European Medical Students' Association

The European Medical Students' Association (EMSA) is a non-governmental non-profit organisation for medical students focusing on medical education, ethics and science in Europe.

About EMSA

EMSA was founded in Brussels in 1991. It integrates medical students in Europe through activities organized for and by medical students and representing them in Brussels.Faculties are members, not the individual countries. Since EMSA’s foundation many medical faculties throughout Europe enrolled with EMSA. It currently unites 62 medical faculties from 18 countries across Europe. EMSA seeks to improve the health and the quality of care of the citizens ofEurope by acting as a conduit for increased interaction and sharing of knowledge between European medical students in the areas of medical education, ethics, science and European integration.

EMSA is an Associated Organisation of the CPME Standing Committee of European Doctors.

Objectives

The objectives of EMSA, which has no lucrative aims whatsoever, are:
* To form a network between European medical students to facilitate European integration and develop a sense of European identity
* To represent and voice the opinions of the medical students of Europe
* To act as a forum for all medical students in Europe, to discuss topics related to the fields of medical education, medical ethics, and medical research
* To promote the highest standards in European medical education and ensure the quality of healthcare in Europe
* To promote training, activities and projects related to health in Europe to the benefit of medical students and society
* To facilitate intercultural understanding by organizing social and cultural events
* To cooperate with other student organizations and with organizations representing the medical profession

A couple of the activities EMSA organizes are: Teddy Bear Hospital, Twinning Project, Eurotalk, EMSA Summer Schools, EMS Council, WorldMaPS, and JEMSA (the scientific publication of EMSA).

History

In 1990 the idea to create a European Medical Students' Association was discussed during a symposium for medical students from all European countries organized by students of the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL), Belgium. A working group was created and in the summer 1991 the European Medical Students' Association was founded in Brussels. This first EMSA General Assembly was under the patronage of Baudouin I, the King of Belgium and was financially supported by the European Community's ERASMUS programme. The statutes were officially established and published under Belgian law.

Meetings

Preparation Meetings

* 1990: Leuven (Belgium)
* 1990: Knokke (Belgium)
* 1991: Rennes (France)

General Assemblies and European Medical Students' Congresses

* 1991: 1st General Assembly - Brussels (Belgium)
* 1992: 2nd General Assembly - Barcelona (Spain)
* 1993: 3rd General Assembly - Prague (Czech Republic)
* 1994: 4th General Assembly - Constanţa (Romania)
* 1995: 5th General Assembly - Hamburg (Germany)
* 1996: 6th General Assembly - Heraklion (Greece)
* 1997: 7th General Assembly - Antalya (Turkey)
* 1998: 8th General Assembly & 1st EMSCON - Amsterdam (Netherlands)
* 1999: 9th General Assembly & 2nd EMSCON - Lublin (Poland)
* 2000: 10th General Assembly & 3rd EMSCON - Tbilisi (Georgia)
* 2001: Extraordinary GA during NCM - Porto (Portugal)
* 2001: 11th General Assembly & 4th EMSCON - Heidelberg (Germany)
* 2002: 12th General Assembly & 5th EMSCON - Jena (Germany)
* 2003: 13th General Assembly & 6th EMSCON - Lublin (Poland)
* 2004: Extraordinary GA during NCM - Groningen (The Netherlands)
* 2004: 14th General Assembly & 7th EMSCON - Thessaloniki (Greece)
* 2005: 15th General Assembly & 8th EMSCON - Vienna (Austria)
* 2006: Extraordinary GA during NCM - Antwerp (Belgium)
* 2006: 16th General Assembly & 9th EMSCON - Pécs (Hungary)
* 2007: Extraordinary GA during NCM - Sombor (Serbia)
* 2007: 17th General Assembly & 10th EMSCON - Ankara (Turkey)

National Coordinators' and Enthusiasts' Meetings (NCM)

* 1994: Amsterdam (Netherlands)
* 1995: London (UK)
* 1996: Ljubljana (Slovenia) together with EMSO
* 1997: Zagreb (Croatia)
* 1998: Skopje (Macedonia)
* 1999: Freiburg (Germany)
* 2000: Bohinj (Slovenia)
* 2001: Porto (Portugal) including Extraordinary GA
* 2002: Zagreb (Croatia)
* 2003: Skopje (Macedonia)
* 2004: Groningen (The Netherlands) including Extraordinary GA
* 2005: Plovdiv (Bulgaria)
* 2006: Antwerp (Belgium) including Extraordinary GA
* 2007: Sombor (Serbia) including Extraordinary GA
* 2008: Brijuni (Croatia)

