students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of their speci c research interest. is program is o cially recognized and supported by the medical school/university and is guided by a mentor who introduces exchange students to the basic principles of research, such as literature search, data collection, scienti c writing, laboratory work, statistics and ethics. Upon the completion of the program, students are required to prepare a scienti c written report or an oral presentation. ere are three types of Research projects: Basic research project Clinical research project, combined with basic research in the lab Clinical research project e Learning Objectives of the Program Students should: Engage in literature search and use primary resources to gain knowledge and insights that can be applied to research questions. Analyze a scienti c problem, formulate a research question and plan experiments aiming to answer that question. Critically evaluate their knowledge and their project progress, and address gaps in their knowledge base and nd solutions to problems that arise. Bene t from working together with their research mentor and peers. e research Project should comply with a number of requirements which are de ned by the Working Committee. SCORE is not only running exchanges. rough its programming, style, publications and trainings SCORE acts as an engine which fosters a new generation of young scientists who will break new grounds in medical science. SCORE view the Research Bulletin describes research experiences of SCORE students in order to encourage research exchange and promote SCORE worldwide. e target audience is medical students around the world. SCORE PET (Peer Education Training) is a training program that aims to increase the scienti c knowledge, technical skills, and general motivation of the outgoing students before attending their exchange. SCORE aims to develop both culturally sensitive students and skilled researchers. erefore, many research exchanges, workshops and summer schools that focus on Global Health & Neglected Diseases are conducted to realize our mission.

SCORE was founded in 1991, now in 2010 there are more than 55 National Member Organizations involved and over 1700 students who particpated in the program.

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International Federation of Medical Students Associations

Professional Exchange (SCOPE)

e Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (SCOPE) was the IFMSAs rst Standing Committee and was founded in 1951. It continues to be the backbone of the federation even today and constitutes its largest running project. e Professional Exchange program o ers students a unique educational and cultural experience in addition to the regular medical curriculum. Further it helps to broaden the students understanding of medical and social conditions in di erent countries. We believe that todays doctor should be culturally senstitive and armed with a deep knowledge of the current health care challenges that face their world in order for them to be a vector for change within their society. e Professional Exchange program is a full educational program o ering clinical rotations to medical students abroad. All medical students are entitled to get a clerkship almost in all clinical and pre-clinical elds of medicine. e duration of the elective is four weeks. Clerkships are given in English or in the language of the host country. e exchange student must show dequate knowledge of English language, the native language of the host country or an alternate language agreed upon, in order to carry out the clerkship. e clerkship is purely educational for the student and he/she will not receive a salary for its duration. During the elective, tthe student has the chance to deal with a di erent health care system, and to learn from foreign tutors. Exchange students are assigned a doctor at the desired department, and this doctor later becomes a mentor for the exchange student and supervises his/ her clinical rotation. Exchange Contracts are signed between National Members Organizations and are of two types: 1. Bilateral Contracts: where the participating countries exchange two students between themselves. e incoming student pays no charge to the hosting organization. 2. Unilateral Contracts: where a single student participates in the exchange and pays his fee directly to the hosting organization. In exchange of his fee, the incoming student is o ered a whole month clerkship at the hospital of his choice and in the department of his choice, as well as lodging at a student facility or in a foster family and meal tickets or their equivalent. Also, in an e ort to encourage students to participate in the exchanges through reducing the costs of the exchanges, SCOPE has created a system where every outgoing student pays the fee of receiving a student in his place, directly to his organization. As such, students from developing countries will pay a fee that is relative to their cost of living in their own countries. is fee will be later used by the organization of that country to welcome aforeign student. In short, the student will pay the hosting of his counterpart through a bilateral contract. SCOPE is constantly trying to improve the quality of its program and is growing to cover even more faculties and countries around the world. Recently, most medical faculties give their outgoing exchange students academic credit after participating in a SCOPE program but we are now working hard on having all faculties do this. In order to receive academic credit for the Professional Exchanges we must secure the quality of the clerkships. Under that theme, SCOPE has introduced assessment tools for the clerkships, that the students carries with him during his rotation. ese include a detailed logbook, as well as a checklist and an evaluation to be lled by the supervising tutor. ese were developed in close collaboration with many international healthcare professional associations. SCOPEs activities are not limited to the exchanges, work is continuous, and SCOPE supports exchanges with a complete Incoming student Package that includes students guide as well as maps, and other helpful promotional materials. SCOPE maitains a monthly newsletter and a publication, PeriSCOPE that exposes the exchanges and summer school program of participating NMOs as well as their other activities. In conclusion, SCOPE emphazises on building a highly trained medical student that is both culturally sensitive and aware of the health care challenges of our world today. It also focuses on proper training of its member to be future leaders in their societies and enviroments. SCOPE is at the same time a cultural and educational opportunity, like no other, that broadens the scopes of our medical students beyond medical curriculums. By exchanging people, it is views and mentalities that we are really changing.

