What a wonderful Spring General Meeting along side the Canadian Conference on Medical Education this April 2013!  Students from across the country participated in discussions about medical education and global health, as well as passed some important position papers about social media and professionalism and the social determinants of health.  In addition, Jesse Kancir from the University of Toronto was announced as our CFMS President-Elect!

For a comprehensive update from CFMS President Robin Clouston, see the attached letter.

The Calgary Guide was created as an online resource for medical students by medical students.  They'd like you to take advantage of this project, which hopes to aid medical students in their understanding of disease pathophysiology, and give your feedback.

Visit the guide at www.thecalgaryguide.com and read this letter from the 2012-2013 editors to learn more about why it was created!

Attention Medical Students interested in Peace, Social Justice and Human Rights:
 
Have you wanted to engage in research with social meaning?  Have you ever wanted to address these crucial issues and be mentored by an expert in the field?  
 
Physicians for Global Survival (PGS), funded by the Canadian Physicians for Research and Education in Peace (C-PREP) is currently seeking medical students for a paid Summer Research Internship, worth $2,500!
 
Topics must relate to Peace and militarism but could include such issues as health effects of violence and peace through health, humanitarian effects of war and arms build up, PTSD in survivors of war, role of physicians in war or the nuclear chain. This project could be under the supervision of an expert medical peace practitioner of your choosing or we can help. It typically involves a commitment of 8 weeks of 25 hours/week, and would ideally be intended for publication or wider dissemination.
 
Please submit your application including your CV, Project Summary Description Timeline and a Brief Letter of Support to Andrea Levy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 4pm EST May 20th 2013.
 
General interest and questions are also welcome. Details can be downloaded here.

Attention Medical Learners and Residents at Canadian Faculties of Medicine

If you would like to help raise the profile of clinical public / population health in medical education, please consider these opportunities to become a member of the following Advisory and Working Groups from the Engaging Students in Public Health project, supported by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC).

This is a 30-month national project to enhance the teaching and profile of clinical public health in Canadian medical education. The project centres on three concurrent activities: engaging students to create innovative public health learning tools, improving the assessment of public health educational objectives, and better connecting students to Public Health and Preventive Medicine physicians and training programs. The essential element linking these three activities is the active engagement of students. Project management and some administrative assistance will be provided by AFMC.

Opportunities: Listed below are eight opportunities for medical students and eight for residents. These are voluntary unpaid positions. Any required travel will be paid for by the project. Project members will be acknowledged for their contributions in project reports posted to the AFMC web site, and other suitable forms of recognition.

Please send the requisite information listed for each opportunity you are interested in to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 8, 2013. Send any enquiries to the same email, or call 613-730-0687 Ext. 235 Mondays to Wednesdays.

Project Advisory Group

Wanted: One medical student and one Public Health & Preventive Medicine resident.

Role / Responsibilities: Provide feedback on planned activities and evaluation strategies to project working groups and project manager.

Group Members: AFMC Public Health Educators’ Network (representatives from all 17 faculties of medicine), one AFMC Senior Management representative, one PHAC representative, one student representative, one resident representative.

Time Commitment: project runs until September 2015. Participation in up to four teleconferences each year. One in-person meeting may be held in Ottawa or Toronto in 2013. Interested parties can apply for a partial or full-term.

To Apply: Send a short narrative describing your interest in this project, what attributes you would bring to the Advisory Group, your availability (partial term to June 2014 or full term until Sept. 2015), and include a brief note of support from a public health educator at your faculty.

Application deadline: Send to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 8, 2013.

Working Group for Developing Clinical Public Health Learning Tools

Wanted: Two medical students and two residents: one from the Public Health & Preventive Medicine specialty program and the other from any accredited Canadian medical specialty program, including Family Medicine. A student or resident member will be one of the group co-chairs. Being chosen for the co-chair role is a great opportunity to develop and demonstrate your leadership skills.

Objective: Facilitate a process that engages students in the creation of new learning tools that illustrate public health concepts, especially as applied to clinical practice. The process may involve a call for proposals to create new tools.

Role / Responsibilities: Members will develop the process and budget for creating new tools, the assessment of proposals made, and will evaluate the final tools and the group’s activities. Consultation with representative groups, e.g. students, subject experts, may also be needed.