Former EMSA European Boards

*EMSA European Board 1991/1992
**President: Cristophe Laurent, Belgium
*EMSA European Board 1992/1993
**President: Fiona Arnold, United Kingdom
*EMSA European Board 1994/1995
**President: Debbie Puxley
**Vice-President: Gunther Eysenbach, Freiburg, Germany
**Secretary: Michelle Wetherall, United Kingdom
**General Treasurer: Tjasa Vizintin, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**Communications Director: Stefan Waegemans, Antwerp, Belgium
**Fund Raising Director: Dimitris Filippou, Greece
**General Task Forces Director: Robert Blicharz, Poland
**Medical Education Director: Nick Schenker, United Kingdom
*EMSA European Board 1995/1996
**President: Jan Schilling, Hamburg, Germany
**Vice-President: Natalya Digilova, Russia
**General Secretary: Cecilia Todd-Pokropek, United Kingdom
**General Treasurer: Clementine Maddock, United Kingdom
**Communications Director: Joerg Ruppert, Hamburg, Germany
**Fund Raising Director: Silvina Shangova, Bulgaria
**General Task Forces Director: Eva Schmidtke, Sweden
**Medical Education Director: Agnes Alinska, Poland
**Appointed Member: Stefan Waegemans, Antwerp, Belgium
*EMSA European Board 1996/1997
**President: Jacco Veldhuyzen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**Vice-President: Stefan Waegemans, Antwerp, Belgium
**General Secretary: Dimitrios Papadimitriadis, Heraklion, Greece
**General Treasurer: Bartek Mankovski, Poland
**General Task Forces Director: Ana Borovecki, Zagreb, Croatia
**Coordinator on Computers and Education:, Fran Borovecki, Zagreb, Croatia
*EMSA European Board 1997/1998
**President: Igor Ilievski, Skopje, Macedonia
**Vice-President: Fran Borovecki, Zagreb, Croatia
**General Secretary: Fehmi Unal, Turkey
**General Treasurer: Shirin Lakhani, United Kingdom
**Internet Director: Adrian Dumitrascu, Romania
**Medical Education Director: Zoltan Garamvölgy, Hungary
**Science Director: Robert Hajdinjak, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**Substitute Boardmember: Eren Karpuzoglu, Turkey
*EMSA European Board 1998/1999
**President: Jaroslaw Oleszczuk, Poland
**Vice-President: Igor Ilievski, Skopje, Macedonia
**General Secretary: Shazia Qureshi, London, United Kingdom
**General Treasurer: Robin Ray, London, United Kingdom
**Medical Education Director: Jacco Veldhuyzen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**Science Director: Jacob Regieli, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
*EMSA European Board 1999/2000
**President: Vijay Rawal, London, United Kingdom
**Vice-President: Stanko Chobanov, Sofia, Bulgaria
**Secretary: Mona Sriharan, London, United Kingdom
**Treasurer: Christine Maurus, Freiburg, Germany
**Medical Education Director: Nick Schneider, Heidelberg, Germany
**Science Director: Igor Illeyski, Skopje, Macedonia
**Internet Coordinator: Amadej Lah, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**CP/PWG Liaison Officer: Jacco Veldhuyzen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
*EMSA European Board 2000/2001
**President: Nick Schneider, Heidelberg, Germany
**Vice-President: Susanne van der Velde, Groningen, The Netherlands
**General Secretary: Imme Zengerink, Maastricht, The Netherlands
**Treasurer: Andreas Schaumann, Jena, Germany
**Medical Education Director: Philip Kellmeyer, Heidelberg, Germany "(resigned in December 2000)"
**Science Director: David Meskhishvili, Tblisi, Georgia
**Internet Director: Amadej Lah, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**CP/PWG Liaison Officer: Jacco Veldhuyzen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
*EMSA European Board 2001/2002
**President: Hrvoje Vrazic, Zagreb, Croatia
**Vice-President: Daniel Ribeiro, Heidelberg, Germany
**Secretary General: Chi Mun Wong, Sheffield, United Kingdom
**Treasurer: Marije Wagelaar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**Medical Education Director: Masa Sukunda, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**Medical Ethics Director: Uros Kastelic, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**Internet Director: Ozren Polasek, Zagreb, Croatia
**CP/PWG Liaison Officer: Nick Schneider, Heidelberg, Germany
**IFMSA Liaison Officer: Susanne van der Velde, Groningen, The Netherlands
**TBH Coordinator: Amanda Victorine Wong Zhi Yan, Sheffield, United Kingdom
**Medical Education Coordinator: Filip Stoma, Lublin, Poland
**EMS Council Secretary General: Tim Frenzel, Jena, Germany
*EMSA European Board 2002/2003
