On March 3rd to March 9th, 2014, six clinical medicine students, Zhang Hanwen, Zhang Xueying, Yang Ge, Yang Yazhi, Zhu Yifan from our eight-year program, and Xu Yao from the five-year program, joined ten students from sister institutions to attend the 64th Annual Meeting of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) held in Hammamet, Tunisia.
IFMSA, established in 1951, is a non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations and the World Health Organization. It consists of medical student associations from various countries or regions, facilitating student exchanges, hosting annual meetings to discuss international health, and connecting medical student associations worldwide to serve students globally, promoting mutual understanding among medical students and healthcare professionals.
IFMSA-China, initiated in 2009, officially became a member of IFMSA in 2011. Participating institutions include Peking Union Medical College, Peking University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Tongji Medical College, Sichuan University West China Clinical Medical College, Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine, Southern Medical University, and Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University – all offering an eight-year clinical medicine program.
The theme of this year's annual meeting was "Health Beyond 2015: Get Involved." Representatives participated in various sections under this theme, including plenary sessions, reproductive health, clinical exchanges, research exchanges, human rights and refugees, and public health. As the Secretary-General of IFMSA-China, student Zhang Xueying served as the team leader, participating in plenary and general sessions, engaging in the modification of IFMSA regulations, voting for the next hosting location, and participating in member identity elections. Zhang Hanwen, as the exchange officer of IFMSA-China, assisted fellow students in the clinical exchange section, ensuring they have a smooth experience. Yang Ge, Yang Yazhi, Xu Yao, and Zhu Yifan participated in different groups, expanding their horizons by exchanging ideas with medical students from other countries and regions.
In addition to rigorous plenary sessions and academic discussions, the organizing committee arranged various entertainment activities every day, such as showcasing different cultural dances, tasting international cuisines, enriching the overall conference experience. The Chinese representatives presented a qipao dance and brought traditional mooncakes, offering a glimpse of ancient and mysterious Eastern culture to others.
After a week-long conference, the representatives returned to campus safely, having gained significant insights, established deep friendships with other representatives, learned about medical student activities from different countries, and explored various medical student training programs with diverse cultural backgrounds. They returned with a wealth of knowledge and experiences.
