„Expand with Medical Education Pillar! Inform yourself about the current medical education status in Europe, attend scientific, social, multicultural Summer Schools, help children overcome their fears while practising your communication skills, learn what policy papers are and how to write them, provide and promote or utilize needed knowledge for students that engage an exchange program for a healthier exchange experience. The list is long, come and see it yourself"
In 1979 the rock band Pink Floyd claimed: “We don’t need no education.”, criticizing the educational system in Great Britain. We as EMSA Medical Education enthusiasts are inspired by Pink Floyd’s effort to review on the education of medical students in Europe and encourage everyone to brainstorm with us on medical education in order to improve quality. By joining both students and organizations with shared interests and responsibilities according to the topics, we work on progressing the medical education in Europe. Medical education has several subtitles. We believe that one of them will suit you perfectly.
The Bologna Process Workshop is an annual workshop where medical students from all over Europe discuss the implementation of the Bologna Process in medical education. Together they create a statement and voice the position of European medical students advising the European authorities and medical faculties.
Since the start of the implementation of the Bologna Declaration, educational systems throughout Europe have been changing. As the medical studies are designed in a different way than most other studies, medical students feel the need to be involved in the process of harmonizing the medical studies. In order to do so, the European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA) and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) jointly organize an annual Bologna Process Workshop for medical students throughout Europe.
Two policy papers were created in last BP workshop which was held in Istanbul Yeditepe University - TURKEY (July 2011), and the topics covered were “Accessibility to Higher Education” and “Medical Students’ involvement in the Educational Process”
For many Erasmus students, going abroad for exchange is their first time away from home. As a consequence, temptation for experimental behaviour is strong and the importance of a healthy life style is often underestimated. The Project aims to give students guidance in unfamiliar situations and to empower them to make their own (responsible) decisions.
As medical students and members of EMSA family we take into consideration the students that engage exchange programs and want to provide some information for a healthier Erasmus experience for those adventurous traveler friends. We touch on subjects like: Drug and alcohol abuse, food/diet, health care systems, insurance informations, emergencies, medication, sex and many pinpoints of best practices for leading a healthy lifestyle. This aim is going to be actualized by creating an informative booklet and handbook using the expertise of medical, pharmaceutical and Erasmus students and this booklet/handbook will be distributaed among all European medical faculties.
The project is a joint initiative of the European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA), the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA) and the Erasmus Students Network (ESN).
The EMSA Summer Schools offer medical students from all over geographical Europe to study a specific field of medicine during the summer in an international group. Teaching language is English, and the topics are a broad variety, covering the whole spectrum of medical science, always taking into consideration the ethical approach as well.
During those summer schools the students not only learn medical knowledge, but also interactive communication and team-work with medical students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds and contacts to speakers. Medical Education Pillar will gather the information coming from the SS Organising Committees for promotion via emsa web-site and mail servers. Furthermore, any help and support needed will be provided for OC’s.
A week long umbrella event that encompases several projects on medical education: lectures, conferences, seminars, activities, workshops…etc. Do you and your local committee want to learn about “How is it like to be a neurosurgeon?” then arrange a place to meet and ask a neurosurgeon for a presentation! Gather the students… voila! Do you want to feel more competent in communicating with people with a hearing deficit and want to gain some basic sign language skills? Just an activity ahead! If you feel the need: Go for the Surgical Suturing Skills Workshop! Do you know how to perform “Basic Life Support” ? If your answer is no, then it is one thing that needs to be fixed for a medical student! If your answer is yes, then the question is: how competent you are? Maybe an “Advanced Life support is needed”.
The duration of events (usually a week) and topics of lectures taking place, depends on you, you and the needs of your local committee! Have you seen something that flexible before? ;-)
We’ve all been children. In our little innocent worlds we had fears. Some of us were afraid from darkness others from thunders. Another group was afraid from the “white coated people”. In Teddy Bear Hospital Project our goal is to help children overcome their white coat anxiety.
This is a community-based project run by medical students and has benefited thousands of primary school children, in the past few years. The highlight is a consultation between special Teddy Bear Doctors (clinical medical students) and the child, where the “sick” teddy can be treated. The ultimate aim is to help young children overcome their “White Coat Anxiety” in going and talking to the doctor.
This year, by the valuable cooperation of European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA), Teddy Bear Hospital will also be in great importance bringing medical and pharmaceutical students together.
On December 1st, World AIDS Day, medical students all over Europe act to raise awareness through numerous activities, such as interactive lectures, peer education, exhibitions, distribution of condoms and pamphlets, flash mobs, charity concerts, candle-lighting in squares etc.
Through all this work, EMSA aims to raise awareness amongst the target group, talk openly about prevention, safe sex, puberty and growing up, protecting unwanted pregnancy and anything related. Medical students do not only visit teenagers in schools but also other youth groups. The projects are a little different in each country, but mostly have the same basis: interactive methods to get people involved and to get them thinking, The focus is on talking and communication without giving long lectures and the whole session should be as much fun and (inter-)action as possible.
Often EMSA’s local faculty member organisations (FMOs) cooperate with similar local, national and international institutions and NGOs, active in the same field, such as UNAIDS, Act-Up, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of different European countries, local authorities etc.
So, we have given you some information about Medical Education projects. Are you excited?
Get involved, join and be a part of our shiny “European Support Division and act on European Level!
EMSA - Pillars
