The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) is an independent, non-governmental and non-political federation of medical students' associations throughout the world. In 2010 IFMSA had 96 National Member Organizations on six continents and represented more than 1.2 million medical students worldwide.
The IFMSA was founded in May 1951 and is run for and by medical students on a non-profit basis. It is officially recognized as a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) within the United Nations' and recognized by the World Health Organization as the International Forum for medical students. It exists to serve medical students all over the world. IFMSA was established in the Netherlands as a charity organization.
Mission
Our mission is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues Through our programming and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the trans-national inequalities that shape the health of our planet.
Objectives
IFMSA plays a crucial role for medical students’ associations worldwide. Not only to provide support and opportunity to medical students at the global/regional scale, it also enables and trains medical students to take a role in improving health of people around the world. IFMSA is there to provide a medium for medical students associations worldwide to connect and interact with each other via meetings, projects, activities, clinical/research exchanges, and many more.
Membership Structure
Members of IFMSA are made up of medical students associations from 96 different countries. Each member country of IFMSA is called a National Member Organization (NMO). Every NMO has its own unique culture and background. IFMSA is an alliance of each NMO and connects students from each NMO together at the international level. The majority of the NMOs have Local Committees at the medical schools in their country to organize IFMSA activities at the national level. As a result, every medical student within each NMO can connect to IFMSA. The primarily goal for IFMSA is to improve the conditions of health locally, nationally, and internationally. This is done through six standing committees under IFMSA;
1. SCOPH- Standing Committee on Public Health: Focuses on issues concerning the health of the public. Also, looks at public health issues in medical education and in the community.
2. SCORE- Standing Committee on Research Exchange: The committee organizes medical students interested in research to experience research work in a foreign country.
3. SCOPE- Standing Committee on Professional Exchange: The committee organizes medical students interested in doing clinical clerkships in other countries.
4. SCORA- Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including Aids:
The committee’s goals are to increase the understanding of sexual education, gender equity, sexual violence, sexually transmitted disease, and
HIV/AIDS. It also focuses on medical issues concerning reproductive health.
5. SCOME- Standing Committee on Medical Education: The committee looks at medical education systems around the world and to discuss ways to improve the learning environment for all medical students globally. It also looks at how to develop effective and optimal medical education for students.
6. SCORP- Standing Committee on Human Right and Peace: This committee focuses on promoting human rights and peace. Also, students in this committee work towards improving quality of life of world’s population. |
