The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) is a non-governmental organization representing associations of medical students. It was founded in May 1951 and currently maintains 133 member organizations from 123 countries around.
History The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations was one of the numerous international student organizations set up directly after the end of the Second World War. The first meeting that saw the establishment of the Federation was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in May 1951. The first members of this new organization were the United Kingdom, Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. London saw the first General Assembly of IFMSA in July 1952. The meeting had a total of thirty participants from ten countries.
Starting from the exclusively European founding organizations, the Federation has expanded to include 136 members from all over the world.
The IFMSA has always focused on student mobility and exchange as well as conference and workshop organization. The first conferences were known as the Student International Clinical Conferences, and they were quite successful in the 1950s. Various summer schools have been organized through the years, starting in 1963 in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia. Other conferences have discussed medical education, drugs, AIDS, and HIV issues. In the 1960s projects were organized to help less advantaged students in developing countries the Book Aid project, which sought to send medical books from wealthier nations and the Equipment Appeal, which promoted the shipping of surplus medical equipment to these countries.
The 1970s medical students saw a need for the decentralization of IFMSA. To this aim, IFMSA contributed to the creation of regional medical student organizations in Africa and Asia. Subsequently, regional vice-presidents were elected for six regions as a way of promoting regionalization, but this structure was abandoned after a few years.
In the early 1980s, the IFMSA issued a number of resolutions and declarations on topics ranging from Medical Education to the Prevention of Nuclear War to Primary Health Care. In the late 1980s, there was a push towards organizing projects that would be able to make a change locally and thus the Village Concept Project idea was born after collaboration with other international student organizations. 1986 also saw the start of the Leadership Training Programs in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO). These training programs are still active today.
Official relations with WHO started back in 1969, when the collaboration resulted in the organization of a symposium on "Programmed Learning in Medical Education", as well as immunology and tropical medicine programs. In the following years, the IFMSA and the WHO collaborated in the organization of a number of workshops and training programs. The IFMSA has been collaborating with UNESCO since 1971. Since 2007, the IFMSA has been an official supporting organization of HIFA2015 (Healthcare Information For All by 2015).
Activities The main activities of the IFMSA are student exchanges and different projects. Around 14,000 medical students each year participate in international medical student exchanges, both professional and academic (research). The IFMSA organizes projects, programs, seminars and workshops on areas of public health, medical education, reproductive health and human rights and peace.
Organization All activities of the IFMSA are linked to one of its six standing committees, which are: Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME) Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (SCOPE) Standing Committee on Research Exchange (SCORE) Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) Standing Committee on Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV & AIDS (SCORA) Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP)
In addition, the Federation is internally divided into five regions: Africa Americas Asia-Pacific Eastern-Mediterranean Europe
Structure To be able to work together, the IFMSA has created an organizational structure, which facilitates the flow of ideas and enables the development of activities.
The IFMSA is composed of medical students' associations from 125 different countries, which are formed 135 members of IFMSA and are called National Member Organizations (NMOs). All the activities of the IFMSA are organized by the NMO system. Most NMOs have Local Committees at the medical schools in their country, which coordinate and organize IFMSA activities. Through these Local Committees, the NMOs are in direct contact with the medical students.
The IFMSA is a federation, which respects the autonomy of its members, the NMOs. The NMOs can decide which activities they take part in and what new activities should be developed.
The decision-making process is in the hands of the General Assembly, the executive process is in the hands of the International Board and the controlling power is in the hands of the Supervising Council.
The General Assembly (GA) is composed of representatives of all NMO's, and meets twice a year in March and August. The General Assembly decides the activities of IFMSA, the regulations, and the management and elects the Team of Officials and the Supervising Council.
The General Assembly elects the Team of Officials (TO) each year. It is composed of the Executive Board (EB), Standing Committee Directors, Liaison Officers, and Regional Directors. The executive board is responsible for the daily management of the Federation and deals with issues such as fundraising, marketing, external relations, finances, administration, development and support to National Member Organizations.
Standing Committee Directors are assigned to one field of activities. They coordinate the Standing Committee, which carries out these activities. They give support to national and local officers, prepare the meetings of the Standing Committee and are responsible for the development of new activities.
Liaison Officers maintain contact with important external relations and represent IFMSA towards those organizations. The Regional Directors are responsible for each of the IFMSA 5 Regions.
The Supervising Council is elected by the General Assembly to evaluate and supervise the work of the IFMSA officials and undertakes actions in case problems arise.
