Vector Volume 11 Issue 1 - 2017

IFMSA - 5 letters with one big mission!
Australian Medical Students attend the IFMSA
66th General Assembly in Montenegro
[Conference report]
Aysha Abu-sharifa (University of Notre Dame Fremantle), Stormie de Groot
(University of New England), Julie Graham (James Cook University), Justine
Thomson (University of Wollongong)
The International Federation of Medical
Students Associations, or IFMSA, was founded
in 1951 in response to the overwhelming global
challenges following World War II. Committed
to the ideals of the Alma Ata Declaration
and “Health for All” (2007), the founders
believed that medical students should not
be passive bystanders, but rather, use their
ability to create lasting and meaningful change
through collaboration and innovation. Today,
the organisation represents over 1.3 million
medical students from over 122 countries
worldwide, with the Australian Medical
Students’ Association (AMSA) having been part
of the organisation for many years.
The IFMSA is involved in a wide range of
global health advocacy, public health, primary
health and clinical health projects. This
encompasses training arms, medical student
exchange programs and collaborative public
health projects. There are several standing
committees working within specific areas of
global health, including Public Health (SCOPH),
Sexual and Reproductive Health (SCORA),
Medical Education (SCOME), Human Rights
and Peace (SCORP) and Professional and
Research Exchanges (SCOPE/SCORE).
The IFMSA is also divided into regions which
allow for effective collaboration across
geographically similar areas, such as the Asia
Pacific Region, of which AMSA is a member. The
IFMSA offers the opportunity for all Australian
medical students, through AMSA, to be involved
in student activities on an international scale.
Most recently, AMSA sent a team of 14
Australian delegates to attend the IFMSA’s 66th
General Assembly (GA) in Budva, Montenegro,
from March 2-8, 2017. The team was led by
Julie Graham, AMSA Global Health’s Vice Chair
International and acting IFMSA Australian
President, along with Liz Bennett, AMSA Global
Health’s Chair. The General Assembly is likened
to an international version of an AMSA Council
in which policies are discussed and debated,
changes to operational processes are made,
new member states are voted in and prepared
statements are read. Most of these processes
take place in plenary sessions, where Julie and
Liz represented Australia on issues relating to
medical education and general global health.
Charlotte O’Leary presents youth declaration on
NCDs
Along with the plenary sessions, each
standing committee also conducts their own
parallel SCORA sessions for members. The
Australian members were divided between
many of these half-day standing sessions,
which allowed the Australian team members
to think about being part of the global health
community and how IFMSA projects could open
many doors on this level. Other key components
of the program include joint sessions between
standing committees, National Member
Organisation meetings and plenaries, where
delegates participate as guests to support and
advise the delegation leaders.
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