Frequently Asked Questions
 

	What is IFMSA?
	What is IFMSA-USA?
	What are the benefits of becoming a member of IFMSA-USA?
	What is a National Member Organization?
	Well, if medical students join a National Member Organization, then what is a Local Member Organization?
	What are the Standing Committees, and what do they do?
	I'm a medical student in the United States, and I want to study abroad. How do I get started?
	Are there any disadvantages to bilateral exchange programs?
	But I don't have to bother with all that with the unilateral programs. Shouldn't I just go for one of these?
	What if the dean at my medical school is resistant to the idea of building exchange programs?
	Am I confined to only those countries that IFMSA has connections with, or is there a possibility of establishing a connection in another country?
	At my school, the "international health group" is organized through another organization / independently. Should we create a new group to take part in the activities of IFMSA?
	How does IFMSA-USA support Local Member Organizations?
	What about fundraising? Is funding available through IFMSA-USA?
	Does IFMSA-USA do anything other than provide opportunities for students to study abroad?
	If there is program that does not quite fit a program I am looking for, can I establish one within the IFMSA network?
	I have worked on an international project that has been successful at my medical school. Can IFMSA-USA help me expand it to other medical students?
	What kinds of leadership opportunities available within IFMSA-USA?
	Can I be involved with IFMSA at the international level?
	Does IFMSA-USA conduct any activities with a focus at the national level?
	If I join IFMSA-USA, there is no reason for me to join any other medical student organizations... or is there?
	I'm a medical student at an "offshore" medical school. Can I participate in IFMSA-USA?
	Can pre-medical students participate in IFMSA-USA?
	Can medical residents, physician assistant students, public health students, other graduate students, or physicians participate in IFMSA-USA?
	I'm a medical student / resident / physician from outside the USA, and I would like assistance in securing a clinical opportunity / residency position. Can you help me?
	Can I make a donation to IFMSA-USA?
	Who should I E-mail with more questions?

What is IFMSA?

"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 transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet."

The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) is an international non-governmental organization for medical students interested in global health issues. IFMSA was founded in 1951 as a result of the post-war wave of friendship among international students. Student organizations such as IFMSA-USA from all continents and eighty-six countries are represented. IFMSA is affiliated with the United Nations as an official non-political and non-governmental organization and is recognized by the World Health Organization as the official international forum for medical students interested in international health. Activities of IFMSA are coordinated via its National Member Organizations (e.g., IFMSA-USA) through six Standing Committees (see below).

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What is IFMSA-USA?

The International Federation of Medical Student Associations - United States of America (IFMSA-USA) was founded in March 1992 and is the USA national affiliate of IFMSA.

Individual IFMSA-USA membership is currently $30 per year. Membership allows participation in IFMSA-USA and IFMSA projects, and includes regular email updates concerning international opportunities. If you would like to become a member and receive more information on the international activities listed throughout this homepage, click here to become a member of IFMSA-USA.

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What are the benefits of becoming a member of IFMSA-USA?

	Members have international health study opportunities available in more than fifty countries via participation in the bilateral exchange programs of IFMSA
	Members have international health study opportunities available in approximately twenty countries via the unilateral exchange programs of IFMSA
	Members can and should join the IFMSA-USA listserv, which includes periodic updates about international study opportunities as soon as other international groups make them available
	Members have the opportunity to become an IFMSA Official or an IFMSA-USA Official
	Members have the opportunity to become a part of your Local Member Organization's leadership team
	Members have the opportunity to host a IFMSA-USA National Convention
	Members will receive information on leading an international health program at their medical school
	When enough delegates are allocated to IFMSA-USA, members can participate in the two annual international meetings of IFMSA: the Exchange Officers Meeting (EOM) and the General Assembly (GA)
	Members will receive discounted fees to the IFMSA-USA national convention
	Members will have access to the biannual IFMSA-USA Newsletter
	Members will be able to extend local projects currently being conducted at their medical school to medical students at both the national and international level through the IFMSA-USA National Projects initiative.
	Most importantly, members will be able to contact the Executive Council members of IFMSA-USA directly if they need any assistance in securing an appropriate international health elective opportunity.

