2018/2019
IFMSA Liaison Officer for Medical Education issues KATERINA DIMA
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Table of Contents Motivation LetterÂ
2
Plan of Action
4
Curriculum Vitae
12
LME Candidature | 1 | Katerina Dima
The Why
LME Candidature | 2 | Katerina Dima
AMEE 2017, Helsinki, Finland
LME Candidature | 3 | Katerina Dima
The how In the following pages you will find my vision for the LME position, aligned with the IFMSA Strategy, the IFMSA Global Priorities, the draft SCOME Strategy and largely shaped by my experience as LME this year. I have tried to set realistic objectives that can provide quantifiable results and I am hoping to hold myself accountable to both NMOs and externals alike through this plan; as well as the Annual Working Plan, if elected. I have come to learn that a large portion of the work that we do can be planned, but there are always unexpected opportunities and events occurring that can shift our directions. Here, I have focused on the former.
SUSTAINABILITY From cutting plastic entirely out of our lives, to making sure that our efforts do not get lost in the quick turnover, sustainability is the key to maintaining prosperity. No term is a good term unless it ensures that all lessons and achievements are transferred to the future generations. Continue close and consistent communication with existing partnerships. Aim to respond to all queries and conversations within 24 hours outside of loaded periods. Explore the possibility of having Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with longstanding and new partners, where that is not the case at the moment. Follow up on the agreements of existing MoUs and ensure they are being respected. Prepare, all throughout the year, a thorough and organized handover, that will commence immediately after the elections. Work towards the Global Priorities 2018/2019 and collaborate closely with the relevant ITs and Directors for the development of Global Priorities 2019/2020.
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Opportunities | old & new One great thing I learnt during this term, is that the area of Medical Education is definitely not short of opportunities for our members. Moreover, IFMSA has already an array of options for members to become more involved and it is crucial to not only secure them, but also explore how to improve and make them more widely available. Explore the possibility of new taskforces and new internships within our network of externals, such as the IFMSA involvement in OTTAWA 2020 and internships with Regional WFME Associations. Secure and improve existing external opportunities for members’ involvement, such as the AMEE Student Taskforce. Especially for the Student Taskforce (STF), together with the EMSA AMEE Representative and Coordinators, a thorough handover and recommendations were prepared this year and next year will be all about implementing them to improve on the STF work. Similar to the Medical Education Events Map, create a dynamic calendar with existing opportunities and associated key dates at the beginning of the year. Continue the Medical Education Events Map in 2018/2019 and update it on a monthly basis. Ensure that members are aware of its existence and able to use it as a reference point. Together with the VPF and the VPE, seek funding opportunities and follow up on all Medical Education-relevant grants that IFMSA is already involved with.
ADVOCACY Perhaps the cornerstone of a Liaison Officer’s work; advocacy entails the most important responsibility of IFMSA: to be the largest international representative for medical students and to make our members’ voices and concerns known to the world. In following up to the current term, these are the key action points: Resume with the deconstruction of the Global Policy in Medical Education, which has already been almost entirely adapted to the new policy structure. A key point to propose for the 2018/2019 term is Access to Research and Research Education, in line with our new Global Priority, too. Another area that is much needed for the work in SCOME and would be important to propose is Lifelong Learning and Continuous Medical Education. Of course, depending on the concerns and needs of the NMOs, these areas may be adjusted and new topics will be considered.
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Widen input during the policy drafting process. This was a challenge I faced this year, with very few members commenting on the policies and often doing so at the very last moment. To tackle this problem, for the future policies Groups of Policy Contributors will be established early on from various backgrounds and regions and calls for input will be shared with greater frequency and consistency. Moreover, Regional Meetings and SCOME workshops happening during the drafting process could be used as platforms to discuss them and encourage members to review. Incorporate data from Programs in presentations and meetings to be attended. Until last year, enrollment in SCOME programs was rather low but with the resurgence that was experienced this year, the upcoming term will have a lot to gain from drawing information and conclusions. These can be used in international settings with externals, be it simple discussions or more elaborate presentations. Continue advocating for more involvement of NMOs in the work of externals, in line with the action plan under Opportunities. Last, but certainly not least, support NMOs in the development of national policy documents. This is something I set out to do during this term and while I expected great interest from SCOMEdians and NMOs not currently working in policy, I received scarce questions throughout the year. However, I do wish to stress the importance of an LO’s availability to offer guidance, support and assistance to the few, or the many, that do wish to set up policy.
