The EMSA – European Medical Students’ Association is the organization representing medical students at the European level. EMSA members include medical schools from European universities, and it currently has 130 members from 30 countries, including all seven medical schools in Greece through the HelMSIC’s local committees.
EMSA conducts activities and advocacy efforts across six pillars. Those pillars are Medical Education, Public Health, Medical Science, Medical Ethics and Human Rights, European Integration and Culture, and Health Policy.
Through EMSA, HelMSIC has the opportunity to participate in its General Assemblies, which are held twice a year, as well as in other events aimed at representing and connecting medical students across Europe.
Each year, two General Assemblies of EMSA are held, one in May (Spring Assembly) and one in September (Autumn Assembly). These meetings bring together medical students from across Europe to discuss, receive training, make decisions representing the medical students of their Medical School, and interact in a multicultural environment.
The content of the General Assemblies is diverse and includes administrative parts, such as plenary sessions during which resolutions on issues like EMSA’s policy positions and the elections of the EMSA European Board take place. Additionally, educational sessions on health-related topics with the support of external partners, and training sessions on skills useful for medical students are conducted.
Moreover, to promote intercultural interaction among participants, the Twinning Market and the Projects’ Fair are held, where participants exchange contact information, ideas, and experiences and can collaborate on joint activities such as the Twinning Project.
EMSA meetings provide a unique opportunity for medical students to connect and collaborate in a multicultural environment and receive comprehensive training on interesting topics.
HelMSIC’s local committees participate in EMSA’s General Assemblies every year, representing their medical students and advocating for their needs and desires at the European level.
The European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA) is a recognized organization by the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the United Nations, thus serving as the voice of European medical students within these bodies. Additionally, EMSA boasts a rich network of external partners related to health, actively engaging in actions and discussions at an institutional level.
EMSA participates with delegations of medical students from universities across Europe in high-level meetings such as the World Health Summit and AMEE Conference. Furthermore, through its Health Policy Pillar, EMSA educates medical students on advocacy processes and current health policies in Europe, enabling them to participate in delegations and represent medical students from their respective countries independently.
Through its participation in EMSA, HelMSIC provides Greek medical students with the opportunity to attend such events, represent medical students, and advocate for their rights and desires at a European level.
As a member of EMSA, as well as IFMSA, HelMSIC provides medical students with international platforms in order to share their knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
One way this is achieved is through writing articles for the journal published by EMSA, EuroMeds.
EuroMeds
Its articles cover health and current issues, as well as the presentation of actions and initiatives related to these topics. They are written by medical students from across Europe. Each year, four issues are published: two hard copies during each EMSA General Assembly, the Spring and Autumn Assembly, and two online issues, the Summer and Winter editions.
You can find more information on EMSA’s website.
HelMSIC's Contribution
HelMSIC is one of the founding members of EMSA, and over the years, it has significantly contributed to the organization’s development in various ways.
Events
We have hosted several EMSA events over the years, both administrative and educational. Hosting such significant events for EMSA allows us to maintain our active participation in the international network and support EMSA while providing Greek medical students with easier opportunities to participate and enhance the internationalization of our universities.
Specifically, we have hosted:
- 1996: 2nd European Medical Students’ Symposium on Public Health in Thessaloniki
1996: 6th EMSA General Assembly in Heraklion
2004: 14th EMSA General Assembly & 7th EMSCON in Thessaloniki
2010: 20th EMSA General Assembly in Athens
2010: EMSA Summer School on Regenerative Medicine in Athens
2012: Extraordinary EMSA General Assembly in Thessaloniki
2017: EMSA European Board Meeting in Athens
2019: EMSA Autumn Assembly in Athens
2023: EMSA BlueCon in Thessaloniki
Leadership
Many active members of HelMSIC have held various positions within the EMSA administration, volunteering for the Association. HelMSIC had the honor of holding the EMSA Presidency in 2018 with President Nikos Xifaras from the Local Committee of Athens.
- 1994-95: Fundraising Director, Dimitris Filippou, Greece
- 1996-97: General Secretary, Dimitrios Papadimitriadis, Heraklion, Greece
- 2002-03: General Secretary, Mania Misirli, Thessaloniki, Greece
- 2006-07: European Integration Director, Konstantinos Roditis, Athens, Greece
- 2019-20: Medical Ethics & Human Rights Director, Anna Tapani, Greece
- 2022-24: Resource Development Officer, Samuel Olagoke, Thessaloniki, Greece
- 2024-25: Vice President on External Affairs, Samuel Olagoke, Thessaloniki, Greece