And much, much more... were working continuously to increase the benefits of membership for our members!

If you are a medical student in the USA and you wish to study abroad, we can make it happen!

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What is a National Member Organization?

Understanding the local-national-international setup of IFMSA is important. Medical students join National Member Organizations (e.g., IFMSA-USA); National Member Organizations (NMO) join IFMSA. In this manner, the officers of a NMO serve as a liaison between medical students in their country and the international community.

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Well, if medical students join a National Member Organization, then what is a Local Member Organization?

IFMSA is by its nature a global organization. However, beginning in 2000, IFMSA-USA has moved to a motif of building Local Member Organizations (LMOs) at every medical school in the United States. The logic is straightforward: while the focus of our group is global, having active groups at every medical school will allow IFMSA-USA to meet the needs of individual medical students throughout the country in a more efficient manner.

Medical students work together at the local level through their Local Member Organizations. The LMO leadership team is consisted of an LMO President, and the local officers of the IFMSA-USA Standing Committees. Ideally, we would like to establish all seven Standing Committees within every LMO; for practical reasons, this is not likely. However, whether a LMO can establish all Standing Committees or only one, there is a place for them in IFMSA-USA!

Each school maintains a LMO President and Local Officers for each of the Standing Committees. The LMO President works with the National Headquarters, and each Local Standing Committee Officer works with their respective National Officer to bring services to the students through their LMO. LMO's also organize activities, meetings, and social events for students at their medical school.

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What are Standing Committees, and what do they do?

All activities of IFMSA are organized in each country through one of six Standing Committees:

	Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME)
	Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (SCOPE)
	Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH)
	Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS (SCORA)
	Standing Committee on Research Exchange (SCORE)
	Standing Committee on Refugees and Peace (SCORP)
	At this time, SCOME is not active in the United States.

Each national standing committee is coordinated by a National Officer, who works with the Local Officers of their standing committee at medical schools throughout the United States. In this way, the National Officer serves as a source of information and support to Local Officers that are building international projects, workshops, and opportunities for the students at their respective medical schools. The National Officer also interacts with the Standing Committee National Officers of the other member nations of IFMSA; hence, the National Officer serves as a liaison between local medical students and the international community. Through the Standing Committees, IFMSA-USA introduces American medical students to health issues that are of common interest to medical students around the world, regardless of country of origin. Click on each standing committee to learn more!

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I'm a medical student in the United States, and I want to study abroad. How do I get started?

You've come to the right place. First, you'll need to become a member of IFMSA-USA.

From there, clearly the most efficient and effective way to study internationally through IFMSA-USA is through our bilateral exchange programs. These programs can either be international clinical opportunities (through SCOPE) or international research opportunities (through SCORE). SCOPE coordinates international clerkship opportunities for over 6,000 students every year. The exchanges are bilateral; in other words, schools host an international student for every one they send. The cost is $100, which includes room, board, and tuition for a one-month rotation. English is the only required language and first through fourth years are eligible.

Why are bilateral exchange programs such a good deal? Perhaps most importantly, this would be a mechanism that your school would have permanently in place to alleviate the time-intensive process of students searching individually for international clerkship opportunities. Additionally, the bilateral exchange motif provides potential international study opportunities in every nation involved in IFMSA - approximately 70 countries at present. Also, they're fair - they provide opportunities for other students to study here, as well as for our students to study elsewhere. Finally, it is almost impossible to find a more cost-effective way to study abroad!

There are also unilateral opportunities for students to study internationally through SCOPH, SCORP and SCOME. In this setup there is no exchange: American students apply directly to a project, and are either accepted or rejected. There are no incoming students in these arrangements.

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Are there any disadvantages to bilateral exchange programs?

There is a start-up time investment to get a bilateral exchange program up and running. Incoming students must be provided with room, board, and a social program; it takes some time to arrange for rotations at the local academic center; someone from a medical school's administration must sign off on the deal. (All of this is described in greater detail through the SCOPE and SCORE webpages.) Although the IFMSA-USA Officers are here to guide you through these steps, it does take some time to find hosts / secure consistent donors / fundraise for incoming students. Once the exchange program is in place, however, it will always be in place, and students at your medical school will always be able to have the ample opportunities for international study available through SCOPE and SCORE. Are there any disadvantages to bilateral exchange programs?

