EAMSC 2023

Can you Tell us about yourself, your journey to medicine and how you got involved in AMSA-Nepal?

I am a final year student studying in IOM, I have had the honour of serving as the Head of the Conference of EAMSC. Throughout my medical school journey, I have actively been involved in various activities within AMSA-Nepal. AMSA-Nepal has provided me with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful initiatives and events ever since I joined in first year, allowing me to enhance my skills and contribute to the medical community. Although the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges and limited the scope of activities for a while, I am grateful for the time I have spent with AMSA-Nepal. It has been a valuable experience that has shaped my understanding of medicine and my professional growth.

When did the idea of bidding for EAMSC arise? Was it a plan a long time ago?

AMSA-Nepal had always harboured the aspiration to host an AMSA conference, though the initial timeline was projected around 2024-2025. However, a turn of events leading to their enrollment during the 3rd call accelerated this plan. It was a spontaneous decision, which led to the convening of an online emergency meeting within the executive board. The decision was not without its risks, as none of the members had prior experience with organizing conferences. This was a significant step, especially considering that the AMSC Korea was the first physical conference held after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, the executive board shared the same enthusiasm for conference bidding. To ensure that the decision wasn't made in haste or without collective approval, a vote was organized within the executive board. The result affirmed the collective will to move forward with the conference bid. From that point on, there was no looking back. The team fully supported the decision, and the momentum only grew from there. The entire process was hectic, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable experience. The team embraced the challenges and worked tirelessly to host a successful conference, marking a significant milestone in AMSA-Nepal's journey.

How did you guys tackle this big project? What were some major challenges you encountered during the preparation?

The bureaucracy in receiving registration fees was an especially difficult issue, it was not anticipated since the scenario had changed a lot since 2018. In Nepal, transferring money from international sources was a very complicated process. It was very stressful as there were deadlines to be met. In the end, everything fell into space. May I also commend all the RCs for having the patience to co-ordinate with us.

What is your favourite part of EAMSC?

The moment when delegates started arriving. It was the moment when all our hard work in preparing the conference came into fruition and it was a huge relief. Personally I really enjoyed the cultural exchange, everyone had so much fun; People were dancing, snacking and even brought their cultural games. It shows the core meaning of these AMSA conferences; uniting medical students with different cultural backgrounds.

What were communications with previous EAMSC organisers like?

I have met some organising committees before. Even 5 years ago before the whole bidding process, some seniors already had contact with these members. Luckily most of them were still in Nepal and not overseas yet. We definitely learnt valuable lessons from them to prevent repeating past mistakes.

AMSA Nepal

Can you tell us more about the structure of AMSA Nepal?

Every student on Maharajgunj medical campus is part of AMSA Nepal as soon as they join medical school. It is dependent on the students whether they want to enroll in the executive board. We accept applications into the executive board from all years. However, typically the Regional Chair, External Internal Chair, treasurer, secretary, liaison are all final year students. All application processes run through the previous regional chair.

How do you guys engage with the medical student community, and also the general public?

Currently AMSA Nepal is a single university chapter, all based from Maharajgunj medical campus. However, the programmes organised but the executive board are open for application from all medical students.

Can you tell us about your ‘flagship’ event?

We have 3 big events; We organise a nation-wide futsal event for medical students, aiming to bring students from the 20 colleges together across Nepal. Each team consists of 5 members, a percentage of the registration fee is used for the health camp. We are also directing the funds into establishing AMSEP. Aside from the futsal competition we also have a National-e newsletter: Trailblazer allowing medical students to have a better understanding of what activities are on offer. Lastly, we also organise an annual Health Camp where we travel to rural villages to carry out humanitarian work.

What do you hope to achieve in your tenure/ or the future/ any visions?

I really want to establish a national conference for all the medical schools. Also I feel like the research side of AMSA Nepal is lacking, I would hope to expand in this direction during the remainder of my tenure and in future tenures.

Are there any initiatives in engaging alumni?

Definitely! We are currently in the process of planning such endeavours. We understand there is a strong desire from the alumni to help out the current executive committee. After all, who wouldn’t care about the organisation after spending so much time working in it. This would be very useful as we can receive a lot of guidance from seniors which would greatly benefit us.

What external support do you have?

We have quite a few partners, providing financial or non monetary support. We often get sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies during our annual futsal event. The faculty is also very supportive and is involved in the programmes. These connections have been built by previous members of AMSA Nepal, we hope to continue these partnerships and expand onto newer ones.