SCOPE is run in 86 countries with more than 10000 exchanges a year. It has envolved 700 IFMSA Local Committees and more than 200.000 exchanges throughout history. Result: the largest student-run exchange exchange program in the world!

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IFMSA Members in 2010

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Human Rights & Peace (SCORP)

SCORP is a dynamic standing committee which deals with Human Rights, Refugees, and Peace. ese are issues that are continuously changing under the ever-present in uence of politics, nature and many other factors. e committee itself is also constantly reforming to be able to bend towards the ever changing needs which present di erently in each and every country. In the year 1983 when the global refugee issue rose into general knowledge, the Standing Committee on Refugees was founded. e mission of the new standing committee was to call attention to the ever-growing problems of refugees and internally displaced people. After a while, however, the committee members noticed that the e orts made were rather palliative and short term. For addressing the challenge better and nding sustainable solutions, the importance of the prevention of con icts and human right violations was noticed. Based on these ideas, the Standing Committee on Refugees and Peace was founded in 1994. In 2005, after noticing that SCORP was more and more dealing with Human Rights and indirectly through that with refugees, it changed its name again, to better illustrate its true activities. So it became the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace, keeping its abbreviation SCORP. 1. SCORP has the following aims: rough participation in local and international work, to learn about the problems that refugee populations; internally displaced people and other vulnerable groups of people face. To collaborate with NGOs in establishing projects for medical students to work in international refugee camps. To educate students and professionals in the health care system about refugees, internally displaced peoples and other vulnerable populations health. To spread awareness and educate health care professionals in human rights and the violations committed in this regard. To speak and act for peaceable con ict solutions and discuss and learn about con ict prevention. To establish and develop multidisciplinary cooperation in matters of refugees, peace-culture building, con ict prevention and human rights. HCR, UNHCHR, IPPNW, and IFHHRO. Together a number of projects have been created and SCORP now also is a part of a Humanitarian Crisis Project together with SCOPH (Public Health) and the World Health Organization serving to direct emergency funds to crisis areas as swiftly as possible. SCORP will always be a Committee which will undergo a number of changes due to the fragile nature of what it stands for. ere is however hope for greater things to emerge from within this once tiny committee. New Human Rights trainers are now spread all over the world and have all the knowledge and materials available to educate more people on the intricate nature of peace and equality. e core of what SCORP stands for will always be the universal right to health and to life.

2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

SCORP is partnered with a number of internationally involved organizations including the UN-

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Public Health (SCOPH)

e Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) brings together medical students from all over the world to learn, build skills, cooperate, explore and share ideas when it comes to addressing all issues related to public health, including global health issues, health policies, health promotion and educational activities. Medical students of IFMSA formed the Standing Committee on Students Health (SCOSH) in 1952, driven by a strong will to take an active part in preventing and making policies concerning health problems. During the following years, the wide variety of activities led to the change of SCOSH to Standing Committee on Health (SCOH) in 1963. In 1983 the name of the Committee changed once more to Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH). During these six decades, SCOPH members, known as SCOPHians, implemented, maintained and improved a wide variety of very interesting and energetic community based projects for bene ciaries - on a local, national, regional to the international level. Major goals of the SCOPH are: Raising awareness about global public health issue Educating & training medical students to become actively involved in public health issues Working as a team and collaborating with other public health organizations to make a di erence in global health issues locally, nationally and internationally. Ensuring continuity and sustainability of our public health projects. e majority of SCOPH Projects are: Based on Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Orientated to the speci c needs of the Populations in each Region, Nation & Local Society Our communities gain in knowledge, health and experience. Additionally medical students involved in projects gain a much better understanding of public health issues a ecting their own country as well as of the situation in other countries of the world. is knowledge sharing sheds the light on the global health implications. Chronic Diseases (including Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes mellitus, Cancer, etc.), Alcohol and Substance Consumption, Malaria, TB, Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Health, Ageing, Road Safety and Violence, Natural Disasters, Nutrition, Poverty and Social Inequalities, Rural and Remote Health, Regional Health Problems are some of the main topics that SCOPH focuses on. On an international level SCOPH is coordinated by the SCOPH Dream Team, the SCOPH Board, consisting of the SCOPH Director (SCOPH-D) the SCOPH Liaison O cer and the SCOPH Regional Assistants and Development Assistants. On a regional level SCOPH is coordinated by the SCOPH Regional Assistants (SCOPH-RA) and on the national level SCOPH is coordinated by the National Public Health O cers (NPO). Locally SCOPH has a Local Public Health O cers (LPO), their Assistants and the SCOPH Project Coordinators. Communication with externals in international organizations which share our aims is the responsibility of the Liaison O cer for Public Health Issues, (LPH).