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But I don't have to bother with all that with the unilateral programs. Shouldn't I just go for one of these?

To be sure, our unilateral exchange programs are attractive: they are well-organized, highly educational and informative, and a lot of fun. The trouble is that they're highly competitive - hundreds of students worldwide compete for just a handful of positions in these programs. We cannot hope to place all students that apply. IFMSA and IFMSA-USA are working to increase the number of these opportunities that are available; at this time, however, there is a severe numbers crunch. In addition, they are slightly more expensive, and the unilateral opportunities are only available in a few select locations around the world (whereas bilateral opportunities are available in virtually every country participating in IFMSA.)

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What if the dean at my medical school is resistant to the idea of building exchange programs?

Many deans are at first. IFMSA-USA works with deans of medical schools that are reluctant to begin exchange programs; we can help to answer their questions and allay their concerns. If your dean fits this category, E-mail the IFMSA-USA National Exchange Officer and tell us the extent of the problem. There are many myths about bilateral exchange, its efficacy, its pitfalls, and its liability issues. We have successfully mitigated all of the above repeatedly. We're happy to work with your dean, and we will do our best to make an exchange program available at your school.

Occasionally, we cannot convince a dean to begin an exchange program. In this instance, we will work with the Local Member Organization to provide as many international opportunities as possible for the students in their LMO.

More information (including answers to common questions) on bilateral exchange programs can be found on the SCOPE and SCORE pages.

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Am I confined to only those countries that IFMSA has connections with, or is there a possibility of establishing a connection in another country?

It is certainly more difficult, from our point-of-view. Let us say two things: first, IFMSA is currently undertaking a massive effort to add more countries around the globe; within the next year, our web of connections will expand considerably. (E-mail the IFMSA-USA National Headquarters if you would like to be part of this recruitment effort.) Second, if you would like to do something in a country where IFMSA currently does not go, E-mail the National Headquarters and ask - if nothing else, your request could be placed on one of the various listservs of IFMSA-USA, and we could see if any of our other medical student members might have a connection that could help you out.

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At my school, the "international health group" is organized through another organization / independently. Should we create a new group to take part in the activities of IFMSA?

No. IFMSA-USA is designed so that our functions can, should, and must exist coincidentally with local groups organized under a slightly different rubric. The IFMSA-USA National Headquarters can offer suggestions on how a group might organize its activities if it is partially organized under jurisdictions outside of IFMSA-USA.

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How does IFMSA-USA support Local Member Organizations?

In addition to providing assistance with programming specific to IFMSA-USA, the National Headquarters and Executive Council of IFMSA-USA will provide insight as to how LMOs might structure other activities at the local level, such as fundraising efforts, speaker seminars, language tables, and social events.

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What about fundraising? Is funding available through IFMSA-USA?

In general, fundraising is certainly the biggest challenge for American medical students wishing to pursue international study. While we do not offer specific funding for international adventures, we can provide suggestions for tried-and-true fundraising projects for LMO's.

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Does IFMSA-USA do anything other than provide opportunities for students to study abroad?

Our absolute stated intent is to become the sine qua non medical student organization for American medical students interested in global health issues. If you are a future physician and the issue is international, we do it... and if we don't do it yet, ask us, and we'll do what we can to help you start it. For now, peruse the Standing Committee pages... that's the best way to learn about all of the "other" things that IFMSA-USA does.

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If there is program that does not quite fit a program I am looking for, can I establish one within the IFMSA network?

Again, we will say: if we don't do it, ask us, and if it's feasible we will do what we can to help you to initiate your project. We may not be able to do everything - in particular, we will not conduct "unilateral exchanges" through SCOPE, and we will not do anything that is not international in nature. Also, we have certain limitations because we are only one country within IFMSA; there are many others, and we have an obligation to remain attentive to the needs of the students in these countries. But, we're always looking to expand what we do, and our best ideas will surely come from you. So please, provide us with your input, and we'll do what we can!

