Malta Medical Students' Association: Difference between revisions
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The '''Malta Medical Students' Association''' (MMSA) is one of the oldest student associations found at the [[University of Malta]], established in 1951. |
The '''Malta Medical Students' Association''' (MMSA) is one of the oldest student associations found at the [[University of Malta]], established in 1951. All students in the faculty of Medicine and Surgery, including post-graduate students but excluding Pharmacy students, are automatic members of this association. |
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MMSA is a non-governmental, non-political student organization. MMSA has its foundation at the University of Malta where it has been the most active student organization for the past 10 years. |
MMSA is a non-governmental, non-political student organization. MMSA has its foundation at the University of Malta where it has been the most active student organization for the past 10 years. It is a full member of the [[International Federation of Medical Students' Associations]] (IFMSA) and [[European Medical Students' Association]] (EMSA). As part of IFMSA, it enjoys international status amongst 97 National Member Organizations encompassing over one million medical students globally. |
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MMSA is also affiliated locally with the [[National Council of Women]] and supported actively by the Health Promotion Department. |
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[[File:Appreciation-night-stitched-photo-colour-final-5.jpg|thumb|MMSA Coordinator's Group Photo during Appreciation Night]] |
[[File:Appreciation-night-stitched-photo-colour-final-5.jpg|thumb|MMSA Coordinator's Group Photo during Appreciation Night]] |
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==Structure== |
==Structure== |
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All students of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, barring Pharmacy Students, are members of '''MMSA'''. |
All students of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, barring Pharmacy Students, are members of '''MMSA'''. The MMSA is regulated by an Executive Board composed of 13 members, elected once a year by simple majority elections. |
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MMSA has adopted the international structure at a national level so that it is constituted of six standing committees: |
MMSA has adopted the international structure at a national level so that it is constituted of six standing committees: |
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Revision as of 20:47, 7 May 2016
 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (May 2016) |
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The Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA) is one of the oldest student associations found at the University of Malta, established in 1951. All students in the faculty of Medicine and Surgery, including post-graduate students but excluding Pharmacy students, are automatic members of this association.
MMSA is a non-governmental, non-political student organization. MMSA has its foundation at the University of Malta where it has been the most active student organization for the past 10 years. It is a full member of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) and European Medical Students' Association (EMSA). As part of IFMSA, it enjoys international status amongst 97 National Member Organizations encompassing over one million medical students globally. MMSA is also affiliated locally with the National Council of Women and supported actively by the Health Promotion Department.
Structure
All students of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, barring Pharmacy Students, are members of MMSA. The MMSA is regulated by an Executive Board composed of 13 members, elected once a year by simple majority elections. MMSA has adopted the international structure at a national level so that it is constituted of six standing committees:
- Standing Committee on Public Health
- Standing Committee on Reproductive Health
- Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace
- Standing Committee on Medical Education
- Standing Committee on Research Exchanges
- Standing Committee on Professional Exchanges
In addition to these standing committees, two further teams exist – Leisure team and the Media team.
The Board of Directors 2015-2016
The Executive Board:
- President - Steve Sammut Alessi
- Vice President for Internal Affairs - Gerd Xuereb
- Vice President for External Affairs - Victoria Camilleri
- Secretary General - Bernice Farrugia
- Treasurer - Matthew Pizzuto
Team of Officials:
- Public Relations Officer: Stefano Corso
- MMSA Officer on Medical Education - Paul Cassar
- NEO/NORE-In (Exchange and Research Officer – Incomings) - Madeleine Bonnici
- NEO/NORE-Out (Exchange and Research Officer – Outgoings) - Gianluca Fava
- MMSA Sexual and Reproductive Health including AIDS Officer - Maria Christina Tabone
- MMSA Public Health Officer - Jordy Borg
- MMSA Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Sarah Xuereb
- MMSA Electives Coordinator - Bader Ali
- Leisure Officer - Samuel Attard
- MMSA Officer of Peer Education and Training - Karl Bonello
Standing Committees and Activities
SCOPH: Standing Committee on Public Health
As medical students, MMSA's members are at the forefront in the advocacy of public health and are active at the various levels of society both in age, gender and cultural divisions that exist. The goals are achieved through a multitude of activities that include:
i. World Diabetes Day – 14 November. This is an international event. In Malta it is held by the medical students in Valletta and the main acute hospital now at Mater Dei. Free Random Blood Glucose (RBG) testing is provided alongside information regarding Diabetes.
ii. Blood Donation Campaign – bi-annually in November and March. These both last three days and are held on university campus. The event is aimed at University students, Msida residents, healthcare professionals and hospital visitors. The usual criteria for blood donation are employed and a doctor is present for blood taking.
iii. Teddy Bear Hospital Project – this is a project that was established first within EMSA. It was adopted in Malta 5 years ago. It entails a group of medical students attending various primary schools and enhances approachability between patient and doctor through an educational outreach to young children.
iv. Awareness Campaigns – a number of these are organized annually, constituting an anti-smoking campaign and focus on nutrition & exercise. These campaigns involve various activities including publications, press releases, non-smoking parties, awareness stands and dissemination of information through conferences and peer education sessions.
v. FOOD (Focused on Obesity and Diabetes) Campaign - a project that is aimed towards increasing awareness about health eating, fitness and exercise. This entails a group of medical students attending various primary schools and educating them about the importance of an overall healthy lifestyle.
vi. World Heart Day - This is organised in the last weekend of September, and is another international event, which is commemorated by the Medical Students.
vii. Healthfest - This is an event in which NPET, SCOPH and SCORP come together to educate the public about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle as well as the downfalls of eating disorders, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse. Free Random Blood Glucose (RBG) testing is provided alongside information regarding Diabetes. A water campaign is also held to increase the awareness of the importance of drinking water, and that some other countries might not be so fortunate as to have easy access to fresh water.
