# Swiss Medical Students' Association

The Swiss Medical Students’ Association (swimsa) is an independent association representing all medical students in Switzerland. It was founded in 1917, and currently maintains 30 member organisations, comprising 10 local medical students' associations and 20 public health and awareness organisations or projects. All medical students in Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, St. Gallen, and Zürich are represented by swimsa on a national and international level.

## History

In 1917, the medical faculties of Switzerland united to form the Association of Swiss Clinicians (Verband der Schweizer Klinkerschaften, VDSK).
In 1951, the IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students' Associations) was founded by the VDSK and associations of six other countries in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since then, the IFMSA has represented the interests of medical students on an international level. Later, the VDSK was reformed into the Association of Swiss Medical Students (Verband der Schweizer Medizinstudenten) VSM, from which the organization IFMSA Switzerland had split, concentrating solely on professional clinical exchange for medical students.
In 2006, the VMS and IFMSA Switzerland approached each other and decided to create a joined venture under the name of Swiss Medical Students’ Association (swimsa). Nonetheless, IFMSA-Switzerland became swimsa Exchanges and remained a legally independent organization, still responsible for international exchanges. Further founding members of swimsa were the medical student organizations Achtung Liebe, promoting sexual health and education, and Gruhu, enabling medical students to volunteer for clinical electives in third world countries.
In 2014, the organization swimsa Exchanges was dissolved and formally integrated into swimsa.

## Member Organisations

The student councils of the medical faculties of Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, St. Gallen, and Zurich are recognized as members of swimsa with voting rights at the national delegate assembly, which takes place twice a year. Other medical student organizations, also known as swimsa projects, are represented as members with voting rights as well. Currently there are ten such organizations/projects. Usually the organization/projects have their own constitutions and are as such de jure independent from swimsa.
| Medical Faculty | Full Name | University | Number of Students |
| fvmed | Fachverein Medizin | Zurich | 1800 |
| AEMG | Association des Etudiants en Médecine de Genève | Geneva | 1400 |
| AEML | Association des Etudiantes en Médecine de Lausanne | Lausanne | 1600 |
| FaMed | Fachschaft Medizin | Fribourg | 300 |
| FaMBa | Fachschaft Medizin Basel | Basel | 900 |
| FSMB | Fachschaft der Medizin Universität Bern | Bern | 1300 |
| mesa | Medical Students Association ETH Zürich | Zurich | 100 |
| FluMed | Fachverein Luzerner Medizinstudierenden | Luzern | |
| smusi | Studenti di medicina dell'Università della Svizzera italiana | Lugano | |
| MUSt | Medizinstudierende an der Universität St. Gallen | St. Gallen | |
| Organisation | Locations | Purpose |
| Achtung Liebe | Basel, Berne, Zurich | Sexual and Reproductive Health incl. HIV/AIDS Awareness & Peer-Education |
| EROS | Lausanne | Educating future physicians and the general public on the vast taboo subject of sexual health |
| escolhares | Lausanne | Offering free eye exams and eyeglasses to schoolchildren in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Marrow Switzerland | Basel, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich | Blood Stem Cell Awareness, Information & Registration |
| GRUHU Gruppe für UnterassistentInnen und medizinische Entwicklungszusammenarbeit | Zurich | Humanitarian Internships in 3rd World Countries |
| Doctors and Death | Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne | Offering medical students a platform to exchange thoughts and feelings on how to deal with death, suffering, rupture. |
| Teddybear Hospital | Basel, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich | Allowing children to come into contact with medicine, create trust with doctors and hospitals |
| MedSICS | Lausanne | Promoting mental health among medical students |
| M.E.T.I.S. | Lausanne | Public Health Projects and Social Awareness in and around Lausanne, Ecuador, and Tanzania |
| ASC Action Santé Communautaire | Geneva | Public Health Projects and Social Awareness in and around Geneva |
| UAEM University Allied for Essential Medecine | Basel, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne | Medicines and innovations in the medical field should be accessible to everyone |
| Medstache | Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne | Movember, Men's Health Awareness & Fundraising |
| AGT Aufklärung gegen Tabak | Bern | Voluntary smoke prevention project by medical students for pupils from 7th to 9th grade |
| ASTiM Associazione Studenti Ticinesi di Medicina | Switzerland | Bringing together Ticino medical students enrolled in all faculties throughout Switzerland |
| Young Sonographers | Switzerland | Section of the Swiss Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (SGUM) and are committed to the ultrasound training of students and interns |

## Activities

swimsa is the official representation of Swiss dental and medical students and has seats in various commissions, such as the Commission of Swiss Medical Faculties SMIFK (Schweizerische medizinische Interfakultätskommission) or the Federal Office of Public Health. In addition, swimsa organizes international exchanges and takes part at the activities of the IFMSA. The association collaborates with various projects and organizations on the topics of public health, medical education, sexual and reproductive health including HIV/AIDS, and human rights. The Swiss Medical Students' Convention (SMSC) takes place twice a year and enables students throughout Switzerland to meet and exchange experiences and ideas. A trainings weekend is organized once a year.

## Awards

swimsa honors medical students with the "U ROCK swimsa Award".
The "U ROCK swimsa Award" is presented twice a year during the SMSC (usually in April and November) to people who have shown excellent commitment and endurance. The candidates are chosen by the executive board to be voted on by the national delegate assembly. The following list shows the recipients since its introduction:
* 2008
** Karin Helsing
** David Eisner
* 2009
** Carla Gürtler
** Patrizia Kündig
* 2010
** Gaby Moser
** Sergej Staubli
* 2011
** Nicola Rüegsegger
** Alexandra Leuenberger
* 2012
** Samuel Zweifel
** Roland Fischer
* 2013
** Alexandre Moser
** Rainer Tan
** Samuel Heiniger
* 2014
** Clara Sailer
** Anna Wang | Zurich
* 2015
** Andrea Mauracher | Zurich
** Noémie Boss | Berne
** Mirjam Ryter | Basel
* 2016
** Eleonora Frau | Fribourg
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
** Margaux Saudan
* 2020
** Robin Walter
** Gaia Grigorov