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I have worked on an international project that has been successful at my medical school. Can IFMSA-USA help me expand it to other medical students?

We can, and we do. Think that medical students aren't really in any position to make a much of a difference in developing countries? Think again. Our National Projects initiative will allow medical students to take a "good idea" at the local level and turn it into a international project, serving an end that will improve the health of a community in a developing country. If you've organized an international project for students at your medical school and would like to see it turned into something a little bigger, where students from around the world come together to work on your project, we can make it happen. E-mail the IFMSA-USA National Headquarters for more information; we will assign your request to the National Officer that is best equipped to help you.

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What kinds of leadership opportunities available within IFMSA-USA?

Leadership opportunity is a repeated transnational theme of IFMSA. It is a simple fact: IFMSA and IFMSA-USA are (almost) entirely student-run organizations, and international opportunities simply do not happen without quality leadership.

At the national level, the IFMSA Officers are elected at the National Convention every year for a one-year term. A call for candidates is placed at least two months before the National Convention, and the duties of the National Officers are described in these pages. At the local level, the LMO President and the Local Standing Committee Officers are truly the lifeblood of IFMSA-USA: without their leadership, very little gets done. E-mail the IFMSA-USA National Headquarters to ask about how you might become involved today!

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Can I be involved with IFMSA at the international level?

We wish you would. Opportunities abound, from writing for VAGUS, the IFMSA newsletter, to being a Project or Workshop leader; from working on the recruitment of new NMO's, to starting a "scientific journal" of medical student research for IFMSA; from participating in and conducting leadership training programs, to running for a position as an IFMSA Official. E-mail the IFMSA-USA National Headquarters to get involved!

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Does IFMSA-USA conduct any activities with a focus at the national level?

No. Our focus is exclusively on a global scale. Oh, sure: some of our projects may in practice be conducted at the local or national level - for instance, a group of you might be interested in starting a national campaign for anti-retrovirals to be made widely available in developing countries. The point is, however, that the topics that we address are defined on a global scale.

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If I join IFMSA-USA, there is no reason for me to join any other medical student organizations... or is there?

Nothing could be further from the truth. As mentioned in the previous question, the focus of IFMSA-USA is exclusively on international health issues. We do not pretend to address medicine comprehensively; that is not our agenda. And we have absolutely no programming with a national focus. In many ways, we are part medical student organization, part non-profit charity... think of us in those terms. There are many other medical student organizations in this country that offer considerable services and benefits to you; we certainly encourage you to become actively involved with those groups as well.

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I'm a medical student at an "offshore" medical school. Can I participate in IFMSA-USA?

Because of the international definitions of a nation-state by IFMSA, this can be tricky. E-mail the IFMSA-USA National Headquarters, and we'll work through whether you fall under the geographic definition of the United States or a different IFMSA National Member Organization.

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Can pre-medical students participate in IFMSA-USA?

Unfortunately, there is no current pre-medical division of IFMSA-USA. We intend to expand our services to include pre-medical students at some point before July 2002.

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Can medical residents, physician assistant students, public health students, other graduate students, or physicians participate in IFMSA-USA?

While the proverbial "five-year-plan" does include expansion to some or all of these groups, we currently focus only on medical students in the United States and Puerto Rico. Believe it, though - we are working to expand our services to other groups, and hope to do so as quickly as possible. Hey, we're still a young organization. :-)

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I'm a medical student / resident / physician from outside the USA, and I would like assistance in securing a clinical opportunity / residency position. Can you help me?

No. We cannot and we will not under any circumstances. Our focus is providing American medical students with the opportunity for international study through IFMSA. Medical students from other countries can attempt to arrange a SCOPE bilateral exchange with IFMSA-USA, and they should contact their NEO - not our NEO - for information on this. Otherwise, we will not offer students the opportunity for study within the United States outside of the mechanisms established by IFMSA.

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Can I make a donation to IFMSA-USA?

Yes! :-), click on the "donate" button the left hand side of this web site.

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Who should I E-mail with more questions?

E-mail info@ifmsa-usa.org - and we may put your question up on this page!

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