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Reproductive Health incl. AIDS (SCORA)

Medical students of IFMSA formed the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS (SCORA) in 1992, driven by a strong will to take an active part in interventions concerning HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and to support people living with HIV/AIDS through working to decrease stigma and discrimination. rough SCORA, medical students across the globe work locally, nationally and internacionally to increase awareness concerning reproductive health and related issues. SCORA mainly focuses on topics related to HIV/AIDS, prevention and sexuality in a broader sense. It also aims to raise awareness on a variety of reproductive health issues amongst the public, looking to spread the knowledge regarding HIV/ AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and to decrease the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. e vision of SCORA is a world to be free of HIV/AIDS and other STIs with complete respect for every persons reproductive rights, choice of sexuality and with universal gender equality. Our mission is such that, we as an organization of future doctors, which are not a liated to any religion or political party, through education will strive to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections whilst challenging the widespread violation of reproductive rights and gender inequality. We will also encourage respect and understanding of sexuality as a whole. e World AIDS day and Peer Education Programs are two of the main projects carried out in SCORA around the 1st of December every year. On these days, medical students all over the world start to actively raise awareness through numerous celebratory activities, such as lectures, exhibitions, charity concerts, the distribution of condoms, pamphlets, lea ets, brochures and other kind of educational materials. One of the largest programs that SCORA has been organizing is the SCORA student exchange program, with several countries participating at the moment and many more to come. e topics vary according to the country involved. Generally, there are programs on HIV treatment/testing, HIV and STI prevention strategies, legislation, epidemiology and HIV-research. In the end, this program gives local and international participants a holistic view of HIV/AIDS, focusing on the complexity of this multifaceted issue. rough the sexual prevention work that SCORA does targeting youth between the ages of 12 and 24 years, we work to raise awareness, talk openly about prevention, safe sex practices, puberty and growth, protecting unwanted pregnancy and other things related to sex and sexuality. Medical students do not only visit teenagers in schools but also other youth groups especially high risk and marginalized groups. SCORA has a variety of projects that di er from country to country, however, they all share a common basis: interactive methods which involve young people and stimulate them to think creatively. Our major focus is on discussion, open communication and interaction rather than long didactic lectures. In 2003 some European countries with similar cultural backgrounds founded the Northern European Co-operation of Sexual Education projects (NECSE) which meets once a year for a 4-dayworkshop where they exchange experiences, methods and ideas combining their knowledge and train each other. Till now there have been 6 workshops organized. Along the same line, countries from the South of Europe are also working on organizing similar activities and workshops SECSE. SCORA also works on issues related to gender equality, womens rights, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child abuse, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, cancers of the reproductive system and sexual orientation, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) rights and many others. In joint projects with other standing committees, themes like HIV and human rights (together with the Standing Committee on Human rights and Peace SCORP) and in cooperation with SCOPH (Public Health) HIV and TB co-infection are addressed. SCORA focuses also on trainings and building the capacities of its members by equipping them with the necessary skills and tools especially related to Behavior Change Communication. Since August 2006, every year SCORA has been organizing the International Peer Education Training (IPET) as part of the Pre-General Assembly workshops. So far, there have been 6 IPETs organized and over 100 trainers certi ed by both IFMSA and Y-PEER/UNFPA.

