About Medsin

What is Medsin?

Medsin is a network of students with an interest in health, with Branches at universities across the UK. Medsin's Activities aim to promote health as well as to act upon and educate students about health inequalities in our local and global communities. Our Vision and Mission can be found here, and our official annual report is here.

Interested? Through getting involved in our Branches, Activities or events, you can join us in working towards "a fair and just world, in which equity in health is a reality for all". We also encourage students to get involved with issues that they feel are important or under-represented in their curricula, such as poverty, trade and access to medicines.

How it works: Medsin-UK and the National Network

The Charity and the Board of Trustees

Medsin-UK is a registered charity in the UK (registered number 1111824). It is governed by its Constitution and By-Laws, and represents the views of its Voting Members through the Policy Statements found in the same document. The charity is overseen by the Board of Trustees, who are elected for a two-year period. Our first Trustees were elected at the Autumn General Assembly in October, 2010, in Exeter. For more information, see the Guide to Medsin Charity Status.

Medsin-UK represents the beliefs of its Voting Members to externals, such as the BMA, to the UK Government, and internationally to the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA), to which Medsin-UK sends a delegation twice a year. Read more about Medsin-UK internationally below.

The Network

The Medsin Network consists of autonomous Branches and Activities (formerly Projects and Campaigns).

Branches operate at the local level at universities across the UK - many are affiliated to their University Students' Union. Activities are represented at branch level and at a national level through their own National Committees; some Activities are even represented internationally through the IFMSA. They work together in the network to actively make a difference on a local, national or international level, or to raise awareness of global health issues, within the shared Vision of Medsin.

For these to work in the most efficient way, internationally-recognised training is offered to improve members skills. For more information on the individual aspects of Medsin, please visit their individual pages. Any student of any discipline at university in the UK may become a member of any of Medsin's Branches or Activities.

The Network comes together at four national events a year: two Conferences, and two General Assemblies. At the General Assemblies, the Voting Members come together to decide the direction Medsin is taking. The Voting Members of the network are the Branch Presidents of each Branch and the National Coordinators of each Activity. Even if you are not a Branch President or National Coordinator, these can be great events to come along to find out more about how the network functions.

The National Committee

The Medsin Network is managed on a day-to-day basis by the National Committee, an elected group of volunteer students from around the country. The National Committee works to facilitate the network, by:

  • Coordinating the sharing of ideas and information within the network.
  • Empowering and training students to put their ideas into action.
  • Supporting Branches and Activities in their local efforts.
  • Representing members to the IFMSA, partner organisations and the wider medical community.

The National Committee are elected annually at the Spring General Assembly.

The National Coordinator of the National Committee also sits on the Board of Trustees. You can find out more about the individual members of the National Committee here, or contact them here.

Medsin Internationally

Medsin-UK is the UK National Member Organisation of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, the IFMSA. Formed in 1951, the IFMSA has now grown to represent 91 countries and is an official partner of the World Health Organisation. It is comprised of six areas of action: professional exchanges, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, refugees and peace, public health, medical education, and research exchanges. Further information can be found here.

Last updated on Monday 15 November 2010 at 13:50.