National Member Organizations A National Member Organization is a national, independent, and student-run association representing medical students in a specific country or territory
Member organization Country or region Flag Membership status ACMS Albania Albania Member IFMSA-Algeria Algeria Member IFMSA-Argentina Argentina Member BIL Armenia Armenia Member AMSA Austria Austria Member AzerMDS Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Member BMSS Bangladesh Bangladesh Member BeMSA Belgium Belgium Member BoHeMSA Bosnia and Herzegovina Member SaMSIC Bosnia and Herzegovina Member IFMSA-Brazil Brazil Member DENEM Brazil Brazil Member BMSA Brunei Brunei Candidate Member AMSB Bulgaria Bulgaria Member AEM Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Member ABEM Burundi Burundi Member CAMSA Cameroon Cameroon Member CFMS Canada Canada Member IFMSA-Quebec Quebec, Canada Member NEMUNICV-Cape Verde Cape Verde Member IFMSA-Chile Chile Member CFMSA-China China Member ASCEMCOL Colombia Colombia Member ACEM Costa Rica Costa Rica Member CroMSIC Croatia Croatia Member CyMSA Cyprus Cyprus Member MSANC Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus — Member IFMSA-CZ Czech Republic Member IMCC Denmark Denmark Member ODEM Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Member AEMPPI-Ecuador Ecuador Member IFMSA-Egypt Egypt Member IFMSA-El Salvador El Salvador Member EstMSA Estonia Estonia Member FiMSIC Finland Finland Member ANEMF France France Member GMSA Georgia Georgia Member bvmd Germany Germany Member FGMSA Ghana Ghana Member HelMSIC Greece Greece Member IFMSA-Grenada Grenada Member IFMSA-Guatemala Guatemala Member IFMSA-Honduras Honduras Member AMSAHK Hong Kong Member HuMSIRC Hungary Hungary Member IMSA Iceland Iceland Member MSAI India India Member CIMSA-Indonesia Indonesia Member IMSA-Iran Iran Member IFMSA-Iraq Iraq Member IFMSA-Kurdistan Kurdistan Region, Iraq — Member AMSI Ireland Ireland Member FIMS Israel Israel Member SISM Italy Italy Member IFMSA-Japan Japan Member IFMSA-Jo Jordan Member KazMSA Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Member MSAKE Kenya Kenya Member LaMSA Latvia Latvia Member LeMSIC Lebanon Lebanon Member LMSA Libya Libya Member LiMSA Lithuania Lithuania Member ALEM Luxembourg Luxembourg Member MSA Malawi Malawi Member SMMAMS Malaysia Malaysia Member MMSA Malta Malta Member AMMEF Mexico Mexico Member MoMSIC Montenegro Montenegro Member IFMSA-Morocco Morocco Member IFMSA-The Netherlands Netherlands Member NiMSA Nigeria Nigeria Member NMSA Norway Norway Member MedSCO-Oman Oman Member PMSA-Palestine Palestine Member IFMSA-Panama Panama Member IFMSA-Paraguay Paraguay Member IFMSA-Peru Peru Member AMSA-Philippines Philippines Member IFMSA-Poland Poland Member ANEM Portugal Portugal Member KMSA Korea South Korea Member ASRM Moldova Moldova Member MMSA North Macedonia North Macedonia Member FASMR Romania Romania Member HCCM Russia Russia Member TaMSA-Tatarstan Tatarstan, Russia Member MEDSAR Rwanda Rwanda Member IFMSA-Serbia Serbia Member KOMS-Kosovo Kosovo Member SLEMSA Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Member AMSA-Singapore Singapore Member SloMSA Slovakia Slovakia Member SloMSIC Slovenia Slovenia Member IFMSA-Spain Spain Member AECS Catalonia Catalonia, Spain Member MedSIN Sudan Sudan Member FSSMA South Sudan South Sudan Candidate Member IFMSA-Sweden Sweden Member swimsa Switzerland Switzerland Member SMSA Syria Syria Candidate Member FMS-Taiwan Taiwan Member IFMSA-Thailand Thailand Member Associa-Med Tunisia Tunisia Member TurkMSIC Türkiye Turkey Member FUMSA Uganda Uganda Member UMSA Ukraine Ukraine Member IFMSA-UAE United Arab Emirates Member SfGH UK United Kingdom Member TAMSA Tanzania Tanzania Member AMSA US United States Member FEVESOCEM Venezuela Venezuela Member NOHS-Vietnam Vietnam Member NAMS Yemen Yemen Member ZIMSA Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Member MSA-SKN Saint Kitts and Nevis Candidate Member SMSC Saudi Arabia Candidate Member IFMSA-BH Bahrain Suspended IFMSA-Bolivia Bolivia Suspended MSA-DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo Suspended EMSA Ethiopia Ethiopia Suspended AEMG-Gabon Gabon Suspended GaMSA Gambia Gambia Suspended AEM Guinea Guinea Suspended AHEM Haiti Haiti Suspended NOHSS Ivory Coast Ivory Coast Suspended JAMSA Jamaica Jamaica Suspended KuMSA Kuwait Kuwait Suspended AMSA-Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Suspended LMSA Liberia Liberia Suspended APS Mali Mali Suspended NMSS Nepal Nepal Suspended AESS Niger Niger Suspended IFMSA-Pakistan Pakistan Suspended QMSA Qatar Qatar Suspended NAHSAS Somalia Somalia Suspended IFMSA-SA South Africa Suspended AEMP-Togo Togo Suspended
Presidents