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Medical Education (SCOME)

Medical Education should be a concern of every medical student as it shapes not only the quality of future doctors, but also the quality of healthcare. e International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) has a dedicated organ which aims to implement an optimal learning environment for all medical students around the world the Standing Committee On Medical Education (SCOME). It was one of IFMSAs rst standing committees from the beginning of its foundation in 1951. IFMSA SCOME acts as a discussion forum for students interested in the di erent aspects of medical education in the hope of pursuing and achieving its aim. In the last years we have worked mainly in these elds: Locally International Projects (Database projects, Research in Medical Education, Courses, Training) International advocacy International Meetings and Conferences Policy Statements e above work has had remarkable impact in medical schools and decision making bodies around the world. We aim to achieve excellence in medical education throughout the world. Mission Healthcare is changing at an unprecedented rate and at multiple fronts. Technology has revolutionized archaic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Medical science has increased our understanding of the body and created an explosion of new information. Patients are increasingly questioning and less trusting of their doctors. But medical schools are not (or only slowly) introducing changes into their curricula. Teachers at many medical faculties are not educated to teach, they are doctors and mostly lack knowledge of how to show their skills to their students. We question whether or not students educated in a so-called traditional curriculum are able to face the needs of healthcare in a modern society. Scienti c data shows that modern medical curricula are a lot more likely to teach students in an appropriate way in order to create doctors equipped with various skills and knowledge. Although there are a number of innovative approaches to teaching medicine, partly based on ndings of cognitive science, change in medical curricula occurs slowly and in few medical schools. e need for change is either not recognized or ignored in many universities. As medical students are directly exposed to medical curricula, they should be rightfully assumed to be experts on their educational system, and should therefore have an in uence on the creation of new curricula. From IFMSAs experience, it is often the medical students who are the strongest proponents for adapting their education to the needs of their community. Here SCOME comes into play. We try to promote modern medical education. Convinced by many positive examples, we go about that mission by teaching and training students, teachers, and professors, exchanging experiences and spreading information. As a global grassroots organization of medical students locally active in more than 94 countries worldwide, IFMSA has made meaningful contributions to improve medical education over the last decades. Besides the various projects taking place on the local level to improve medical education at the faculties, there are a number of international projects and workshops taking place under the umbrella of the IFMSA network. e World Medical & Pharmacy Students Joint Symposium, WorldMaPS/ World Healthcare Students Symposium (WHSS), is a great new initiative. e four most prominent health care student associations, EPSA, IFMSA, EMSA and IPSF, have joined forces to put together this rst ever event. Medical and Pharmacy students from all over the world will be invited to attend this symposium, the aim of which is to discuss future cooperation between both health care professions and health care students. Policy Statements issued by IFMSA concerning medical Education include: IFMSA Recommendations on Implementation of the Continuous Medical Education in Medical Curricula; Policy/Position on Implementing International Standards in Basic Medical Education; e Bologna Declaration and Medical Education; WorldMaPS Statement of Beliefs European Core Curriculum the Students Perspective; UNESCO Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education e Bachelors and Masters structure in Medicine IFMSAs speci cations to the WFME Global Standards for Basic Medical Education IFMSA Policy Statement on the Timescale for Implementation of the Bologna Process Undergraduate Mobility in Medical Education in the European Higher Education Area; IFMSA Statement on Patient Safety in undergraduate curricula e Bologna Process in Medical Education beyond 2010.

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Projects
Within the IFMSA the term projects refers to activities in many elds, of interest to medical students, which is in concordance with the IFMSA principles, aims and policy statements. is may include Projects, Events, Workshops, Surveys, Networks and Campaigns. e IFMSA has three categories of projects: IFMSA Endorsed Projects, IFMSA Transnational Projects IFMSA Initiatives Projects in all three categories must comply with the Constitution and Bylaws of IFMSA. e projects and their coordinators bene ts and rights include: being able to display project information on the IFMSA website and the o cial projects database, receiving letters of recommendation from the Executive Board, support in grant applications and fundraising attempts, and priority in promotional e orts within the IFMSA network and our partner organizations. Besides all this, the IFMSA Initiatives and Transnational Projects can choose to utilize the IFMSA banking system and have up to two secured places for their representatives participation at the bi-annual IFMSA General Assemblies. Endorsed Projects have one place secured for a project representative at each General Assembly. e coordinators of o cially recognized IFMSA projects are required to submit two half-year reports by the 1st of December and the 1st of May, to update the project information on the IFMSA projects website and o cial projects database and to comply with the Constitution and Bylaws of the federation. e body that administrates projects within IFMSA is the Projects Support Division (PSD) and is coordinated by an elected director who can appoint other persons as members of the PSD. e Projects Proposals Review Committee (PPRC) has been established to assist the PSD Director with the speci c task of revising candidate project proposals. e PPRC comprises of a panel of project management and design experts aiming to increase the quality of IFMSA o cial projects through advising the project coordinators about their work and the PSD Director and National Member Organizations about whether to recognize and accept candidate project proposals as o cial IFMSA projects or not. IFMSA Projects e Asian Collaborative Training on Infectious Disease, Outbreak, Natural Disaster and Refugee Management (ACTION) Awareness Strategies for Pollution from Industries Calcutta Village Project Child Abuse Prevention Project Crossing Borders to Health Curriculum Database Daisy Project - Margarita Daphne Eating Disorders EuWHO Eating Disorders Female Genital Mutilation Awareness Project First Gynecolgical Consultation Ghana Health and Education Initiative Go SCORP Healthy Diet Project Hepatitis awareness campaign Healthy Planet IFMSA Anti -TB Campaign IFMSA Campaign on Malaria In uence of Studies on Students Health Innovative Approaches Promoting Adolescent Health and Development International Student Network on Ageing and Health Kenya Village Project Marrow Mr and Ms Breastestis Northern European Cooperation on Sex Education projects Organ Donation Orphanage Initiative P squared (physicianc Pharmacist) Collaborative Project Peace Test Reproductive Health Education Projects for Adolescents in School Residency Database Rex Crossley Award Scienti c Opportunities Database SCORA Twinning SCORA-Xchange Sexpression Smile X Smoking-ologist Substance Abuse and Dependence Sudan Village Concept Project Teddy Bear Hospital ink Global Tobacco Initiative Project Uganda Village Project Workshop in Peer Education