Group Members: There will be up to seven members from the AFMC Public Health Educators’ Network, two students, two residents, and one AFMC representative. The group will decide if additional members are needed.

Time Commitment: project runs until September 2015. Participation in up to six teleconferences each year. One in-person meeting may be held in Ottawa or Toronto in 2013. Interested parties can apply for a partial or full-term.

To Apply: Send a short narrative describing your interest in this project, what attributes you would bring to the Working Group, your availability (partial term to June 2014 or full term until Sept. 2015). Please indicate if you are interested in being a co-chair or member.

Application deadline: Send to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 8, 2013.

Working Group for Engaging Students in Prevention & Clinical Public Health

Wanted: One medical student and one Public Health & Preventive Medicine resident from each of the following 5 regions – British Columbia/Alberta; Saskatchewan/Manitoba; Ontario; Québec; Atlantic Provinces; for a total of 5 medical students and 5 residents.

Objective: Help raise the profile of clinical public health in medical education, and support recruitment into Public Health & Preventive Medicine (PH&PM) residency programs.

Role / Responsibilities: Consult with representative groups, e.g. students with other students, in order to bring feedback and ideas to the working group. Participate in the planning, execution and assessment of activities developed by the working group.

Group Members: Five regional student representatives, five regional resident representatives, Up to five members from AFMC Public Health Educators’ Network, Two PH&PM residency directors, President or representative from Public Health Physicians Canada.

Time Commitment: Project runs to September 2015. There will be up to six teleconferences per year. Interested parties can apply for a partial or full-term.

To Apply: Send a short narrative describing your interest in this working group and what attributes you would bring, your availability (partial term to June 2014 or full term until Sept. 2015), and include a brief note of support from a public health educator at your faculty.

Application deadline: Send to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by May 8, 2013.

Expanding the Canada Health Act: Pharmacare & Beyond

People in Canada have repeatedly shown that healthcare is one of the biggest issues on their minds. While most can agree on the sanctity of health, there is often disagreement over how our system should work - Who should pay? Who should deliver services? What should be covered? Recently, many have been looking at the merits of a national pharmacare program in Canada. Just last month, Pharmacare 2020: Envisioning Canada’s Future brought together various stakeholders in Vancouver while nine provincial governments negotiate a bulk-purchasing initiative to get better value for drugs. Arguments are being made on the basis of equity, accessibility, quality of care and cost savings. Join us to hear the answers to some of these questions and to ask your own! We will hear from our experts and have plenty of opportunity for discussion and organizing for action! Whether you are a student, a health care provider or a community member, these issues affect us all and we look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Join us in Toronto April 27th!  For more details on the conference and how to register please see the attached PDF.

The 66^th World Health Assembly (WHA) will be held this May 20-28, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland. Attended by delegations from 194 Member States as well as recognized international NGOs and other partners, WHA is the annual gathering of the highest decision-making body of WHO. Each year, IFMSA sends a delegation of 8-12 people, composed of IFMSA officials and other leaders and advocates, with equitable regional representation and covering the different global health priorities of WHO and IFMSA.

For the first time in IFMSA history, we will be holding a Youth Pre-WHA Workshop on Global Health Diplomacy and Global Health Governance on May 16-20, 2013, shortly before the WHA. Open to IFMSA members as well as other youth organizations that usually attend the WHA, the workshop aims to educate and empower future leaders in health with enhanced knowledge and understanding of global health issues. Furthermore, the event aims to develop a streamlined plan of action for youth participation at the World Health Assembly. In order to advance interprofessional collaboration in global health, IFMSA has also invited students and youth from other organizations.

Attached is the unified application form for both WHA and Pre-WHA. Preference will be given to those who can attend both events, as the pre-WHA will serve as the preparation for the delegation’s advocacy work for the main assembly.

Please fill out this form and send it back to us by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by April 1st, 12:01pm GMT.

Participation fee for the Pre-WHA is 430 euros, which includes food, accommodation, workshop venue, and programming. On the other hand, WHA attendance is free, but selected IFMSA attendees are responsible for their own food, accommodation, local transport, and other expenses.

Selected participants to the pre-WHA and delegates to the WHA have to demonstrate commitment to fully participate in the preparations, contribute to the implementation of the advocacy strategy that will be developed during pre-WHA, and sustain involvement during the post-WHA follow-up.