A problem based learning approach will be taken to provide students with active learning environment. They will work in small groups applying skills through role plays, case studies and their own work, maximising the interactive learning and the opportunity for inter-personal interaction.

Leadership and communication skills

Leadership in student organisations run on a shoestring by volunteers can be a formidable challenge. This part of the program focuses on team building and peer education skills and how to motivate people to work with you and for you

Effective Communication

Cultural contact of communication, body language, writing styles, using attention span most beneficially, spatial relationship, overcoming our fears with interpersonal interaction and diplomatic management

Negotiation

How to prepare for negotiations. How to prevent stuck in an impasse or conflict. How to uncover hidden agendas and how to get the most out of the situation. Understanding and using body language, positive engagement and discovering partnership not sponsorship

Conflict Prevention

Why and how do conflicts arise? How can they be prevented? Once a conflict has arisen, how do you get the parties together? Small group discussion and dynamics in managerial or co-ordinating level meetings.

Facilitation and chairing

More than anything, meetings are the cement of organisations. However effective and constructive meetings demand considerable skills. Basic facilitation, an understanding of the roles in the meeting (the interactive method), writing agendas, writing minutes and the group memory but to identify some of the program.

Project planning

Addresses all the necessary steps in project planning and management from the conduction of a baseline survey and needs assessment to evaluation. Outlines the basic rules for effective project implementation and equips the participants with useful tools and models for application.

Management skills

Addresses the hard core management issues: Strategic planning, Goal setting, Financial management, Needs Assessment, Evaluation and quality control.

Advocacy, Health Promotion And Development

Although a new topic to the training, we have launched professionally taught sessions in understanding and applying skills in lobbying, campaigning, and using the media, community outreach, research and action

Fundraising

Knowing how to get support and funding of your projects is imperative, as money is needed for most ideas to be implemented. Basic fundraising skills that are taught in an interactive way and success stories shared between participants to help them realise their potential.

Partnership, Internal and External Relations

Forging partnership with other actors in the field is of utmost importance to maximise the impact and optimise limited resources. The participants are taught how to approach and establish partnerships with other organisations or institutions both locally based and international ones. How to nurture these relations and ensure continuity is also explained. IFMSA tries to link its members up with the local constituents of its partners in the international health field.

Training of trainers

The creation of the IFMSA training pool who will ensure continuity and sustainability of the federations training. It also maximises the impact of the training and reaches a much larger audience than just the international meetings. This training will be provided by external professionals combined with the experience of internal trainers aware the examples in medical student work.

Personal development

All the sessions of the Leadership training program contribute to the personal development of the participants. Specific topics that focus more on the individual than his external reality include: Presentation skills, Public Speaking and Writing Skills.

Information Technology use and management

The increasing use and application of technology into our education and health profession has inspired us to teach aspects of utilising basic IT to assist organising activities, using the world wide web and professionalising our work.

Program assessment / competitive analysis

The key to developing work based on experience is to evaluate and assess, before, during and after the project. Methods of designing a programme assessment as well as comparing and applying options are key to successful choices for executing activities

Strategic Planning, thinking and management

The fundamental aspects of planning a project must begin with defining missions, visions, goals and objectives. Further to this, group, activity and task management are outlined through abstract and real examples.

Peer Education and Cascade Teaching

To promote established methods for teaching others as well as communicating awareness of important health issues with the aim of combating their causes on a local level (e.g. HIV/AIDS, Smoking)