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Training
Training is the backbone of IFMSA: its the tool with which we exchange experiences, create skills and develop knowledge in our organization. Medical professionals are continually pressed to take roles in the management and improvement of health systems performance. As IFMSA is taking a key role in developing future leadership for global health, training and the development of key human resources is becoming increasingly important in order to provide medical students with necessary skills that the strained academic curricula often fails to provide. By providing training sessions from both inhouse and professional trainers, the Training Team aims to provide trainings around the globe for IFMSA members. We believe training is a vital component of capacity building within the IFMSA, providing National Member Organizations, individuals and IFMSA projects with the skills and resources they need to carry out their IFMSA tasks. roughout the years, IFMSA has been developing high quality trainings and training methods which have been passed on from generation to generation. is has allowed us to maintain important skills and knowledge and use it as a platform to improve and develop. Some examples of the trainings provided in IFMSA are: Leadership PR & Marketing Fundraising Handover & Continuity Empowerment Time Management Con ict Prevention Body language Negotiation Intercultural Learning e world of IFMSA Debating skills Project Management Motivation Skills Facilitation Skills Communication Financial Management Advocacy New trainers are trained in a so called Training New Trainers workshop (TNT). During this workshop IFMSA members are trained to become trainers themselves. To ensure continuity and to keep trainers motivated the Training Old Trainers workshop (TOT) has been established. Here trainers are trained to maintain and improve their training skills. During General Assemblies, congresses, conferences and other meetings IFMSA members are trained in all these di erent skills. Training is all about sharing!

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Board of Recommendation
e Board of Recommendation is a group of esteemed professionals or authority gures (professors, representatives of international organizations, Nobel laureates...) who agree to pose as IFMSA advocates and allow IFMSA to use them as a reference point when in need of a recommendation to provide our Federation with added credibility.. e members of the Board of Recommendation have no duties other than the authorization of their names for use by the IFMSA. In return, IFMSA keeps them informed about the activities within the Federation. e Board of Recommendation does not have meetings; it has no o cial position and no compulsory tasks. Members of the Board of Recommendation can be asked to give advice or pose as a reference, however this depends on their own availability and capacity. e current members of the IFMSA Board of Recommendation with the year they joined this board: Prof. Colin Green, former CEO of the International Medical Education Trust 2000 (2006) Prof. Ian Fraser, Honorary Secretary of the International Federation for Gynecology & Obstetrics, Past President of IFMSA (2007) Dr. Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General, World Medical Association (2008) Mr. Everton Hannam, UNESCO National Commissions (2008) Prof. Hamid Rushwan, Chief Executive/President, International Federation for Gynecology and Obstetrics (2009) Dr. Erik Holst, 1st IFMSA President, former Vice President of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (2010)

IFMSA at the World Health Assembly

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International Federation of Medical Students Associations