REPRESENTATION The LME, at any given moment, may be communicating with more than 20 different external partners and attending more than 10 external meetings throughout the term. These numbers, however, have minuscule meaning if they are not accompanied by thorough planning, a strong presence, and immediate availability. Please keep in mind that in this section, for the sake of not making the text longer than needed, I will be mentioning some overall action points as well as going into more detail with a select two externals. Attend all necessary meetings happening next year according to our MoUs, agreements and standing relationships including: AMEE Executive Committee Meetings (2 per year), AMEE Conference, WFME Executive Council Meeting & WFME Conference, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Conference, OpenCon. Attend WHA and collaborate closely with the LWHO throughout the term for all relevant WHO/Health Workforce processes; explore the potential of having once more a preWHA Stream on the Health Workforce, and specifically Health Workforce Education. Introduce a greater regional approach to the external representation. This can extend from establishing external regional priorities and working plans with the Regional Directors from the beginning of the term to mapping potential partners per region.
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While there are not many delegations the LME is in charge of, the few that do exist must be carefully selected, prepared and followed up with. The LOs team has done a great work of preparing application forms and selection criteria; what is important to be done (or rather, be continued) is offering personalized feedback to selection results, ensuring wider representation and closely monitoring delegation members all throughout their mandate.
wfme - World federation for medical education Perhaps our most important partner for Medical Education, WFME, has been a longstanding advocate and ally for IFMSA. In the past years, we have established multiple areas of collaboration and there is certainly more to come. Most importantly, we have now set steady communication with almost all Regional Associations, something which needs to advance to steady joint actions in the future. Follow up on all running tasks and responsibilities of the LME as part of the WFME Executive Council. Continue the good standing of IFMSA interns with careful selection, clear instructions and job descriptions as well as increase the visibility of the work being done by them towards IFMSA. Finalize the Exploitation of Medical Students project plan, a joint venture between WFME and IFMSA and with the support of WMA and ECFMG. The project is currently in development and the upcoming term will be responsible for taking it off the air. Establish collaborative actions with each WFME Regional Association and ensure mutual involvement, particularly regarding meetings: IFMSA should aim to be present at the Regional Associations’ annual board meetings and similarly, Regional Associations should be invited to IFMSA Regional Meetings. Regional Directors should be directly involved in all discussions and actively contributing.
AMEE - An INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION This year was very prolific for our partnership with AMEE and saw IFMSA enter the ASPIRE Social Accountability Panel, set a new record for Student Taskforce applications, and saw the creation of the AMEE Students likepage. The real challenge will be to take these new initiatives to the next level and achieve greater engagement of IFMSA members within the AMEE activities. Remain very active in the Executive Committee and share IFMSA’s stances on relevant topics. Continue the excellent collaboration with the EMSA AMEE Representative in the coordination of the AMEE Student Taskforce, Student Initiative Grants, Students’ Likepage as well as come up with new ideas! Make use of the AMEE platforms such as Medical Teacher and MedEdPublish to share measured outcomes of IFMSA activities. Ensure a very strong presence in the AMEE Conference with a plethora of presentations and involvement, similar to this year. Actively contribute to the ASPIRE Social Acountability Panel and be present in all discussions and meetings. Ensure AMEE's presence in at least one of the 2 General Assemblies.
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GLOBAL PRIORITIES The Medical Education priorities for 2018/2019 have been set and the specific goals are currently in development. There are many areas within the job description of the LME where opportunities for the growth and development of IFMSA and the members are abundant. However, these must also be prioritized in order to be grasped. Kindly note that the Access to Research and Research Education and Global Health Education priorities will be addressed in the Exchanges section.
