IFMSA

IFMSA

IFMSA stands for International Federation of Medical Student Associations and was founded in 1951. The federation consists of representative organizations from over 80 countries and has a working relationship with numerous international health organizations such as the World Health Organization, World Medical Association and United Nations. Each country has a different level of involvement and some are involved in only the exchange standing committee, whereas others such as Canada are involved in all of the standing committees. The IFMSA holds two general meeting each year (March & August) during which representatives from member nations come together to discuss, train and develop new projects.

CFMS and the IFMSA

The CFMS is a National Member Organization of the IFMSA. The CFMS-IHP represents its Canadian medical student members within the IFMSA. IFMSA-Quebec is an associate member of the IFMSA and they represent the Quebec medical students within the IFMSA. The CFMS-IHP has representatives that participate in all of the IFMSA standing committees. The CFMS and IFMSA-Quebec cooperate and work together to bring about national events and programs.

Objectives of IFMSA

IFMSA will serve society and medical students all over the world through its member organisations by:

The exchange program has been the core activity of IFMSA from the beginning. The second line of activities are the projects that IFMSA organizes in the fields of public health, refugees, medical education and awareness of reproductive health including AIDS. Thirdly, IFMSA is a forum where medical students exchange information about topics of common interest, formulate a medical students' opinion and present it to the international community.

The exchange of students forms the basis of the federation, and each year some 6000 students travel abroad within the IFMSA schemes of exchange. Most students participate in the so called professional exchange, where a clinical rotation is carried out in a foreign hospital for one month. Other students choose to participate in the research exchange, joining a project with a more scientific approach.

Activities have developed in several other fields as well. A group of international students working for refugees and peace has formed. Similarly, students interested in public health and medical education have started to cooperate, as well as students concerned in the global problem of Reproductive health and AIDS. These groups, or "Standing Committees", are very concrete in their actions and they organize projects and events which other international medical students are welcome to join. Primary health centres and refugee camps are set up, workshops are arranged, information campaigns are started, etc, and all is based on the participation of international students.

Standing Committees of IFMSA

The structure of the IFMSA is based on standing committees, under which fall most of its activities. Below are descriptions of each of these committees.

Committee on Professional Exchange - SCOPE

The Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (SCOPE) is the largest program within the IFMSA. Its aim is to strengthen understanding among medical students internationally through an international elective exchange program. SCOPE offers students a unique educational and cultural experience, helping to broaden students awareness of medical and social conditions in different countries.

Each year, SCOPE organizes the exchange of over 5000 students from over 60 countries internationally. Approximately 60 Canadian students participate in the exchange program every year, completing one-month clinical electives abroad and hosting foreign medical students at home in Canada.

The CFMS-IHP administers the SCOPE exchange program in Canada. The National Exchange Officers (NEOs) are responsible for exchanges in their home countries and meet twice per year with other NEOs to sign contracts and exchange applications. The Local Exchange Officers (LEOs) are responsible for coordinating incoming and outgoing students in their own cities.

Committee on Research Exchange – SCORE

The Standing Committee on Research Exchange allows young scientist or scientist-wanna-bees a possibility to try lab work in a totally different environment.

The Standing Committee on Research Exchange (SCORE) allows medical students to participate in a project of scientific research abroad. By doing research abroad medical students expand their knowledge of scientific areas of their interest while forming new social and professional networks. Research exchange projects help students combine their theoretical knowledge with highly specialized laboratory techniques. Programs are typically organized in close collaboration with the home faculty in order to allow students to earn academic credit. Currently thousands of research projects are available.

The CFMS-IHP administers the SCORE exchange program in Canada.

The National Officers of Research Exchange (NOREs) are responsible for exchanges in their home countries and meet twice per year with other NOREs to sign contracts and exchange applications. The Local Officers of Research Exchange (LOREs) are responsible for coordinating incoming and outgoing students in their own cities.

Committee on Medical Education - SCOME

The IFMSA's Standing Committee on Medical Education is created for the purpose of being an active discussion forum for the medical students interested in medical education. Interested in giving their share to the development of the quality of medical education both locally, nationally and on an international level. Its overall goal is the implementation of an optimal learning environment for all medical students around the world. At this moment the prominent SCOME project is the Curriculum Database, with an aim to create an internet-based database of different curriculums of medical schools from all over the world. Another SCOME project is the International Book-Aid Project. It provided learning material to countries in need.

The CFMS VP-Education and the CFMS-IHP Liaison Officer of Medical Education are the CFMS representatives in this standing committee.

Committee on Public Health – SCOPH

The standing committee on public health works to make public health and its importance familiar to medical students. SCOPH also offers students opportunity to get practical experience in this subject by joining different projects run by international organizations like WHO and UNICEF. SCOPH wants to make medical students and the public become aware of the importance of Public Health in today's world. We also want to help medical students to get practical experience in this subject by joining different projects run by International Organizations (like WHO, UNICEF etc.). Another aim is to build up a good database about Public Health related parameters in the field and about information on public health.

There are two things SCOPH does: Coordinates projects , in which any medical student can participate and coordinates events and activities on the same topics all around the world.

The CFMS-IHP National Officer of Public Health is the CFMS representative on this standing committee.

Committee on Reproduction including AIDS – SCORA

The standing committee on reproductive health including AIDS aims to raise awareness among medical students about Reproductive Health enclosing satisfying sexual life, sexual education, family planning, gender equity, sexual violence,cultural and ethical issues, as well as HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases related subjects

The main SCORA objectives are:

• To raise awareness among medical students about Reproductive Health enclosing satisfying sexual life, sexual education, family planning, gender equity, sexual violence,cultural and ethical issues, as well as HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases related subjects
• To improve medical students knowledge and make them achieve counseling skills
• To open discussions, lectures and interactive games for elementary and high school students about issues of sexuality, reproductive health, AIDS and STDs and thus promoting healthy sexual behavior
• To promote media campaigns, condom and material distribution, and help fundraising
• To contribute with supportive, social and action services for people living with HIV/AIDS and STDs.

The CFMS-IHP National Officer of Reproductive Health is the CFMS representative of this standing committee.

Committee on Human Rights & Peace – SCORP

The Standing Committee on Refugees was founded in 1983 as the global plight of refugees came into the limelight. Its mission was to call attention to the problems displaced people faced as well as participate in relief efforts. The committee members soon realized that these efforts were short term and palliative. Sustainable solutions would have to rest on the prevention of conflicts and human rights abuses. Based on these new resolutions, the Standing Committee on Refugees and Peace was forged in 1994. In 2005 they changed their name to the Committee on Human Rights and Peace to better reflect the projects they were pursuing.

SCORP organizes projects in refugee camps, thus giving students a chance to better sense the costs of war and displacement. The standing committee also coordinates exhibitions and workshops destined to raise awareness about the threat that conflicts, modern warfare and human rights abuses pose to health.

 Through its national member organizations, SCORP intends to:

• Identify and alleviate the problems and needs of the victims of conflict
• Denounce the threats posed to health and the suffering engendered by modern warfare.
• Advocate conflict prevention, among medical students and health care providers, as a path toward improved well being.
• Promote Peace and Human Rights education as the foundations of conflict prevention.
• Expand and strengthen the network of medical students' involved in conflict prevention, disarmament, human rights and refugee activities.

The CFMS-IHP National Officer of Human Rights is the CFMS representative on this standing committee.