Official Partners
O cial relationships of the IFMSA with the other organizations are based on health, education, science and social and humanitarian a airs. ere are a number of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations which are IFMSA partners in fruitful and long lasting collaborations. Our most important partners are: e United Nations e IFMSA has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council. e World Health Oganisation IFMSA has been in o cial relations with the World Health Organization since 1969. Joint work this year was concentrated in the elds of Violence and Injury Prevention and Ageing and Health. e IFMSA worked with the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region on Adolescent Health. e World Medical Association e collaboration between IFMSA and the WMA has been one of the most successful and rewarding. e WMA provides a natural extension to the representation that IFMSA has of international medical students. is fact makes IFMSA often referred to as the student branch of WMA, although entirely independent. UNESCO e IFMSA is continuing operational relations with the United Nations Educational, Scienti c and Cultural Organization. Joint work focuses on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights and capacity building in the IFMSA. e IFMSA is also working together with: UNAIDS (Joint United Nation Programme on HIV/AIDS) UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) UNICEF (Unite for Children) WFME (World Federation on Medical Education) GHC (Global Health Council) YFJ (European Youth Forum) MTV Staying Alive International Association for Medical Education (AMEE) International Phycisians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) International Federation of Health and Humans Right Organizations (IFHHRO) e Network Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) European Medical Students Association (EMSA) Asian Medical Students Association (AMSA) International Pharmacy Students Federation (IPSF) Informal Forum of International Students Organizations (IFISO) FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) IAVI (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative) IAS (International AIDS Society) World Family Doctors Caring for People (WONCA) Academic Medical Center Amsterdam (AMC)

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The mission of IFMSA is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intend on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet. www.ifmsa.org medical students worldwide

Armenia (AMSP) Australia (AMSA) Austria (AMSA) Azerbaijan (AzerMDS) Bahrain (IFMSA-BH) Bangladesh (BMSS) Bolivia (IFMSA Bolivia) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BoHeMSA) Bosnia and Herzegovina - Rep. of Srpska (SaMSIC) Brazil (DENEM) Brazil (IFMSA Brazil) Bulgaria (AMSB) Burkina Faso (AEM) Burundi (ABEM) Canada (CFMS) Canada-Quebec (IFMSA-Quebec) Catalonia - Spain (AECS) Chile (IFMSA-Chile) China (IFMSA-China) Colombia (ACOME) Colombia (ASCEMCOL) Costa Rica (ACEM) Croatia (CroMSIC) Czech Republic (IFMSA CZ) Denmark (IMCC) Ecuador (IFMSA-Ecuador) Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt) El Salvador (IFMSA El Salvador) Estonia (EstMSA) Ethiopia (EMSA) Finland (FiMSIC) France (ANEMF) Germany (BVMD) Ghana (FGMSA) Greece (HelMSIC) Grenada (IFMSA-Grenada) Hong Kong (AMSAHK) Hungary (HuMSIRC) Iceland (IMSIC) Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IFMSA-Iran) Israel (FIMS) Italy (SISM) Jamaica (JAMSA) Japan (IFMSA-Japan) Jordan (IFMSA-Jo) Kenya (MSAKE) Korea (KMSA)

Kuwait (KuMSA) Kyrgyzstan (MSPA Kyrgyzstan) Latvia (LaMSA Latvia) Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA) Lithuania (LiMSA) Luxembourg (ALEM) Malta (MMSA) Mexico (IFMSA-Mexico) Montenegro (MoMSIC Montenegro) Mozambique (IFMSA-Mozambique) Nepal (NMSS) New Zealand (NZMSA) Nigeria (NiMSA) Norway (NMSA) Oman (SQU-MSG) Pakistan (IFMSA-Pakistan) Palestine (IFMSA-Palestine) Panama (IFMSA-Panama) Peru (APEMH) Peru (IFMSA Peru) Philippines (AMSA-Philippines) Poland (IFMSA-Poland) Portugal (PorMSIC) Romania (FASMR) Russian Federation (HCCM) Rwanda (MEDSAR) Saudi Arabia (IFMSA-Saudi Arabia) Serbia (IFMSA-Serbia) Sierra Leone (MSA) Slovakia (SloMSA) Slovenia (SloMSIC) South Africa (SAMSA) Spain (IFMSA-Spain) Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan) Sweden (IFMSA-Sweden) Switzerland (SwiMSA) Taiwan (IFMSA-Taiwan) Tatarstan-Russia (TaMSA-Tatarstan) Thailand (IFMSA-Thailand) The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MMSA-Macedonia) The Netherlands (IFMSA-The Netherlands) Tunisia (ASSOCIA-MED) Turkey (TurkMSIC) United Arab Emirates (EMSS) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Medsin-UK) United States of America (AMSA-USA) Venezuela (FEVESOCEM)

www.ifmsa.org medical students worldwide