social accountability Social Accountability has been one of IFMSA’s biggest strengths in the past few years, and it seems like a very favorable trajectory! For the next term, the LME’s primary concern should be to preserve and accelerate the momentum, apart from advocating globally using the newly adopted policy document. Attend all necessary meetings happening next year according to our MoUs, agreements and standing relationships including: AMEE Executive Committee Meetings (2 per year), AMEE Conference, WFME Executive Council Meeting & WFME Conference, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics Conference, OpenCon. Attend WHA and collaborate closely with the LWHO throughout the term for all relevant WHO/Health Workforce processes; explore the potential of having once more a preWHA Stream on the Health Workforce, and specifically Health Workforce Education. Introduce a greater regional approach to the external representation. This can extend from establishing external regional priorities and working plans with the Regional Directors from the beginning of the term to mapping potential partners per region.
global health workforce IFMSA’s involvement in the 4th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, and adjacently, the Youth Forum, opened up new doors and potentials. IFMSA is now part of the Global Health Workforce Network Youth Hub and the LME represents youth in the Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) for GHWN. Both a huge responsibility and a huge opportunity, this Global Priority will require great detail and attention on behalf of the LME and the LOs team. GHWN Youth Hub: Ensure consistent involvement for IFMSA, as well as taking ideas off the air, such as the development of a Youth Advocacy toolkit for HRH. Be an efficient and professional advocate in the SAC on behalf of the Youth Hub. Work closely with the GHWN Education Hub, entrusted with developing the Global Competency Framework for Universal Health Coverage. ILO: This is a partnership I started focusing on this year and the more I looked into it, the more there was to see. As ILO has produced very significant data on the health workforce, I believe there would be great potential in joining forces for the health workforce and the health workforce planning, and the LME should work towards specifying a plan for joint action in the upcoming years. As LME, I would aim to follow up very closely on international groups, networks, tenders (such as the 2017 EU Joint Tender and its adjacent Expert Network. LME Candidature | 8 | Katerina Dima
EXCHANGES Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of my term as LME was getting to work with SCOPE and SCORE and seeing the intricacy and professionalism of their work. Another term would give me the opportunity to delve deeper and use the understanding I developed this year to be more engaged and offer greater outcomes. The goals outlined you will read here have been aligned with the Global Health Education and Access to Research and Research Education Global Priorities. Keep updating the database of possible externals to endorse exchanges in collaboration with the SCOPE and SCORE Directors. The database should be focused each term on the priority departments. Continue external representation towards academic societies and specialty associations towards the development of department-specific handbooks. The aim would be to have at least 8/10 priority departments covered by 2019. Organize online capacity building events (e.g. webinars) for NMOs regarding recognition of exchanges and steps they can take, as well as deliver sessions in person in meetings such as General Assemblies and Regional Meetings. Collaborate with the SCORE IT for the endorsement of the Research Camp, if it takes place, and seek grants to support SCORE-oriented capacity building. Collaborate with the VPF to explore Horizon 2020 funding opportunities. Update the SCOPE Profile Book; this is something I hoped to do this year but in the end was not really a priority in the scheme of things. However, I do believe it is a tool with great potential and would hope to update it next term. Connect with NMOs that have achieved recognition on a national scale; create a database of said NMOs and document the particular steps they took in the process to share with NMOs who have been unsuccessful or have yet to attempt so. Work closely with OpenCon and participate, as IFMSA, in the Open Access week to raise awareness for Open Access. Remain an active member in the OpenCon Organizing Committee and increase the involvement of members within the conference itself (e.g. secure more spots for IFMSA).
LME Candidature Candidature || 10 9 | |Katerina LME KaterinaDima Dima
TEAMWORK It’s very important to be able to work independently, but it is even more important to be able to work in a team. The LME is not short of teams to be involved with, and each one has its own opportunities - and needs. Ultimately, each of these teams has the responsibility to keep each other accountable.
TEAM OF OFFICIALS Aim to attend all Team of Officials Meetings (TOMs) and General Assemblies. Attend Regional Meetings as needed. Collaborate closely with the VPE-LO team in interdisciplinary fields and for common tasks. Collaborate closely with the SCOME, SCOPE and SCORE Director for our respective common responsibilities and tasks. Share personal work, seek feedback and provide it whenever requested. Be an active and efficient member of the team.