**President: Hrvoje Vrazic, Zagreb, Croatia
**Vice-President: Anabela Serranito, Lisbon, Portugal
**Secretary General: Mania Misirli, Tessaloniki, Greece
**Treasurer: Amanda Victorine Wong, Sheffield, United Kingdom
**Internet Director: Bojan Vuckovic
**Medical Education Director: Filip Stoma, Lublin, Poland
**Medical Ethics Director: Tomasz Kucmin, Lublin, Poland
**Medical Science Director: Victoria Asfour, Sheffield, United Kingdom "(report not accepted)"
**TBH Coordinator: Amanda Victorine Wong, Sheffield, United Kingdom
**WHO-EURO Liaison Officer: Luís Filipe Vasconcelos Farinha, Lisbon, Portugal
**CP/PWG Liaison Officer: Nick Schneider, Heidelberg, Germany
**IFMSA Liaison Officer: Daniel Ribeiro, Heidelberg, Germany
*EMSA European Board 2003/2004
**President: Amanda Victorine Wong, Sheffield, United Kingdom "(discharged, report not accepted)"
**Vice-President: Ajda Skarlovnik, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**Secretary General: Fiona Horneff, Germany
**Treasurer: Stefan Arsov, Skopje, Macedonia "(discharged, report not accepted)"
**Medical Education Director: Kasia Klodnicka, Lublin, Poland
**Medical Ethics Director: Marjan Conevski, Skopje, Macedonia "(report not accepted)"
**Medical Science Director: Divo Ljubicic, Zagreb, Croatia
**Internet Director: Carl Robert Blesius, Heidelberg, Germany
**TBH Coordinator: Amanda Victorine Wong, Sheffield, United Kingdom "(discharged, report not accepted)"
**EMO Liaison Officer: Nick Schneider, Heidelberg, Germany
**WHO-EURO Liaison Officer: Anabela Serranito, Lisbon, Portugal
**IFMSA Liaison Officer: Hrvoje Vrazic, Zagreb, Croatia
*EMSA European Board 2004/2005
**President: Divo Ljubicic, Croatia
*EMSA European Board 2005/2006
**President: Emon Farrah Malik, London, United Kingdom
**Vice-President: Simon Rieder, Heidelberg, Germany
**Secretary General: Sybrich Tiemersma, Groningen, The Netherlands
**Treasurer: Eckhard Nowottny, Jena, Germany "(resigned)"
**Treasurer: Savvas Hadjiphilippou, London, United Kingdom
**Medical Education Director: Paul de Roos, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**Medical Ethics Director: Matthias Behrends, Heidelberg, Germany
**Medical Science Director: Samuel dos Santos Ribeiro
**Internet Director: Duje Rako, Zagreb, Croatia
**EMO Liaison Officer: Fiona Horneff, Heidelberg, Germany "(resigned)"
**WHO-EURO Liaison Officer: Julia Knobloch, Heidelberg, Germany
**TBH Coordinator: Vera van Houten, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
*EMSA European Board 2006/2007
**President: Daniel Keszthelyi, Pécs, Hungary
**Vice-President: Robbert Duvivier, Maastricht, The Netherlands "(resigned)"
**Vice-President: Hanneke van der Wijngaart, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**Secretary General: Tünde Frank, Pécs, Hungary "(resigned)"
**Treasurer: Anne-Friederike Hübener, Berlin, Germany
**Medical Education Director: Salmaan Sana, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**Medical Ethics Director: Sahin Khaniyev, Ankara, Turkey
**Medical Science Director: Richard Schol, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
**European Integration Director: Konstantinos Roditis, Athens, Greece
**Internet Director: Karolina Janikowska, Lublin, Poland
**EMO Liaison Officer: Samuel dos Santos Ribeiro, Lisbon, Portugal
**Liaison Officer towards Student Organisations: Vera van Houten, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
**TBH Coordinator: Ana Meirinha, Lisbon, Portugal
*EMSA European Board 2007/2008
**President: Nenad Djermanov, Novi Sad, Serbia
**Vice-President: Meri Rogava, Tbilisi, Georgia
**Secretary General: Rayan Ramjiawan, Leiden, the Netherlands
**Treasurer: Anamarija Soldo, Osijek, Croatia
**Medical Ethics Director: Bardo Wannenmacher, Leipzig, Germany
**Medical Education Director: Souad Derraz, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
**Medical Science Director: Roman Fishchuk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
**European Integration Director: Ragna Boerma, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
**Internet Director: Karolina Janikowska, Lublin, Poland
**EMO Liaison Officer: Marek Wolski, Warsaw, Poland
**WHO-Euro Liaison Officer: Miguel Oliveira, Lisbon, Portugal
**Liaison Officer towards Student Organisations: Hanneke van der Wijngaart, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
**TBH Coordinator: Andela Maric, Osijek, Croatia