SCORA: Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS
The Standing Committee on Reproductive Health was founded on an international level as the Standing Committee on AIDS and Sexually transmitted infections (SCOAS) and later converted to SCORA to encompass various other health-related issues pertaining to sex and sexuality.
i. World AIDS Day Campaign – 1 December. This is an international event. In Malta a week of various events are organized including outreaches, concert, a candle vigil, "Piazza Cafe" and various information stands.
ii. Men’s Day – 7 February. This event is held on the three major campuses in Malta where information regarding male reproductive cancers is disseminated in an interactive manner between medical students and other students. Bookmarks with relevant information are also placed in prominent bookstores around the island.
iii. Women’s Day – 8 March. This is an annual event that comprises different yearly activities. In previous activities MMSA has collaborated with the breast care support group, Amnesty International and the health promotion department. The various topics tackled include female reproductive cancers, gender exploitation, female genital mutilation and breast-feeding.
iv. The Genital Affair – held annually towards the end of April, it has become a very successful theatrical performance that is amongst the first to encompass theatre-based peer education in Europe.
v. SexEd – this is the freshest project within MMSA. It is a sexual peer education project that is currently being established. It aims to target a minimum of twenty secondary government, church and private schools dispersed over both Malta and Gozo. This precludes the participation of medical students, psychology students and students from the Institute of HealthCare.
vi. The IVF Campaign - Launched in 2011, this campaign aims to increase the awareness about IVF amongst the public.
SCORP: Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace
Replacing boundaries with bridges.
The Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP) within MMSA seeks to attain its objective of contributing towards a more tolerant and just society by voicing the needs of the oppressed, the forgotten, and anyone in the margins of the society. Voluntary care services are undertaken by our members to improve the wellbeing of all persons. Our mission is to replace boundaries with bridges, and this is the primary objective of one of our projects Amigo. Amigo is a project designed for medical students who would like to voluntary assist those vulnerable in our societies. The project targets various segments of our society and it will reach out to children, elderly, persons with disability, terminally ill patients, refugees and other persons in the society’s margins.
SCORP Malta believes that medical students value the wellbeing of all citizens in our society. By voluntary offering care services SCORP aims to strengthen the doctor patient relationship. SCORP aims to expose and train the volunteering medical students to interact with vulnerable persons.
SCOME: Standing Committee on Medical Education
The main aim of the Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME) team is to create the ideal physicians that are skilled and have a broad view on health, are able to work with other professions, and are able to advocate for changes in the medical education system. Medical students have the responsibility of their own education system that is why during SCOME's main event called Medical Education Development International Training Kit (MEDIK-T), topics such as Outcome based Medicine, Research in Medicine, Non-Formal Education, Evaluation and Assessment, and Feedback and Representation are covered with the aim to give the students the skills that they need to analyze, advocate and adapt their education system according to the current and future needs of the doctors and the country.
SCOME takes care of introducing the medical course to the fresher's by organising talks and a buddy system to orient the students and introduce them to the upcoming five years. Other workshops and seminars organised by SCOME include: Practice makes Perfect, Book Fair, Minima Medicamenta, Breaking the Silence, Medical Scientific Maltese, amongst others.
SCORE/SCOPE: Standing Committee on Research and Professional Exchanges
A total of 144 of exchanges are organized throughout the summer months with an influx of 71 students and around 73 students going abroad to work in various hospitals globally.[citation needed]
MMSA for March Meeting 2016
In an effort to further its participation within the International Federation of Medical Students Association, the IFMSA, the MMSA will be bidding to host the IFMSA March Meeting 2016 GA. The bid was officially announced on the 5th of August 2014, at the opening ceremony of the August Meeting 2014 GA in Taiwan. The actual bid will be discussed in the March Meeting 2015 GA in Turkey, where if voted upon, Malta will be chosen to host the GA in a year's time. A General Assembly has already been organised in Malta in the March Meeting of 2001, with the MMSA also pioneering in the organisation of the first Southern European Conference for Sexual Education, SECSE, in 2013.
On the 6th of March 2015, Malta has been chosen by IFMSA to host March Meeting 2016 during March Meeting 2015 taking place in Antalya, Turkey. For more information on Malta MM2016 click here and visit the official page.
Affiliates
MMSA is a full member of both IFMSA and EMSA. It is also a very active contributor to the local KSU and KNZ, the local umbrella student organisations.