SCOME INTERNATIONAL TEAM Work very closely with the SCOME-Director, RAs and RDs throughout the year. Establish early on regional priorities to streamline our work, something outlined in the new SCOME Strategic Plan as well. Offer the SCOME IT involvement and insight in the LME work whenever possible, while seeking and providing feedback throughout the year and Participate in SCOME IT-led capacity building such as workshops, webinars, or other courses. Organize, with the support of the SCOME IT and the TO, webinars on topics relevant to our priorities to increase the reachout. Support, mentor and train the team in external representation topics. Use past experience (of 3 SCOME ITs) in team management to help the SCOME Director to foster personal development and capacity building among team members. Be present throughout the year - in online meetings, discussions, webinars, initiatives and be readily available to the team.
national member organizations Frequently share updates of the work being done, especially in line with the Annual Working Plan (e.g. email updates, short reports on social media, SCOME newsletter) so that NMOs are fully up to speed. Updates should be focused on outcomes. Be readily available for NMOs and National Officers when needed, offer support and guidance. Invest time during IFMSA meetings to discuss with members, locate focal topics where empowerment and guidance is needed - proceed accordingly with the rest of the SCOME IT to follow up. Use this knowledge for the creation of capacity building materials. Invest time during IFMSA meetings to connect NMOs with IFMSA external partners present or not, and to liaise between them for potential collaborations.
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FINAL WORDS | VALUES This is a section that I purposefully kept (almost) identical to the one I wrote last year in my previous candidature. The values mentioned then hold true today, and I abide by the morality I have set for myself and that IFMSA has, hopefully, set for me. While certain things should go unmentioned, it is a strange time we live in and nothing is self-evident, so I do consider writing the following points down, indispensable. Transparency, ethics and respect will be the true guides of the term. By being open towards NMOs, consistently sharing my work, keeping all selection criteria and processes as clear as possible, I intend to make sure all tasks remain irreproachable. Commitment and time: while you are reading this page, I am hoping to have (finally!) concluded my studies. Thus, my entire year will be devoted to the LME position and attending meetings, with a special focus on attending Regional Meetings and engaging directly with the members there, something I was unable to do this year. Approachability and openness: I cannot stress enough the importance of remaining close to the NMOs and giving them space and confidence to approach me anytime. First and foremost, every TO member serves NMOs and if elected, I will be here to support anyone that needs it and hopefully, more people will reach out to me! Personal growth: life is an ongoing learning process. As Socrates once said “True knowledge is knowledge that you know nothing� and during the term, I will still be an avid learner and work on improving myself constantly. Rest assured that feedback will be greatly appreciated and implemented.
Almost done!
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The WHAT POSITIONS HELD Local Officer on Medical Education 2013/14 Local Treasurer 2013/2015 National Officer on Medical Education 2014/2016 SCOME Regional Assistant for Europe 2016/2017 SCOME General Assistant 2017/2018 IFMSA Liaison Officer for Medical Education issues 2017/2018
KATERINA DIMA
ATHENS, GREECE +30 6944188139 KATERINA.DIMA5 DIMAKATERINA@YAHOO.COM
@KAT42DIMA
LANGUAGES ENGLISH GREEK (NATIVE) ITALIAN GERMAN
EXTERNAL MEETINGS AMEE Conference 2015, 2016, 2017 YO!Fest 2016 OpenCon 2017 4th Global Forum for Human Resources for Health AMEE Executive Committee meeting February 2018 OTTAWA/ICME 2018 2nd HEIRRI Conference 2018 WFME Executive Council Meeting 2018 5th SEARAME Conference 2018
IFMSA MEETINGS March Meetings: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 August Meetings: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 pre General Assemblies: AM2014 (TMET), AM2017 (TMET Trainer), MM2018 European Regional Meeting 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 pre EuRegMe 2016 (TMET Trainer), pre EuRegMe 2017 (Policy Masterclass Participant), pre EuRegMe 2018 (Youth Advocates for the Health Workforce Trainer)
OTHER HelMSIC HelMSIC HelMSIC Trainer) 13 NGAs
SCORA PET 2013 International Training 2014 (TNT) International Training 2018 (TMET since 2013
SPANISH JAPANESE FRENCH
EDUCATION ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI FACULTY OF MEDICINE | Â 2011 - 2018
there is nothing permanent, except change
Acheron, Preveza, Greece