Relationship with IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students' Associations)

EMSA is recognized as a regional representative of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations IFMSA. EMSA, being a young organisation founded in 1991, as well as IFMSA, founded in 1951, very early recognized the importance of cooperation to reach the best for European Medical Students.

Shortly after the foundation of EMSA, IFMSA established a ‘Working Committee on EMSA’ that immediately started to work in 1991/1992.

In 1992 the First Barcelona Agreement was signed between the two Executive Boards in which both associations agreed to work more closely together, the agreement officially lasted until 1994. Apart from the general agreement there were some very concrete benefits for both associations: IFMSA for example could benefit from EMSA in countries where IFMSA did not exist at that time such as Belgium or United Kingdom; EMSA on the other hand could much more easier get in contact with other big associations such as WHO or WHO Europe.

Nevertheless a few years later much remained be improved between the cooperation of the Executive Boards of the Associations and at the same time between members in some countries, some disagreements lead to a highly unproductive situation that made it difficult to achieve the main goal: best offers and conditions for Medical Students in Europe.

To overcome this situation, in 1995, Aleksander Micevski, IFMSA President, and Gunther Eysenbach, EMSA Vice-President, signed the Second Barcelona Agreement, that should be valid for 5 years. Again apart from general agreements concerning communication and cooperation, mutual invitations for each others meetings were agreed on, a total access for members to each others projects, conferences, events, etc. and what was very important as a sign to the members throughout Europe: the boards encouraged their members to share office facilities at the faculty, to organise joint social programs for events taking place at the same time, such as IFMSA exchange and EMSA Eurotalk in the same city, just to name a few examples of synergistic effects.

Another very important step for EMSA was also fixed in this agreement: IFMSA, focussing on more and more on regionalisation, recognised EMSA as IFMSA regional office for Europe and delegated European related issues and contacts to EMSA. The second Barcelona agreement stipulated that EMSA was allowed to take over relations to European organisations such as CP, PWG, AMEE, using IFMSA logo as well in the heading of official letters; it became self-evident that two international organisations representing medical students all over Europe had to speak with one voice towards external organisations. At the same time it was stressed once again that none of the associations would lose its independence.

Only one year later, the Presidents of both associations, Jacco Veldhuyzen for EMSA and Luisa Brumana for IFMSA, felt the need to sign a short term plan of action, determining some details concerning representatives on meetings, written reports, and official correspondence.

At the same time it was agreed on working out a long term strategy for the future based on former agreements.

Four years later, in 2000, Nick Schneider for EMSA together with Jacco Veldhuyzen, joint Liaison Officer towards CP/PWG, and Sanjeeb Sapkota for IFMSA started working out a new agreement which is still valid today: the Porto Agreement.

This document was discussed at IFMSA MM in Malta 2001, then discussed and passed at EMSA Extraordinary General Assembly in Porto April 2001 and finally accepted by the plenary at IFMSA AM 2001 in Aalborg.

The Porto Agreement again stresses the cooperation between the two organisations, each keeping her strengths and advantages wihtout any contraproductive competition. EMSA became officially IFMSA regional partner for Europe. A main point of the document is the communication that is from now on ensured by Liaison Officers that are appointed and related to their Executive Boards, providing them with information keeping their eyes on mailing lists, and being able to mediate in case of unclairifed situations or problems. The Boards should from now on officially support each other to expand their membership, to promote cooperation on national and local level, in addition two representatives will be invited to participate in General Assemblies of the other. The Porto Agreement, signed by Nick Schneider and Marta Ocampo Fontangordo for IFMSA is the basis of the actual cooperation and will be valid until 2006.

In the additional Jena Agreement from October 2002, drafted after talks between Joel Kammeyer for IFMSA and the EMSA President Hrvoje Vrazic, and later on Kristina Oegaard for IFMSA that attended the EMSA General Assembly in Jena, Germany to sign the agreement. It describes in detail the appointment and function of joint Liaison Officers to the Standing Committee of European Doctors CP and the Permanent Working Group of European Doctors PWG as well as to WHO Europe. Both Liaison Officers are appointed by the EMSA Executive Board, which is in a way responsible for them, on the other hand the Liaison Officers have the duty to represent and to report to the other organisation as well, details can be looked at the agreement itself.

The whole functioning Liaison Officer system combined with additional contacts between the Executive Boards and the Committees such as for Medical Education for example ensures the actual cooperation of the two associations. Nevertheless to avoid a steady state both Executive Boards as well as each EMSA or IFMSA member, each medical student should activeley promote and realise this cooperation: at local level through joint activities, at national level through joint meetings for example or a Liaison Officer system as well and at international level through exchanging experiences and opening our minds.

The Porto and Jena Agreements expired in 2006. Both Executive Boards were very keen to continue cooperation and the discussions resulted in the so-called European Partnership Agreement, which was adopted at the IFMSA March Meeting in Mandurah, Australia, thereafter signed by Ahmed Ali, IFMSA President, and Jacob Gren, IFMSA Regional Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia. The Agreement was adopted by the EMSA General Assembly in Ankara and signed by EMSA President Daniel Keszthelyi and Students' Organisations' Liaison Officer Vera van Houten.

European Medical Students’ Council (EMS Council)

All over Europe there are students’ associations that work actively at a local level defending the interest of their students, without having a European body voicing the concerns and defending the rights of European Medical Students. In 2004, EMSA started the European Medical Students’ Council in London. One of EMSA’s most important aims with this project is to improve the cooperation and communication within the medical students in Europe.

Objectives of EMS Council

The EMS Council main objectives are:
* Represent the interests and opinions of the medical students in geographical Europe.
* Discuss and form joint policies on issues surrounding medical students.
* Defend the rights and interest of medical students across Europe.

Past EMS Council Meetings

London Meeting (August 2004)

The meeting focused mainly on the Ba/Ma structure of the Bologna Process and how it may be applied to Medical Education. But the first EMSA council meeting also took on other important European issues such as the European Working Time Directive, EU enlargement implications on medical profession and the European Commission paper on the evaluation of non-formal education.

Warsaw Meeting (February 2005)

The goal of the 2nd EMS Council meeting was to determine what it is that we as medical students need in order to protect the patient. What do we need to know? What do we need to learn? What do we need to be able to do or perform? What should be included in a medical school’s core curriculum on Patient Safety?The outcomes were organised into seven categories. Each describes the competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that a newly graduated medical doctor can be expected to demonstrate. The newly graduated doctor can:
* Prioritise the patient
* Awareness of patient safety and the intention to improve
* Learn for error
* Attitude and character
* Team and communication
* Stress management
* Guidelines and protocolAlso, the Council argues that opting out of the European Working Time Directive should not be an option, as it may prompt financial, social and/or peer pressure. Opting out would not in any way benefit the worthy aims of the guidelines, since it would only undermine its recommendations.

Albufeira Meeting (January 2006)

As the main theme of the 3rd EMS Council Meeting was “Medical Students’ Rights”. Participants debated about special facilities universities have to offer their medical students concerning the specific and additional stresses they have to face during their studies. Some examples of the stresses future doctors will meet are the workload, career choices and safety and security. In the workshops the participants talked for example about the welfare and support medical students should expect from their faculty.

Heidelberg Meeting (May/June 2007)

The Council held its fourth meeting from the 30th May till the 3rd June 2007 in Heidelberg, Germany. The main theme was Information to Patients. The "Heidelberg Resolution" details the medicial students' view on the four main issues on the theme of Information to Patients: :A. Improving Information to Patients by better Medical Education:B. Patient Empowerment and Information to Patients:C. The role of the pharmaceutical industry in providing Information to Patients:D. Collaboration between physicians and pharmacists in informing patients

External links

* [http://www.emsa-europe.org EMSA homepage]
* [http://jemsa.emsa-europe.org Journal of EMSA on Medical and Scientific Affairs (JEMSA)]
* [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/CEEM Spanish Medicine Students' Council (CEEM)]